Short Taiwan Tour

Accommodation:

• Taipei Oxygen Hostel: located in Zhongzheng District, very close to Taipei Main Station and various metro stations. Easy to get around, comfortable, clean. Toast and coffee offered for breakfast.
• miniinn: also located in Zhongzheng near Taipei Main Station, but on the opposite side of the station than Taipei Oxygen. Also a comfortable stay, breakfast offered.
   
  Food: 
  • Shilin Night Market: biggest night market in Taipei, most famous, but also the most crowded. Many Michelin-recognized food stalls, worth going to at least once. 
  • Raohe Night Market: much more lowkey, great food stalls and a beautiful temple at the front gates of the market. This was probably my favorite that I visited in Taipei. 
  • Din Tai Fung: Many locations, you can get better food from street stalls for much cheaper, but the service is amazing and it's definitely worth spending an extra few dollars to treat yourself once! 
  • Must try foods in general: bubble tea, egg pancakes for breakfast, soy milk breakfast, beef noodles, soup dumplings, stinky tofu, papaya milk.
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Activities: 

• Elephant Mountain hike (great view of Taipei 101)
• Taipei 101 and surrounding shopping malls 
• Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall 
• Daan Park (really awesome, fun for people watching and picnicking and reading, etc.)

Day Trips: 

• Jioufen--Spirited Away type vibe, famous Amuse tea house. Nearby Teacup Mountain hike was quite nice.