5 Days in Taiwan

OVERALL ATMOSPHERE:

Taiwan was an unexpected gem that I highly recommend for nature loves and city goers alike. I pretty much knew nothing about Taiwan before booking a ticket there- but since I was living in Osaka at the time, Taiwan was a short 3 hour plane trip away and I figured why not! What an amazing decision and trip it ended up being! Between the bustling street markets lit up in the night, and the rolling mountains and crystal lakes, Taiwan continued to amaze me moment by moment. Since I was traveling alone I opted to take group-led day tours to different areas of the country for day trips. Within the city, there was a great mix of modern attractions, local culture, and religious culture. I love temples and definitely got my fix in Taiwan. I am a huge foodie and was thriving for every meal I had in Taiwan. The nature excursions were a beautiful way to see deeper into Taiwan, and I highly recommend a day trip to at least Jiufen if nowhere else.

Quick points to know before traveling to Taiwan:

• While Mandarin is the official language in Taiwan, I had no issues as an English language speaker and found most menus and directions were in English.
• As a single female traveler, I felt Taipei as a 7/10 for comfort. I didn’t mind walking around during the day, but I did stick to Uber rides at night. The main train station was a bit seedy so I limited my time there as well. However, I felt safe and comfortable in my lodging area.
• Taiwan in December was mild temperature, super enjoyable.
• The plugs and sockets in Taiwan are the same as in the US and Japan. No need to bring converters.

ARRIVAL CHECKLIST:

• I rented an unlimited data 4G wifi router that I picked up at the airport. I didn't have any connection problems throughout the city or the countryside. It was $6 for the entirety of my trip.
• I converted Yen to New Taiwan dollar upon arrival in the Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). I used mostly cash in the city, especially at the night markets and countryside food stops. I had more than enough money for the entire trip, Taiwan was very inexpensive.
• I got an EasyCard train pass at the airport before entering the city. I used this on all the trains and buses in Taipei city.

LODGING:

I stayed at an Airbnb hostel Close to MRT ZhongShan Station & Taipei main station. It was ~$20 a night for a private room with a communal bathroom and showers, totaling ~$160 for five nights. It was about a 10-minute walk to Taipei main station, but I ended up Ubering to and from the station every day.

TRANSPORTATION:

Taipei has a MRT and bus system that can be a bit confusing, but I caught on decently. It’s mostly just the actual stations that can be super confusing, a lot of them have underground malls with bad directions to the train platforms. I am so thankful I booked 2 guided day trips (details linked in the itinerary) because I would not have felt comfortable taking buses deep into the countryside alone. Uber is inexpensive in Taipei as well so I ended up using that the majority of the time. Here are some stops for main attractions on the MRT lines (by color)

• Raohe Night Market - Songshan Station (Green Line)
• Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall - CKS Memorial Hall (Red & Green Line)
• Taipei 101 - Taipei 101 Station (Red line)
• Shilin Night Market - Jiantan Station (not Shilin Station!) (Red line)

FOOD:

Food is so cheap in Taiwan, I lived like royalty every meal. I enjoyed a variety of popular traditional dishes such as dumplings, noodles, oyster omelets, bubble tea, candied fruit, and fried chicken. Grab a bunch of cash, walk through a street market, and grab anything that catches your eye. Sometimes I had no idea what I was eating, but I loved it. That's the fun of it.

PLACES TO VISIT: 

Visit my Google Map to see all these saved places. The highlights of my visit were Jiufen (said to be the inspiration for Miyazaki’s ‘Spirited Away’, one of my favorite movies), Thousand Island Lake, Rahoe Night Market, and the National Palace Museum. My day trips to the countryside were so well needed and refreshing. I got to see traditional old towns, waterfalls, sweeping mountains, and beaches. Within Taipei city, I enjoyed street markets, shopping, temples, and museums. The one thing I didn’t get to that I would add in if I had more time is Taipei 101. The major list of attractions I recommend are:

• Raohe Night Market
• Rainbow Bridge
• Shifen Old Street
• Jiufen
• National Palace Museum
• Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
• Shilin Night Market
• Taipei Fine Arts Museum
• The Red House
• Taipei Tiahou Temple
• Longhsan Temple
• Ximending Shopping District

EXPLORING THE CITY:

I would recommend if you are a solo female traveler (like myself) to stick to an itinerary rather than exploring aimlessly. Attractions are pretty spread out so it’s best to keep to one part of town per day. I also booked a massage in Taipei city, super cheap compared to the US and really helped me unwind after many long days.

MY DAY BY DAY ITINERARY:

11/23: Day 1

• Raohe Night Market
• Rainbow Bridge

11/24: Day 2

•  Northside tour day
  • Shifen Old Street
  • Shifen Waterfall
  • Jiufen

11/25: Day 3

•   Mountain Day Tour

11/26: Day 4

• National Palace Museum
• Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
• Shilin Night Market
• Taipei Fine Arts Museum
• The Red House
• Taipei Tiahou Temple

11/27: Day 5

• Massage
• Longhsan Temple
• Ximending Shopping District

11/28: Day 6

• Departure