Hong Kong - Taipei, Taiwan
Ancient to Modern Tour
30s - 40s -50s & Active 60s Singles Vacation
June 30 - July 9, 2012
$2590*

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Hong Kong - Taipei, Taiwan - Ancient to Modern Daily Itinerary

Day 1- Arrive Hong Kong

Upon arrival at the Hong Kong international airport take the shuttle to the group's hotel. No activities are planned for the day to give everyone a chance to arrive. Meet your hostess at 7pm for a meet and greet and optional dinner. 

Day 2 - Hong Kong

Put on your walking shoes for our guided tour of Hong Kong Island and the street markets in Kowloon. Hop on an open-top tour bus that brings Hong Kong's colorful history to life. Off the bus our private guide will take us to some of the oldest Chinese neighborhoods, where shops specialize in dried Chinese food, spices and medicines. Window shop along the antique shops of Hollywood Road and shop the old oriental flea-markets. Ride on the world's longest escalator up through the mix of restaurants, stores, galleries and pharmacies.
 
Time for lunch before we cross the island to the South Side and Aberdeen Fishing Village, a typhoon shelter for ocean-going fishermen who live on their boats with their families. We will get a brief but vivid experience of the lifestyle of Hong Kong 'boat people' by riding in a sampan.

Experience the beauty of Hong Kong's natural wonders as we take the venerable Peak Tram to the top. Perching on The Peak at 1,300 feet above sea level is The Peak Tower, one of the most stylish architectural icons in Hong Kong. The Peak Tower boasts the highest 360° viewing platform, The Sky Terrace 428. Time to enjoy The Peak before our Welcome Dinner.

Day 3 - Hong Kong Touring

This morning we continue to explore Hong Kong utilizing the hop-on hop-off bus and our private guide. 

Afternoon is free time to shop, explore or relax.

A visit to Hong Kong would not be complete without experiencing the famous ‘Symphony of Lights’ illuminations and the neon spectacle of Nathan Road. Tonight we take a panoramic tour of Kowloon and visit Temple Street. Also called 'Men's Street' it features rows of brightly lit stalls hawking a variety of inexpensive items ─ including clothing, pens, watches, DVD and electronics. Fortune-tellers cluster at the end of Yau Ma Tei street, as do Chinese opera enthusiasts seek impromptu performances.

Day 4 - Lantau Island Day Tour

Today we travel across Hong Kong's spectacular suspension bridge and along the north of Lantau, the largest outlying island, to the town of Tung Chung.

From there, we begin our 25 minute ascent to the Po Lin Buddhist Monastery by Sky Rail. Enjoy amazing views and the natural serenity of rolling grasslands, forested mountains and the natural streams and waterfalls.

The Po Lin Monastery is an important Buddhist center and home of the 85 foot high Giant Buddha, the biggest sitting, bronze Buddha in the world. It sits atop a summit, overlooking a breathtaking landscape with the beautiful Lantau Peak as a backdrop.

A vegetarian lunch will be served at the monastery and there will be free time to look around before we visit the three hundred year old fishing village of Tai O. People still live in closely packed wooden dwellings on stilts along the Tai O stream and the sights and smells of the market street will leave you with a strong and fragrant memory.

We will return to Hong Kong Island by boat through one of the world's busiest harbors and see the most famous skylines.

Day 5 - Macau Day Tour

Sail across the sea on our day trip to Macau, once the oldest European settlement in the Orient. Tour the Historic Centre of Macau, a World Heritage site which dates back to the 15th century as a Portuguese possession.

Our tour will include the Na Tcha Temple, a Buddhist temple; the Museum of Macau and Mount Fortress, built in conjunction with the Jesuits and completed in 1626; The Temple of A Ma, dating probably from 1488 with additions and renovations up to 1828.

Our last stop is the Macau Tower standing 1,110 feet high offers great views. An observation deck with panoramic views, restaurants, theaters, shopping malls and the Skywalk X, a thrilling walking tour around the outer rim, are found at the tower's 764 foot level.

