Hi all,
I've been meaning to confirm people on the Matsu trip for awhile and as usual the time has flown by and the job hasn't got done!
Anyway...
I need (in the next couple of days) all those who are DEFINITELY coming to let me know. Mathius has already confirmed 2 places; quite a few others are interested but I'll need a commitment before we start buying plane tickets.The trip is set for August 29th (Thursday) leaving Keelung harbor by boat. We'll come back Sunday (1st September) in the evening The last flight from Beigan to Taipei leaves at 7:15 pm, which is perfect because it gives time to see the sun going down from Qinbi village, but tickets on this flight book up very fast as soon as booking opens. There's also an option of returning Monday morning (when tickets are much easier to get) but this not only gives us little extra time for sightseeing but also costs extra.
The air tickets will have to be bought right when booking opens to be sure of getting on that flight, and booking opens in exactly a week (31st July). I'm afraid everyone will need to buy their own ticket, which can be bought online pretty easily with a credit card, but BEFORE you buy the ticket I must confirm we have enough people to go, so please email me. I"ll let you know before the weekend if the trip is on or not, and provide the flight number and time etc, At this time please only reply if you're COMMITED to going!
A quick rundown of main costs (NT$):
Bunk bed place on the boat over: 1,500
Flight back: 1,800
Accommodation (Fri/Sat): 1,500 based on twin sharing
Scooter Hire (3 days): 1,500
Inter-island ferries:600 (approx)
Small commission for my planning/booking/expert guiding duties (depends on number coming)
So the total (after food is added, which is cheap) will be NT$8,000 or so
:
I sent the itinerary with an earlier email, but here it is again:
Proposed Itinerary:
Thursday
10pm: Overnight ferry Keelung – Nangan (sleeping in bunk beds)
Friday
8 am: arrive Nangan island
Spend the day exploring Nangan (Beihai Tunnel (an amazing and huge subterannean flooded tunnel built for military boats - can explore with kayaks) or on foot along walkway around the edge), old villages, Iron Fort, world's tallest Matsu statue, abandoned army strongholds on the cliffs etc)
Night: Nangan (Furen homestay??)
Saturday
Ferry to Dongju island
Explore Dongju and possibly also nearby Xiju islands.
Xiju: fantastic coastline, the American CIA local headquarters during the 1950s (can be seen from the outside only). Two hours is enough to explore beautiful and forgotten Xiju island, but scooter hire is tricky there; if not enough scooters for the group we'll go directly to Dongju.
Dongju: one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the whole of Taiwan, old, British-built lighthouse, walking (at low tide) out to several rocky islets offshore, great beaches, two beautiful old stone-house villages, great short hikes, some of the best food in Matsu.
Night: Dongju Homestay
Sunday
Ferry to Nangan
Transfer to Beigan island
Explore Beigan. Some wild and lonely coastal scenery, another amazing subterannean flooded tunnel for military boats, War and Peace Memorial Park (abandoned army strongholds, miliary hardware, small museum), extremely scenic short hikes., beautiful QInbi village, Matsu's most intact stone-house village (on the cover of my new book).
Return on last plane to Taipei 7:15 pm
Let me know!
Richard (in Odesa, Ukraine)
