Taipei is a vibrant metropolitan hub and the capital of Taiwan. It’s a lively city best known for its delicious street food, bustling night markets, and world-famous landmark Taipei 101. I visited during my big Asia tour in April 2015 and spent 4 days 3 nights there. Here’s an overview of my Taipei trip to give you an idea of what to expect.
Journey
Hong Kong (HKG) → Taipei (TPE)
Total Flight Time: 1 hr and 45 mins
Culture
Taipei felt relatively safe particularly for a major city. It was overall quite clean. I noticed a lot of locals wearing face masks out in public. The currency exchange rate was in my favor as an American so everything was super cheap. At the time squat toilets were a completely new concept for me so my first experience was certainly a struggle.
Top Attractions
Here are a handful of sights we were able to visit during our short trip there:
Maokong
Maokong is a quaint tea village located atop the mountain. You can either take a bus or the gondola to the peak of Maokong. We opted for the latter and when we went it was Hello Kitty-themed so all the cabins were decked out in Hello Kitty decor. It was really cool especially since I was a fan of Hello Kitty. We also upgraded to the glass-floored crystal cabins for a unique panorama view.
Once you arrive at Maokong there are a number of attractions including hiking trails, food vendors, tea houses, and a temple. We first stuffed our faces with some Taiwanese specialty treats. Then we indulged in tea at one of the tea houses and ate green tea ice cream.
Taipei Zoo
Taipei Zoo is one of the largest zoos in Asia and is renowned for its panda enclosure. Unlucky for us the pandas were napping during the time we visited so it wasn’t very exciting.
Shifen Old Street
Shifen Old Street is a charming railroad hub surrounding Shifen railway station. There are lanes of shops, restaurants, and local vendors in the area. It’s widely known for being a hot spot to release paper wish lanterns right from the train tracks. It was an extraordinary experience and my favorite memory from the trip.
Memories
- Eating the most delicious stinky tofu while running away from a bee- guess it was attracted to the smell
- Discovering kumquat- it was very refreshing and practically sold everywhere
- Quirky photo ops at Modern Toilet Restaurant- as the name suggests everything was toilet themed
- Exceptional experience at Din Tai Fung- unsure if it was newly opened or something because the service was superb and we were treated like VIP guests; plus the food was outstanding
- Suffering from a pounding headache on our last day so sadly didn’t make it to the popular Shilin night market
Last Impression
My time in Taipei was short so I only scratched the surface. I definitely plan to visit again in the future and explore more.
I liked the overall vibe of Taipei and really enjoyed my trip there. It’s a laid back and budget-friendly destination. I remember an encounter with foreign English teachers at one of the restaurants when I thought to myself I wouldn’t mind living in Taipei for a bit.
I visited Taiwan a second time in 2018 on my trip to Kaohsiung. Learn more about my Kaohsiung experience in my other post and read my guide for 9 unmissable attractions in Kaohsiung.
Are you traveling to Taipei? What are you most excited to see? Let me know in the comments!
