Kaohsiung's Do Do Train(TRAIN SERVICE STOPPED)

(07) 235-7408
Tickets available at the Kaohsiung Train Station, 2nd floor, JianGuo 3rd Road, Kaohsiung City
http://home.kimo.com.tw/tra093/dodotrain/main.html

--By John Matthews Translated by Annie Liu

Grab your camera and a few close friends or family and take a ride onboard Kaohsiung City's premier sightseeing train. Enjoy a unique and unobstructed view of the Love River, the port and even the mighty Yuan Heng Temple on Monkey Mountain. Visitors and residents alike will be happy to learn of such a train running around the scenic core of this city. The Do-Do Train (an abbreviation of it's original name - 'Toot-toot Mini Train') is a sightseeing train sponsored in part by McDonald's. This three-car train takes riders on a 27km round trip tour through the six city districts of GuShan, SanMin, Lingya, ChianJeng, YenCheng and TsuoYing.

This unusual and relaxing outing takes not more than 90 minutes to experience. If recent plans made by the Kaohsiung city government are successful, expansion of the route may one day be an option. The route reveals efforts by the government to revitalize the various functions of the city including the port, industry, urban and park spaces. From inside the railway cars, sit back and enjoy a guided tour (in Chinese) and view a small screen television broadcasting the local sights while snacking on popcorn. Tickets are purchased on the second floor of the Kaohsiung Train Station where a small kiosk sits inside of the McDonald's restaurant (7:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. everyday). The trains run four times per day on weekends and twice from Monday to Friday.

A ticket for one person with a snack (popcorn and a drink) is NT$180, with a meal NT$250 (pay with cash only). Only the lunchtime departures of 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. offer a meal with the purchase of a ticket. There are no trains running the first Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of each month and it is recommended to check with the office for train schedules during low seasons. Purchase as many tickets as you like and book ten days to a month early for groups of eleven or more and receive a 10% discount.