Ever wished you could fly? Fly high in Taiwan!

Part I: Ever wished you could fly like a bird?

That was my dream when I was young. I always admired how birds get to fly in the sky, traveling every minute of their lives, going anywhere they want, anytime they wanted to. Everytime I see a group of birds in the sky, I wished I could be like them. My oh my, I too, wanna travel around the world with my loved ones.

Wait what, sorry I think that was a flash back. HAHA okay I'm back to reality *Snaps finger*
SO, as I was asking, ever wished you could fly free like a bird? Cos now you can with paragliding! Best part? You don't have to flap your wings like crazy like a bird. HAHA.
If you have no idea what paragliding is, below is a short introduction video:

Didn't manage to take a video of my flight as the weather wasn't fantastic when I was there!

Basically paragliding is pretty comfortable as there's like a butt support for you to sit and lean back.
If you feel excited and want to try this out, there's actually two companies in Taiwan that offers such an experience. There's one in Puli and one in Wanli.

If you're in Taipei, you might want to choose the Wanli (新北市萬里區）option. It's about 1-1.5 hours away from Taipei and the company operating this is called 野馬飛行. As of 15 June 2014, the cost of each flight is NT 1200 (SGD $50). The duration of the flight ranges from 3-5 mins depending on flight conditions (such as wind and total weight of the flight instructor and you). Apparently the heavier the total weight is, the longer your flight will be. This is what I heard from my friends, not too sure if it's true though!

Paragliding is suitable for ALL ages so don't worry about whether you're too young or too old! I saw a 10 years old angmoh (caucasian) boy and a 60+ Taiwanese granny the day I had my flight so all is well hehehe :3

Here is the top of the hill where the instructor will test the direction of the wind and whether it's suitable for flight. Here is also the place where you take flight! I swear, this is the only tiring part of whole flight. You will have to run off this hill (like literally) and not stop till you're in the air HAHA.

You see the green hill behind? Basically thats where I flew from! HAHA quite exciting. Didnt take any pics during my flight though I brought my selfie stick along as I was too excited that I forgotten all about it! Will definitely take pics the next time I fly again!

Since no pics during flight, I took a pic with my parachute after landing HAHA. Better then nothing!

The best time to fly is in the morning and the best wind is around noon time! If you're in Taiwan, I heard from the instructor August will have good wind and your flight will be longer! Do try it out if you have the chance! It doesn't necessarily have to be in Taiwan, but pick a place where the scenary is good!



My  victory picture with.........my backpack-.- SIGH

野馬飛行 is operated by a fairly large group of Taiwanese instructors (I remember seeing around 8-10) and the price is considered reasonably low.For an additional NT 400 (SGD$16) you can rent their GoPro and they will give you the SD card at the end of your flight.
The one in Puli which I mentioned earlier costs NT 3000 (SGD$120) and the price includes pictures (and videos if I'm not wrong).

I will recommend 野馬飛行, in Wanli after factoring in the price and distance I took to travel here. However, it will post a problem for you if you can't speak Mandarin. As they are all Taiwanese, they can only speak Mandarin and 台語 which is almost equivalent to our Hokkien in Singapore. If you have zero knowledge and can't speak a word of Mandarin, perhaps you can try the one in Puli where their instructors are native speakers= angmohs. HAHA.

If you're int in paragliding in Puli, here is the website: http://paragliding.com.tw/
The website is in Chinese so I'll translate a little for you.
Basically on the day you want to go for your flight, call 0932-926-289 after 9am and check if the weather is good for flying.
Once you reach Wanli bridge (萬里橋), call 0932-926-289 again and they will send their green mini bus to pick you up for free from the bus stop! So don't worry about it! No prior reservations needed.

Part II: For those that need directions to get the Wanli from Taipei, do continue reading

Make your way to Taipei Main Station and proceed to Exit 12 (Exit 12 might be hard to find and you might need to ask the info centre). Once you exit, the bus station is on your right!

Let's say you can't find exit 12, exit M5 will do as well. This exit is in your face. You can't miss it. Once you're out you need to walk a little further to the bus station.

The bus to Wanli is not located in the main bus station. It is located in the West terminal so don't follow the signs in the MRT that says Taipei Bus Terminal! HAHA. Ask people where is Taipei West terminal (台北西站）and from there, take bus 1815. You can buy tickets from the counter (NT 83) or use your EasyCard!

I got a sushi take out within the bus terminal so if you're rushing for time, dont worry! There's food everywhere in Taiwan!

Here's my sushi take out. It costs NT 10 (SGD $0.40) each and all I can say is, it taste like sushi. HAHA if thats good enough for you it's a pretty cheap choice for a snack and you can eat it in the bus.

The bus will annouce Wanli Bridge (萬里橋). Just press the bell and ask the bus driver before you get off if that is the right station. You should see 7-11 across the street!
Call 0932-926-289 when you arrive and get them to pick you up!
Easy peasy!

If there's any other questions, just leave a comment at the bottom and I'll try to help!

Bringing you the ultimate Taiwan experience.
Love,
Tricia