My visit: December 30, 2010
Maokong Gondola
Eyes of Maokong
Taipei Zoo Station (Muzha Line)
Taiwan
In Hong Kong, there's Ngong Ping 360. In Taiwan, it's Maokong Gondola. The difference lies in the crystal cabins.
inside Maokong Gondola
We have to take a queueing number on the left side of the entrance to be able to access the Eyes of Maokong Gondola. We got two tickets for 12:15 to 12:30pm embarking time. We have 30 minutes to spare so we ate at the nearby Mc Donald's, the only fast food court available.
Taipei Zoo area
The orange structure is Taipei Zoo entrance while on the left is Mc Donald's. I want to share the second photo because I love how the trees look. It might be scary at night but nice to look at in the morning hehe The walk to Mc Donald's from Maokong Gondola is approximately 5 minutes.
Taipei Zoo Station
Dancing Waters near Taipei Zoo
If you got extra time in hand, you might want to check out the Dancing Waters Area beside the right side entrance of Maokong Gondola.
embarking area
The picture on top is the regular cabin. The ratio of Eyes of Maokong Gondola to a regular one, I think is 1:20. While a regular cabin seats at least 8 persons, Eyes of Maokong Gondola seats only a maximum of 5.
view from the top
the floor in Eyes of Maokong Gondola
You all know my fear of heights so this ride is pretty scary for me. But all my fear was gone the moment I see the breathtaking view the scenic route Maokong has to offer.
hiking trail
I wouldn't go that way hehe
DH and I
Snapping pictures of DH and I took my mind off of my fear of heights too!
reminds me of Banaue Rice Terraces
Alright nothing compares to the real Banaue Rice Terraces so seeing this makes me miss our country and my previous trip to that place.
exit area of Maokong Station
We paid NT50 per person for a 30 minute single journey ticket to Maokong Station. Price for Eyes of Maokong Gondola is the same as the regular cabins. Maokong Station is elevated at around 299.3m with a distance totaling to 4033m from Taipei Zoo Station.
Maokong translates as "No Cat" in Chinese. It derives its name from Taiwanese "Niaokang" which refers to the topography of surrounding mountains and also "cat scratched" which is "Maokong" in Mandarin.
food haven if you are brave enough to try
We came across this market place where the inside is buzzing with people hawking to sell their dishes.
I think these are all tofu cooked in different ways
some kind of omelette
balls on stick
take your pick rice, noodles and veggies
stinky tofu
dessert for DH
I happen to be so full from my Mc Donald's lunch that's why I was not able to try any of the food above. Ok, fine, I lied. I am not that adventurous enough to partake in any of the food unlike DH who is willing to try anything that please his fancy.
with my "tong kwa cha"
I learned how to order my favorite Wintermelon drink in Mandarin so I order this every time lol
stinky tofu
me eating a stinky tofu
With the look on my face, you would know that it was DH who made me eat it. Although the tofu stinks like a canal, surprisingly, it tastes delicious. But I can only eat a piece and that's about it.
hitching a ride up the mountain
We were looking for famous tea places in the area but we didn't know where it was so we just took some pictures then decided to go back to civilization lol Civilization equals shopping haha
DH with Maokong statues
nice flower art to commemorate the flower festival
riding in a regular gondola on our way back
We were the only ones inside the cabin so we decided to make a fool of ourselves haha It was a long 30 minute ride back. I waved at every single cabin that we passed by but the people inside those cabins are either pre-occupied or in awe of the scenic view below.
