On New Years day, my brother showed me a special watch that he’s been treasuring. Put it to your ear and close your eyes… you can hear the bittersweet sound of time ticking precisely away. To me, that sound embodies why it’s worth it to put so much effort in travel. It may strike one as an inconvenience, but the time it takes to organize such an occasion represents the peak experience in maximizing time with your friends and family.
Sanxia Mountain (鳶山登山步道)
Chloe’s first hike! Going out of our comfort zone, we decided to trek up a mountain in New Taipei and got treated with a glorious view of the city.
Taroko Gorge (太魯閣)
Funny story, we actually got trapped inside this National Park. There was a temporary road closure that sealed all entrances/exits and we accidentally got stuck inside the gorge. Nevertheless, misery loves company and we ended up having a blast doing random shenanigans and photoshoots in the middle of the road.
Hualien (花莲)
Trip down memory lane. It’s been over a decade and decided to swing by this old town in where we grew up. To this day, I still have fond memories of my Uncle teaching me how to ride (and crash 😛) a Taiwan scooter around the Hualien school track.
Kavalan Distillery Yilan
After years of tasting, we finally visited the origin of Kavalan in Yilan. We played a blind tasting game and a clear winner was still the Kavalan Soloist Barrique 2005.
Taipei 台北
It’s the first night with everyone back in the city! For welcome night, we reunited at award winning cocktail bars at Indulge Experimental Bistro and Public House. The bar scenes in Taipei has really elevated this past 10 years. All their drinks look like a piece of art.
W Taipei
It’s not NYE without a stay at W Taipei. Thanks to Marriott Bonvoy, we were able to leverage our status and points to maximize value for multiple rooms this holiday stay. Cash rates for this sold out night was astronomical.
W Taipei generously even upgraded us to a corner room which was much appreciated for this special occasion.
Countdown to 2024
We got extremely lucky this NYE. The finale at Frank rooftop venue was the perfect way to send off a decade worth of NYE memories in Taipei.
The best moments in life is always a blur
The word “luxury” in travel often carries a superficial impression of flamboyance and high cost. The reality is much more than that. Like the special watch, luxury travel in its purest form is how much life can be experienced when we’re discovering destinations around the world. Time may be ticking away, but if we can aspire to elevate time… moments like this can be our core memory forever.
Chai Bear World 