Day 6 - Hong Kong - Taipei, Taiwan

After breakfast we depart Hong Kong for our next Asian destination, Taipei Taiwan.  Upon arrival we will transfer to our hotel and begin our city tour.

Visit the National Palace Museum which houses the world's largest collection of priceless Chinese art treasures, one which spans China's nearly 5,000-year history. Most of the museum's 620,000 art objects were part of the Chinese imperial collection, which began over 1,000 years ago in the early Song dynasty.

Typical Taiwanese snacks are found everywhere, but Taiwan's night markets in particular.  Each night market has its own traditions and characteristics and we will visit a few markets while in Taipei.

Day 7 - Taipei City

Our full day tour takes us to some of the famous sites of Taipei. Built in 1987, the National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall are the first national-level cultural venues in Taiwan. The Presidential Office Building, built during Japanese colonization period, was the governor's mansion at that time. The building has been used as the presidential mansion after the central government of R.O.C. was re-instated in Taiwan.

Longshan Temple is for worshiping Guanshiyin Budda and other divine spirits. The temple was built in Qianlong 5th year in Ching (Qing) Dynasty. No visit would be complete without a visit to Taipei 101, the world's tallest building.  We will stop at the observatory for a bird's eyeview of the city..  

The Shilin night market has snacks from all over Taiwan,  including such famous delicacies as knife-sliced noodles, pork kidney soup, oyster omelet, Kaohsiung meat balls, little-cake-in-big-cake, Shilin sausages, tomatoes in ginger juice, Shandong duck heads, frogs-laying-eggs, stir-fried squid, and chili-sauce dumplings. What will you try?

Day 8 - Taipei - Jiufen

Morning at leisure to relax or shop.

Our afternoon tour takes us Northeast to Nanya, a coastline filled with amazing rock formations, a sea-eroded coral shore. The patterned stone is unique in Taiwan and formed through the weathering of the sandstone that lines the shore. The oxidation of iron ore within the stone gives it a beautiful striped pattern.

Next we travel to the quaint little village of Chiufen Village (Jiufen), once the gold mining center of Taiwan. The gold is gone, but Jiufen built of closely-packed houses clinging to steep mountainsides, continue to offer enchanting scenery, unique teahouses and fascinating glimpses into the lifestyles of the past.

Day 9 - Taipei - Beitou Springs

Today we board the MRT and take the train to Beitou hot springs. Emitting sulfur mist year round, the place is bestowed with abundant hot spring resources.  There are white sulfur, green sulfur and iron sulfur springs.

We will stop at the Geothermal Valley, consisting of a lake of water and sulfuric acid that reaches temperatures of 212° Fahrenheit . The boiling water below is made even stranger by the wafting sulfuric smoke dancing around the top of the lake and floating off into the clouds above.

After seeing the source of the area’s hot springs, it’s time to venture into a hot spring bath. The pools range from hot to “Oh my gosh!”, so there is a pleasant soaking opportunity for everyone. For those who go in the summer or who want to cool down a bit, there is also a pool with cool water.

Tonight we enjoy our Farewell at a Taipei restaurant.

Day 10 - Depart Taiwan

After a final breakfast we have to say goodbye to all our new single travel friends as we are transferred to the airport and our flights home. 

Hong Kong - Taipei, Taiwan Singles Tour June 30 - July 9, 2012 Price - $2,590 Includes * 8 Nights Accommodations * Breakfast Daily * Welcome & Farewell Dinners * Airfare Hong Kong - Taipei * English Speaking Guide per itinerary * Entrance Fees and Admissions per itinerary * Airport/Hotel Transfers - Day of Arrival & Departure * Singles Travel Hostess * All Taxes and Surcharges *The price per person is for a double room. Free roommate matching is available so there is never a need to pay a "single supplement". If you wish to room alone the cost is an additional $1150 Does Not Include *Airfare to Asia *Tips $100 - collected tour day 1

Ancient to Modern Deposit - $400 Balance Due May 15, 2012                            For More Information 877 848-7477 HongKong@bestsingletravel.com