Four people can share two rooms. Try agoda.com . I imagine you can get a decent hotel for about 40 US/night per room. 100 cad per day for 4 people is certainly workable. Should cost you LESS.
how to get to hualian from Taipei.
and the four of you can take ONE cab from hualian to ching shui and back.
YOu won’t stay at ching shui too long imagine, maybe 30 mins? The cab will be happy to wait for you and get a return fare.
train prices:
https://www.railway.gov.tw/en/index.aspx
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4 of us?
You adding in ex wife and niece?
The cliff is where my main focus will be I think,
I thought you said there will be a total of 4 people going from Canada on this journey?? YOu and three others travelling together?
No just 2 of us, 3 people want to come
But only bringing one
Can you try Philippine airlines? Last time I went to Vancouver I think I spent 22k air fare. Unfortunately you have to stop in Manila airport, but only transit.
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100 CAD for 4 people OK.
Airbnb?
Good, i think that is good. IN which case you CAN consider renting a car ONCE you are in Hualian . A car rental should be around 2500nt per 24 hours. If you have to drive in Taiwan. The EAST COAST is at least your best bet.
Since you plan to spend most of your time in the EAST Coast then perhaps renting a car for a few days or more will be good.
Suggest following:
You could be arriving the wee hours of the morning in TAipei. Then you face a one hour immigration and customs (perhaps as little as 30 mins) time. Change money at the airport (the banks there are the same rates as in the city) to Taiwan dollars. Count on spending 2 nights in Taipei. The first just to rest and get your wits about you. There will be jet lag and tireness from your journey halfway around the world.
ON the 3rd day take a morning train to Hualian. Maybe take it easy that day and rest up at the hotel. Rent a car the day after that, drive to ching shui. Spend a few hours there. Drive back to hualian. Take in Taroko Gorge (nice scenic drive) and you may as well since you are there.
Rest up that night in Hualian. Then the next day late morning ish. DRive the 4 hours or so to Taitung. Spend 2 nites in Taitung at least. Try to get in touch with the ex wife and the niece. Then drive the 2 and a half hours to Kenting in South Taiwan. Spend a night or two there. Good for the spirit. It’s one of the most relaxing places on Taiwan.
Then drive the 2 hours to Kaohsiung (taiwans second largest city) and spend a night or two there. Then you can take a slow train back to Taipei (about 4 and a half hours ) for i think around 800nt per person??
OR take the High Speed Rail, which takes only about 90 mins for I think around 1200nt. Have ot check prices.
Back in Taipei stay the night and then jet back to Canada. Hopefully having said some prayers for your bro and hopefully having seen your niece. Making some friendship with the ex if possible.
Some answers may come later after your visit.
thats about as good as one can hope for i suppose
YOU WILL NEED AN INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS LICENSE.
YOu can get one online quite cheaply from AAA or some such. Just google.
And you can rent a car with insurance added.
Ive been transpacific a few times with PHillippines Airlines. I liked them. They were good.
But i dont see them as being a cheap alternative from toronto. Dont think they fly there.
Your daily eating costs in Taiwan will be the same as eating at home in Canada if you eat like the average local here. So just take whatever’s grocery budget you have at home for the time and take here, you will be able to eat out with that. You can get a meal here for as cheap as 50ntd if you eat like the average local workman.
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You forgot the police and coast guard.
I’m kind of agreeing with Tommy on this. The press may indeed paint a bad picture of your brother being this or that kind of person. However, as possible foul play may have been the reason for his disappearance then yeah I agree with Tommy, this really needs to be sorted out, this cannot be left unsolved or if it is left unsolved then at least you did all you could. I think trying to get a Christian or Buddhist organization is first , then if no luck let’s get it in the media. I think people do care, most on this forum have all tried to help out.
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At this stage i believe they are worth JACK.
But if they have anything to say, Dave’s bro could be in Hualian a day or two or longer as needed.
On that point. He really only needs a car for the one day in Hualian when he needs to drive to Ching Shui. To cut costs he really doesnt need a car afterwards.
No car needed in Taipei or points south after hualian Or from Taipei to Hualian.
So a ONE DAY car rental could be all he needs as far as renting cars are concerned. He can take a train from Hualian to TAitung and from Taitung to Fang liao, which is near Kenting, and from Kenting plenty of buses 24/7 to Kaohsiung. He can rent a scooter to ride around Kenting. Safe enough really over there, within reason.
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Once In Hualien you can rent for 1200nt/24hours easily. Some older we’ll maitained Toyaota Camry. Try to stretch that money.
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Also no hotel needed if you want to stretch the money. There are hostels and homestayrs (Airbnb) clean and comfortable since you need just a clean and comfortable bed and shower.
Edit: even in Taipei which is the most expensive city here you can find private rooms for 20usd/night/person and 35usd/night/for2people on Airbnb. Hualien even cheaper.
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going down the east coast
now this is not a vacation trip for DAve’s bro but its a hard journey for his mind travelling so far to be close to his bro at least in spirit. And its a heck of a long ways for our man. So he may as well try to take in some good to keep the mind at peace.
There is no Air Canada non stop from Toronto to Taipei. The Air Canada return flight involves a (pain the rear end) transfer in Vancouver to a different aircraft followed by a very long domestic flight across Canada.
The only point-to-point non-stop service right now is offered by EVA.
Guy
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Canadian office and taiwan NIA may be to be added. Dave’s bro may need to know Dave’s current status in Taiwan.
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Then 4 days in Taipei will be in good order. As those places are in Taipei city.
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