It's the penultimate day of this trip to Taiwan and the last full day available to explore. Yesterday we arrived back in Taipei in good spirits, finding a most comfortable room so close to conveniences. On booking the room at City Inn, I sacrificed being offered a breakfast, but in an area where all types of catering are just outside the door, it's no real sacrifice at all.
For the breakfast we could make do with what we bought yesterday, and there is coffee in the room, but on floor 2 there is a coffee vending machine and microwave. Despite this, I pop in to Family Mart next door and pick up a warm snack, Japanese style. It's plenty for now, as the location I chose continues to impress me.
Today I plan to head for the northern coast again, where there is a promise of gorgeous scenery. Remembering the improvement in the weather at Sun Moon Lake with lovely sunshine in the day, I see the weather here in Taipei has improved too, as noted by reception staff. The temperature today should be at least 25 degrees Celsius - just perfect for a day out.
We start by walking over to the train station and locate the Red Line. We know this line terminates well north of the city at Tamsui. We hop on the metro expecting an hour's ride, but that ends prematurely as we need to change trains at Beitou. We can now continue to the end of the line.
Arriving at Tamsui, we're still not where we want to be and have to search for another bus. Eventually we're directed to bus R26, which I can see goes to Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf. We can reach the wharf on foot from the bus stop. On arrival, it doesn't take long to realise that this port is not a traditional fishing port. While it may have been one in the past, it's now a modern marina for yachts and a grand and picturesque one too. Strangely though, there is hardly anyone about. We spend the best part of an hour just wandering around taking photos.
It's early afternoon, but we're not ready for lunch. Instead we wonder about planning to head north along the coast, where we know there are attractions. We try to find the right bus at the harbour but eventually play it safe and head back to Tamsui. Now we have options, and the first soon appears. Bus 862 for Keelung City arrives soon.
The next attraction on our list is Zhilan Park, which we note is an ocean viewpoint. We get off the bus at Houcou, but it's eerily quiet. It's just a short walk to the viewpoint, but there's nothing here to write home about, only a concrete pier. Feeling disappointed, at least we can look for lunch, but that doesn't work either. While there are a couple of options, the lack of choice and language problems mean we decide to jump back on a bus.
Realistically, there's only one other option now, and that's to continue along the coast to Taiwan's northern tip, where we hope to see something natural. We get off at Fuguei Cape Lighthouse, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. We need to backtrack and find the road to the harbour. We are close to where we want to be but still need that lunch, but the only options are seafood kitchens, as we found at Yehlue a few days ago. It's not what was planned, but we've managed to order clams and battered fish. I guess when in Rome... At least by now we know where the main attraction is but need to continue walking to where Laomei Green Reef is located. Laomei Green Reef is a stunning natural coastal attraction in Shimen District, located near the Laomei community. The reef consists of volcanic rock formations from ancient eruptions of the Datun Volcano Group. Over thousands of years, wave erosion has carved the softer parts away, leaving behind neat, parallel stone troughs (also called sea erosion grooves or tidal channels). During spring (typically mid-March to early May, peaking in April), these troughs become covered in vibrant green algae (often Ulva species). We head for the reef but first locate Laomei Maze, which is not that exciting as mazes go, but further on is Laomei Lookout. This turns out to offer wonderful views of Laomei Beach and east to the Laomei community. However, the picture postcard views of the Green Reef are not to be seen now; it's just too early in the season. So what we are left with here today are views and a seafood meal. There's nothing more to add at this point, and we have to head back with the time approaching 4:00 PM.
Back on the main road, bus 832 is due soon, which is testimony to the excellent public transport service. We now have to complete the journey back to Tamsui and take the metro. This is time-consuming, of course, and we end up back in Taipei at 6:30 PM. Nothing special is secured for dinner near the hotel as we return for our last night here.
As a final chore this evening I complete my Thai Digital Arrival Card and airline check-in. Tomorrow we have more time to look around Taipei, as our flight is not until the evening.

Source: Visit