TAIWAN HONEYMOON ITINERARY
If you’re looking for a cheap but romantic destination in Asia, Taiwan is one of my favouritie countries to visit. I highly recommend visiting, and it is a place that I always find myself coming back to!
Go during January – March if you’re a fan of the cold, so you can snuggle up with your other half while being bundled in pretty coats. It isn’t too chilly either as the temperatures feel more like air-con levels, and there’ll be sakura blooms at Yangmingshan as well if you’re keen on that!
Here’s a recommended 10-day itinerary which we planned when we went there to get some romantic time together.
Day 1: Land in Kaohsiung
– Pier 2 Art District
– Formosa Boulevard Station (Dome of Light)
– Cijin Island half-day island cycling (cheap seafood + lighthouse)
– Love River
Day 2: Kaohsiung (Zuoying)
– Lotus Lake
– Ancient buildings behind the old city wall
– Travel to Taichung
Day 3: Taichung
– Dakeng Lovers’ Bridge
– Xinshe Castle day trip (via car or bus)
– Feng Jia Night Market
Day 4: Taipei
– Travel to Taipei via HSR
– Bei Tou Scenic Area
– Bei Tou Geothermal Valley & Hot Spring
– Ximending shopping
Day 5: Taipei
– Taipei 101
– Maokong Gondola
– Yangmingshan (afternoon to night) OR Wufenpu shopping
– Raohe Night Market
Day 6: Taipei (Shifen & Jiufen)
– Day trip to Shifen Old Street (via train, go for the sky lanterns)
– Evening trip to Jiufeng (bus or car)
– Jiufen Night Market
Day 7: Hualien
– Travel to Hualien via HSR
– Taroko Gorge National Park
Day 8: Kenting
– Travel to Kenting via HSR
– Kenting National Park (Valley of Hanging Banyan, Fairy Cave, Silver Dragon Cave)
– Chu Huo Special Scenic Area (at night)
Day 9: Kenting
– Eluanbi Lighthouse Park (kissing rock)
– Nanwan Beach (for water sports)
– Kenting Night Market
Day 10: Kaohsiung
– Bus back to Kaohsiung for flight
– Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Centre
– Fly back
KOREA HONEYMOON ITINERARY
With the growing popularity of the K-wave spreading across Asia, it is no wonder that South Korea has quickly become a hotspot for couples inspired by the romantic love in K-dramas.
Fans of K-dramas will probably want to check out hotspots where Winter Sonata, Descendants of the Sun or other Joseon-era shows were filmed. You can easily find these locations via a Google search.
I recommend avoiding July – early September as summer in South Korea can get quite unbearable, even for a Singaporean used to the heat and humidity. September to November are the best times to visit as that will coincide with the autumn season, and you’ll see the leaves turn a pretty shade of orange, making for extremely romantic walks with your other-half.
My itinerary focuses more on Seoul, Busan and Jeju as I’m more inclined towards the sights in these areas. It is easy to get around as South Korea has an extensive rail system and buses are also aplenty.
Day 1: Land at Incheon Airport
– Transfer to Gimpo Airport and fly to Jeju
– Yongduam Rock
– Mysterious Road
– Hello Kitty Island
Day 2: Jeju
– Love Land Sculpture Park
– Udo Island via ferry
– Cheonjiyeon Waterfall
Day 3: Jeju
– Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) crater and hiking
– Seopjikoji (canola flower field and lighthouse evening trip)
Day 4: Busan
– Travel to Busan via train
– Haedong Yonggung Temple
– Dinner at Jalgachi Fish Market
Day 5: Busan
– Taejong-Dae
– Spa Land
Day 6: Seoul
– Travel to Seoul by train
– Gyeongbokgung Palace
– Bukchon Hanok Village
– Samcheongdong
Day 7: Sokcho
– Seoraksan National Park via bus
Day 8: Gangwon
– Nami Island (Forest of Sweethearts) day trip via ITX
– Jade Garden
Day 9: Seoul
– Hongdae Youth Street
– Seoul Tower (lovers padlock)
– Dongdaemun night shopping
Day 10: Seoul
– Ehwa University and shopping street
– Myeongdong shopping
– Fly back
JAPAN HONEYMOON ITINERARY
I’ve not been to Japan, so this itinerary was kindly contributed by my friend J who visited last year.
