Travel and Tourism

Children and Teachers Evacuate Bus Before it Bursts into Flames

a tour coach catches fire in Ilan County
Travel and Tourism 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , ,

A bus carrying students and teachers from Malaysia and Singapore erupted into flames shortly after the passengers disembarked from the vehicle in Ilan County last night, November 10. Shortly before 9:00pm, Friday evening, the tour bus carrying 32 passengers who had just visited a tourist farm got stuck after attempting to negotiate a 90 degree turn at an intersection of two narrow mountain roadways. With a back wheel stuck in a ditch, the driver stepped on the throttle in an

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China Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Japan

china airlines aircraft
Travel and Tourism 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A China Airlines flight from Hiroshima to Taipei made an emergency landing at Fukuoka Airport this morning after a warning light indicated a problem with one of the engines. The China Airlines Boeing B738, flight 113, was carrying 134 passengers at an altitude of 9100 meters when the warning light for the right-hand side engine came on at around 9:45am. The pilot contacted the control tower at Fukuoka Airport and requested to make an emergency landing. Fukuoka Airport closed the

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Balloon Causes High Speed Rail Delays

workers remove balloon from power lines
Travel and Tourism 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A balloon entangled in overhead power lines caused delays that affected up to 12,000 passengers traveling on Taiwan High Speed Rail between Taichung and Miaoli this morning, May 16. Nine south-bound and 11 northbound services were affected as bidirectional travel was limited to a single line. The large red balloon was spotted shortly before 8:00am, and was removed at 9:35am. Power was restored at 9:38am. Crew were sent to the location above the Daan River and had to walk 800

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American Police Officer Questioned for Carrying Firearm on Flight

Santa Monica Police Officer's badge
Travel and Tourism 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A California cop has been questioned after inadvertently carrying a handgun and six bullets on a flight transiting in Taiwan. The Santa Monica police officer discovered she had forgotten to unpack the gun before embarking on a trip to Bangkok. After discovering her error, Nell Grant approached staff at the transit counter at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, and told them she had a handgun and six rounds of ammunition in her backpack. Airport police took her for interrogation, then handed

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Australian Woman Dies on Cruise Ship en Route to Keelung

Celebrity Millennium docked in Keelung Harbor April 11, 2017
Travel and Tourism 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

An Australian woman died of suspected heart failure on a cruise ship en-route between Hong Kong and Keelung Harbor 2 days ago. Officials boarded the ship at Keelung yesterday to verify the cause of death. Apple Daily reports that Sharna Marie Graham, 53, was traveling with her 55 year-old husband David on the Celebrity Millennium. At around 8:00pm on the evening of April 10, Ms Graham collapsed and did not respond to first aid treatment in the ship’s clinic. The

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Taipei City Mayor in Bangkok: “Hong Kong is Boring”

Taipei Mayor Ko Wenje visits a temple in Thailand
Travel and Tourism 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je, speaking at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok today drew laughter from reporters when he said “Hong Kong is boring.” Ko responded to questions from reporters after a statement from a Thai tourism industry leader during a lunch meeting, who said that considering Taiwan’s recently implemented visa-waiver program for Thai visitors, and with increased publicity, the number of Thai visitors to Taiwan could surpass that of Hong Kong. Thai visitor numbers to Hong Kong last year surpassed

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Family Trapped in Central Mountains: Rescue Helicopter Grounded

central mountains Xinyi Township
Travel and Tourism 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A family of five may have to wait 5 to 6 days before a rescue team can reach them in a remote mountain location, after a helicopter was unable to take off due to bad weather. The Lin family were hiking across Taiwan’s central mountains from Hualien when Mr Lin, 58, began to suffer gastrointestinal bleeding, leading to bloody diarrhea and physical weakness. Mr Lin is accompanied by his wife and three children, aged 17, 15, and 13. Nantou County

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Remote Mountain Cabin Defaced with “Foreign Graffiti”

Travel and Tourism 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

A remote mountain cabin used by hikers and researchers in Yushan (Mt. Jade) National Park has been found defaced by graffiti in English and French. Images began circulating on social media yesterday. Dafen Mountain Cabin, 40 kilometers from the Walami trail-head in Hualien and at an altitude of 1320 meters, requires a 3 day hike to reach. It is considered Taiwan’s most important Formosan black bear research area. On the outside of the cabin is spray-painted “La Balle” (the ball),

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Double-Decker Buses Begin Service in Taipei

double decker bus in Taipei City
Travel and Tourism 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A fleet of open-top double-decker buses offering tours of Taipei City were officially launched today January 18, 2017. The bright red buses reminiscent of London’s famous buses, will operate on 2 routes that take in Taipei’s major attractions. Audio guides are available in four languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Tickets start from NT$300 for a four-hour tour, and from now until Chinese New Year’s eve, people traveling in pairs can take advantage of a 2 for 1 special. The

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