Kaohsiung Introduction
After Douliu, our next stop is Kaohsiung is a lively city known for its rich culture, busy harbor, and modern buildings. It’s a popular tourist spot, almost as much as Taipei. The city mixes old history with new culture.
If you enjoy art and culture, you should visit places like the Pier-2 Art Center. It has modern art and cultural events. The Love River is another famous spot where you can take boat rides and enjoy walks by the water.
Compared to Taipei, Kaohsiung has a warmer climate. So if you visit during winter, don’t wear too many clothes.
We travel in Kaohsiung mainly via their public transport – light rail and MRT. For places that we are not able to reach via public transport, we took tripool. Their MRT is just like our local MRT, and their light rail are shorter and their station is like our bus stop.
Where To Stay In KaohSiung
高雄富野渡假村 Hoya Resort Hotel Kaohsiung
This time in Kaohsiung, I decided to find a family-friendly hotel just in case some attractions might close during the Christmas season. So, I discovered the Hoya Resort in Kaohsiung. It’s conveniently located near a light rail station and offers a fantastic breakfast. Moreover, it’s known for being family-friendly. They have a play area with various activities including car racing (selected timing), as well as snacks and drinks available in the lobby.
The only issue is they do not have connecting rooms, but they can help us arrange rooms on the same floor as close as possible. Our rooms are not far apart; there is a pillar in between them, which is about less than a minute’s walk.
For 3D2N, I paid about SGD1070 (rates are based on 3A4C and the period I have booked)
高雄富野渡假村 Hoya Resort Hotel Kaohsiung Information
No. 99, Ruitian St, Cianjhen District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 806
Overall the stay is good, breakfast is also good. So definitely will stay again if I visit Kaohsiung.
Where To Play In Kaohsiung
壽山動物園 Shoushan Zoo
Recommended time spent: 2-3hours
While researching, I stumbled upon Shoushan Zoo, where I found mixed reviews, possibly due to ongoing upgrades at the zoo. However, considering the remarkably low ticket prices—less than $2 per adult, with free admission for children under 6 and half-price tickets for those aged 6-17. Since my kids love zoo trip, I decided to proceed with booking. Better to book the tickets online, so you can just go in by scanning the QR code. If not the ticket booth Q is very long!
From the car park to the zoo entrance, there’s a considerable distance, and it’s uphill. However, overall, it’s quite pleasant to walk during winter. Just be cautious of Formosan monkeys, there are a lot! I lost count how many we saw along the way. They may snatch your drinks, food, or even your bag if they find it suspicious.
Upon stepping inside, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the zoo is spacious and well-maintained, which exceeded my expectations after reading negative reviews. In fact, considering the price, I found it to be quite satisfactory. While it may not be comparable to our local zoo, overall we still have good experience.
Because the zoo is very spacious, so walking around the zoo is very comfortable. All animals are behind the glass cage, but the cages are spacious. The have introduction both in English and mandarin. Take note that some animals are rescued animals so they may not look good, just ensure that they are not ill treated.
Some of the animals we saw.
壽山動物園 Shoushan Zoo
Address: No. 350號, Wanshou Rd, Gushan District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 80444
Opening hours: 9am to 430pm, closed on Monday
木育森林 Wooderful Land
Recommended time spent: 2hrs
Wooderful Land is a small indoor playground packed with fun activities for kids of all ages, including my teens! They love it. Every toy inside is crafted with high-quality wood. The play area is divided into 7 sections, with a total of 50 exciting activities and challenges.
The entrance ticket is not expensive. It’s about less than SGD$12 per person or above 90cm. Unfortunately due to the rules and the indoor play area, children are not to be left unattended! You need to purchase the ticket and book a slot before going down. Please note that playtime is limited to 2 hours, so make sure you arrive on time to maximize the fun!
Remember to bring your socks, as they are required for entry. Drinks are not permitted inside the play area. The only drawback is the toilet situation; it’s located outside and a bit of a distance away, which can be inconvenient, especially when wearing winter boots.
After playing you can go opposite to check out their wood toys!
木育森林 Wooderful Land
Address: 803, Taiwan, Kaohsiung City, Yancheng District, Dayi St, 2-2號大義倉庫C8-19
Opening hours: 11am to 6pm daily.
鈴鹿賽道樂園 Suzuka Circuit Park
Recommended time spent: 6-7hours
Suzuka Circuit Park, located at SKM Park, is a theme park that doesn’t require an entrance fee. Inheriting the spirit of Japan’s Suzuka Circuit, it is a parent-child interactive car-themed amusement park. It’s not a very big theme park, but I would say it’s good enough to play for one whole day. Besides the theme park, there is a shopping mall with an indoor playground and other entertainment for the whole family.
I like that the theme park has various payment options. If your child is under 90cm in heights, you can simply buy an individual ride pass. Just pay at the station you want to play via credit card or EasyCard. If you want to accompany your child, the adult just needs to pay NT30. If your child is above 110cm and wants to go on all the rides, you can buy an all-day pass or visit after 5pm for unlimited rides until 8:30pm at special rates.