It goes without saying that Japan has always been a popular dream honeymoon destination for many Singaporean couples. In fact, two of my best friends who got married this year are heading there for their honeymoon as well (a completely unplanned coincidence!).
It is a unique country where one can experience ancient traditions, world-class cuisine, romantic scenery in quaint rural village, great nature trails and of course, the cherry blossoms.
My must-do in Japan is to take a sunset helicopter cruise over Tokyo’s dramatic skyline. It may be a little more expensive, but well worth every penny of your 20 minutes. Without further ado, here’s the suggested itinerary for couples:
Day 1: Tokyo
– Land at Narita airport
– Shinjuku district
– Sunset helicopter cruise
– Shinbuya shopping
Day 2: Kamakura
– Day trip to Kamakura via train
– Engaku-ji temple complex
– Jochi-ji temple complex
– Back to Tokyo via train
Day 3: Nikko
– Day trip to Nikko via train
– Tokugawa Ieyasu Mausoleum
– Kegon Waterfall
– Lake Chizenjiko
– Yumoto Onsen
Day 4: Kyoto
– Travel to Kyoto via Shinkansen train
– Kiyomizu-dera Temple
– Maruyama-koen Park
Day 5: Kyoto
– Nijo-jo Castle
– Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
– Okochi-Sanso Villa
Day 6: Himeiji
– Day trip to Himeiji Castle via Nozomi train
– Yoshitake Shrine
– Japan Toy Museum
– Travel back to Tokyo overnight
Day 7: Hokkaido
– Fly to Hokkaido
– Sapporo shopping
– Otaru Canal and Sakaimachi Street
Day 8: Hokkaido
– Hakodate Morning Market
– Mount Hakodate sunset
Day 9: Hokkaido
– Date Jidaimura theme park
– Noboribetsu Onsen
Day 10: Hokkaido
– Jozankei Onsen
– Hoheikyo Dam
– Futami Suspension Bridge
– Shiraito Falls OR Pool of Maizuru
– Fly back at night
—- Other Sites & Booking Resources —
As this is a consolidated overall view of itineraries for 3 countries, I focused more on the attractions and things to do rather than the nitty-gritty details of where to stay, what to eat, transport arrangements in between, etc. You can easily find that via a quick Google search, or decide on the itinerary you’ll like to follow and browse other blogs where they describe (some) of the to-and-fros in detail.
Japan, Korea and Taiwan are fantastic destination choices because all of them have an amazing inter-city rail system, and it is really easy to get around via public transport. You’ll come to know them like the back of your hand after spending a few days there.
When it comes to booking all the different activities, I tend to rely on Klook – and you can check out this post I did where I back-tested their prices against various travel-booking sites for various destinations and they almost always came up as the cheapest. Most importantly, I really appreciate their instant-booking mobile ticketing system for many of the sites, which allows you to literally book the ticket while you’re standing outside the gates and get immediate entry, therefore skipping the queue. Saving time is of the essence if your aim is to cover as many sights as possible!
Budget tip: Get $10 credits free for booking your activities with this Klook link (no minimum spend required) and an additional S$5 off your first booking with the voucher code KLOOKBUDGET
I’ve also deliberately excluded hotels and flights, as it makes more sense to tap on whatever promotions are available. If you’re thinking of saving on the flights (therefore going via budget airlines), you can also check out this post I put together previously on how you can score great flight savings.
For all of my trips overseas, I usually book my accommodations via Agoda as they have really low prices for different types of accommodations (budget hostels to luxury villas) and offer a fantastic rewards system which rewards you for continued bookings. I’ve been using Agoda for a good few years now.
Here’s wishing you a romantic honeymoon with lots of savings!
With love,
Budget Babe
