Free and easy in Kaohsiung and trying the Taiwan Railway bento set

2 April 2024

We did not really have much planned for the last day of our Taiwan trip. My original plan was to enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the H2O Hotel and then perhaps go check out some street art in Kaohsiung or go explore the rest of Pier 2 Art Center. 

Our flight out from Taoyuan Airport was at 21.45 hr. This means we have to return to hotel by 3 PM, take the hotel shuttle to the Zuoying HSR (high speed rail) Station, collect our tickets before 4 PM to catch the 4.35 PM high speed rail (HSR) train.  

We planned to eat the famous Taiwan Railway bento sets during our 2 hour train ride on the High Speed Rail.

Enjoying our dinner on the HSR train on our way to the airport.

Once again, plans were made to be changed. Instead of checking out the street art in Kaohsiung, we decided to go check out some shopping areas and see if we can buy some local snacks to bring home.

By the time we checked out, left our luggage with the concierge and head for the Kaohsiung Arena MRT Station, it was already 10.45 AM. We could not decide where to go. It was either Dreammall or SKM Outlets.

We were was on the MRT heading to SKM Outlet when we heard announcement "next stop is Sanduo Shopping Street". We made a split second decision to alight and explore the area.

Leaving the MRT Station, we found ourselves along a busy road called the Sanduo 3rd Street and saw several places such as Mega, Poya and a Sogo Department Store to explore. We also went to a few local convenience store to check out the pineapple cakes that Taiwan is famous for. We found none on sale.

From the Sanduo shopping area, we took a bus back to our hotel as planned.

Once again, we enjoyed a luxurious car ride to the HSR Station, courtesy of the H2O Hotel.

We had a little time to do some shopping at the HSR Station. At the 7-11 store in the HSR Station, we finally got our hands on some pineapple cakes! We bought the Chia Te pineapple cakes as advised by a helpful and friendly local lady in the 7-11 store. She said there would be long queues in Taipei for them.

570 TWD per box with 12 individual packed pieces.  We bought 3 boxes (for ourselves and also as gifts).

It was a 2 hour journey from Kaohsiung to Taoyuan on the High Speed Rail. This was a perfect time to eat the famous Taiwan Railway Bentos. It is estimated that five million of these boxed meals are sold per annum.

There were a few stalls selling bentos at the HSR station. We made sure we bought the bentos from Taiwan Railway (TR) stall. In fact, the TR bento sets seems to be the cheapest.

TR Bento 80 TWD only.

For 80 TWD, this bento set is really value for money. It contains pork chop and rice. In addition, there are a variety of side dishes, including a braised egg, dried tofu, and some vegetables.

The bentos are also sold on board the train. Staff on the train would go round to collect the used containers and other rubbish periodically.

     

Overall, like the rest of our stay in Taiwan, our last day in Taiwan went pretty well. We will be back!