Because I went during the Christmas period and saw that they had a special promotion for kids wearing Christmas outfits – they would have free entry with one paying adult. So, I packed my Christmas outfit just for the theme park and enjoyed the Christmas vibes!
Since it’s a car-themed theme park, you will expect a lot of manual riding! Like the driving through the obstacles course and operating the Tic Tac Train. For the kids motorbike, kids have to be less than 12 years old, above 90cm and understand Chinese instructions to be able to ride.
For kids who are above 155cm, they can try the Mini Suzuka Circuit to experience car racing! Please note, you also need to be a minimum of 18 years old. Those below 18 need to have parental consent. Tickets are sold separately for this station. Remember to wear long pants and well-covered shoes to play here.
As for meals, you can have them at SKM Park, which is just beside the theme park. If you want to spend more time playing, you can buy your lunch from the Family Mart and have your meals at Level 3, which is their food court.
鈴鹿賽道樂園 Suzuka Circuit Park
Address: No. 1-1號, Zhong’an Rd, Cianjhen District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 806
(Nearest MRT Station Caoya 草衙站)
淨園農場 Jing Yuan Leisure Farm
Recommended time spent: 3-4hrs
Jing Yuan Leisure Farm is a popular family-friendly destination for both locals and tourists. They have a mini zoo, an open-air restaurant where you can see airplanes flying and landing, a camping ground, a very big playground, and other dining options.
You have to purchase the tickets on-site, NT200 for children and NT300 for adults. I recommend going on weekdays because there are fewer crowds, and the tickets can be used to offset meals or purchases in the park, with NT50 for children and NT100 for adults. Weekend tickets are not able to offset.
As an outdoor play area, I’m surprised to see all the play area are well maintained and well kept.
As for meals, I suggest making a reservation at Air Coffee if you want to enjoy your meals while watching the planes take off and land. The kids enjoyed it a lot! The food also tastes good, and the servings are generous too. Considering the price after offset, it’s definitely value for money!
Fries, nuggets, wings and fish fingers
淨園農場 Jing Yuan Leisure Farm
Address: No. 12號, Alley 10, Lane 135, Mingsheng St, Siaogang District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 812
Opening hours: 930am to 9pm daily.
What To Eat In KaohSiung
上品薑母鴨 草衙
I have been craving Ginger Duck Hotpot for a very long time. I actually chose a location to go after our Suzuka theme park visit. But then I realized the kids were hungry, so we decided to eat nearby. We googled and found this stall called “上品薑母鴨,” which is about a 20-minute walk (the nearest option) from the theme park.
When we arrived, we were the only family there because nobody had hotpot so early, at 5:30 pm. Once we reached, the kids were fascinated by the short chairs and tables. I also found it interesting, but because of such a setup, it actually makes hotpot a lot easier to enjoy.
Unlike the majority of hotpots, this ginger duck hotpot leans more towards a strong herbal taste rather than a ginger taste, and they use charcoal. Plus the pricing is very cheap!
上品薑母鴨
Address: No. 215號, Caoya 2nd Rd, Cianjhen District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 806
Opening hours: 5pm to 12mn
老店羅家豆菜麵 @ Ziqiang Night Market
Ziqiang night market is not like the typical Taiwan night market. There are no road blockages, so be careful when walking along the stalls. There are also no game stalls. This stretch of road is just purely for selling food.
After walking one round, we decided to go to this stall since it has my favorite pig blood. After we went in, we realised it’s one of the highly recommended stall to go to among the locals. Even though the layout is not kids-friendly, overall it’s okay. It’s a bit old-school, and we have no regrets eating here because the food is good and cheap!
老店羅家豆菜麵
Address: No. 61, Ziqiang 2nd Rd, Fengshan District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 830
Opening hours: 11am to 230pm
台企牛肉麵
We went to this beef noodle stall for lunch after we put our luggage in the hotel. It’s about 12mins walk from the hotel.
It’s quite a small and cozy store, so I did make a reservation before going.
The braised beef rice is very good, but the vegetable is a little spicy even though the stall owner has already made it non-spicy upon request for this dish. You may want to take note if you are eating there! Additionally, if you are a seafood lover like me, you can try the kampong chicken seafood noodle. I absolutely love it. Although the noodles are not very springy, the texture is very nice and not soggy.
台企牛肉麵
Address: No. 65號, Sancheng Road, Fengshan District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 830
Opening hours: 11am – 130pm, 5-730pm
My Itinerary for KaohSiung, for reference
We only stay in KaohSiung for 3D2N so it’s a short itinerary. Please feel free to add on your itinerary if you are staying longer. Recommendation > FLOMO Stationery Museum and National Science And Technology Museum
Day 1
1300hrs 壽山動物園 Shoushan Zoo
1600hrs 木育森林 Wooderful Land
1900hrs: Ziqiang Night Market
Day 2
1100hrs 鈴鹿賽道樂園 Suzuka Circuit Park (They open 30mins earlier on weekend and Public Holidays)
Day 3
0930hrs 淨園農場 Jing Yuan Leisure Farm (We stay till lunch time and move to Taipei)
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