Taiwan is the motherland. I have family there. So I obviously take this post personally.
But despite the bias, I genuinely believe that Taiwan is also one of the most underrated countries in the world. Because when we think countries in Asia, what do we think? Japan? Singapore? China? Thailand? South Korea?
Sure. All of the above.
But Taiwan is certainly and typically on the lower-end of the priority list for your “countries to visit in Asia”. For this post, I have specifically targeted things to do in the capital city, Taipei.
The best way to travel within the city is definitely the Metro Rapid Transit (MRT) because it essentially covers the entire city. Everything that I list below is reachable via the MRT. (Isn’t that niiice?)
How to Get There
As usual whenever I travel, I either take a United flight or search for the cheapest flight on kayak.com. I wrote an article about how I stick to flying on United as much as possible to cash out big with my miles.
For these trips, I always take United from San Francisco to Taipei.
Ok. Here are my 3 favorite things to do in Taipei:
1. Taipei 101
What was once the tallest building in the world before Dubai decided to be like “brb, let me one-up you”, Taipei 101 stands 101 floors (surprise!) above ground.
Taipei 101
The engineering behind constructing the building is quite remarkable. It was constructed to withstand typhoons that sometimes hit Taiwan.
Secondly, around Taipei 101 is a whole shopping district, the World Trade Center, and bars/restaurants. It’s just a really fun and lively area, and I thoroughly enjoy going there.
2. Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan)
The best view of Taipei with Taipei 101 comes at the top of Elephant Mountain. This was about a 30 minute hike (difficulty: low) once we arrived at the start of the trail (Google Maps link), and it was roughly a 10 minute walk to the start of the trail from Xiangshan MRT station (Google Maps link).
Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan)
It took me about an hour to get to that point in the picture above. Just in a time for a gorgeous sunset.
It can get quite crowded from what I’ve seen and heard, but regardless, I plan on hiking this again next time I’m in Taipei.
3. Taiwanese Night Markets
Going to Taiwan without going to a night market is like saying you went to Ethiopia and didn’t eat injera, or like saying you went to Egypt and you didn’t see the Pyramids of Giza.
It’s kinda like a crime.
Jk. But seriously, it’s a huge part of the Taiwanese culture – easily celebrated by locals and foreigners. It’s a 2nd-date activity where you and a partner go to 15 stalls to eat different foods and call that a fun dinner.
Taiwanese Night Markets
One of my favorite night markets is Raohe (Google Maps link). It’s huge, there’s a lot going on, and it’s close to other attractions.
Another one of my favorites is Shilin (Google Maps link).
But tbh there are a bajillion night markets in Taipei.
Tainan in the south arguably hosts to most famous night market in the country. I’ll be writing about that one day fo sho.
Honorable Mentions
Ximending (Google Maps link) is a fantastic place to shop.
Tamshui – It takes about an hour to get here from Taipei Main Station, but it was totally worth it. We came here and strolled along the river.
Tamshui
Making Gondola/Taipei Zoo – The Gondola (Google Maps) has gorgeous views of the city.
Where I Stay
When I’m not staying with family, I’m staying at an Airbnb. But sometimes I also stay at a hostel on hostelworld.com, but it really depends on what I’m looking for. I wrote a separate article on How I Choose Where I Stay when I Travel.
Closing Remarks
I didn’t realize this until I graduated college and went back on my own, but Taiwanese people are one of the nicest people in the world. They are incredibly welcoming to foreigners.
One time, I was lost on my way to lunch with my family, and I had just arrived in Taipei. I knew I was closeby, but I still had trouble finding the restaurant. I stopped by a shop and asked them for directions. They told me to come in and use their internet AND they offered me tea without charging me anything. I was able to locate the restaurant shortly after that.
And things like this happen quite often. I don’t see this happening in many countries around the world – and for reasons like this one, I love Taiwan.
