First Timer's Guide to Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei, Taiwan 🇹🇼
This is Taipei City! 🇹🇼 Home to the iconic Taipei 101 — which was the tallest building in the world at the time of its creation in 2004 — Taipei is a city that offers so many things to do, see, and EAT.
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Fun facts before we get started:
- The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese, with Traditional Chinese Characters used in writing.
- Taiwan has over 4,500 named mountain peaks 🏔️
- Bubble tea was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s 🧋
THREE TIPS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU VISIT
1.PAPER MONEY WINS 💴
I always keep cash and coins on me at all times wherever I go in Taiwan, because more often than not, places don’t accept card! With that in mind, the biggest note is 1000 NTD (actually it’s 2000 NTD but that is not commonly used) and the smallest 100 NTD.
2. STAY RIGHT ➡️
The left side of the escalator is for walking! If you’re not gonna walk up, please stay to the right, especially in rush hours!
3. UMBRELLAS ☂️
Before coming to Taiwan, I rarely used an umbrella. But it just rains so much here, and at unexpected times! And again, it’s very normal to use an umbrella even when it’s not raining, as it can truly offer you an escape from the harsh heat of the sun on a hot summer’s day. ⚠️ UMBRELLAS ARE ONE OF THE ONLY THINGS THAT GET STOLEN HERE ⚠️ I don’t think this is on purpose though, but it’s because so many umbrellas look the same so they can get easily mistaken for someone else’s. So do keep your umbrella with you at all times if it means more than just rain/sun protection to you 😆
OTHER USEFUL TIPS/INFORMATION
• Learn some Mandarin! In general, Taiwanese people do speak a decent amount of English, but it always goes a long way to speak to someone in their native language when visiting their country. Some beginner phrases:
- Nǐ hǎo：Hello!
- Xièxiè：Thank you!
- Wǒ yào…：I want…
- Zhè ge：this
• DON'T EAT/DRINK ON THE MRT (or even in the stations): You'll most likely just get a warning/reminder by security that you can't, but heavy fines can incur as well. So it's best to just don't! 🙅🏽♂️
• Road Safety: Although Taipei has lots of sidewalks and even bicycle lanes, it's a well-known fact that Taiwan in general isn't the safest for pedestrians (it has been referred to as 'Pedestrian Hell' on different news outlets). The government has been pushing out a lot of campaigns lately to improve road conditions, but unfortunately, many accidents still occur. You may see signs that "pedestrians have right of way" but still be extra careful when crossing the road 🚶🏽
• Power sockets are type A and type B (the same as the U.S.) 🔌
• The best time of the year to visit in my opinion would be February - May, as temperatures are a lot cooler between 15° to 25° Celcius. Regardless of when you come, Taiwan is very humid, making cold months seem colder and hot months hotter 🌤️
• New Taiwan Dollars (NTD) is the currency in Taiwan 💸
• In case of emergencies, please keep these numbers on hand 🚨
- 1990 Foreigner Hotline
- 110 Police
- 119 Fire & Ambulance
TRANSPORTATION 🚎
Generally speaking, Taiwan is very convenient and easy to get around for foreigners who don’t understand Chinese, with English available at most transportation hubs. But of course, it’s still possible to get confused if you’re not used to public transportation!
FIRST THINGS FIRST: Get an Easy Card! They can be purchased at the airport or any convenience store. Not only can they be topped off with money to use on public transport (MRT, buses, and trains) but they can also be used to make purchases at select stores. You can also pre-order one here to pick up at that airport upon arrival. (Although I'd recommend buying from a convenience store for more cute card design options)
These three apps in particular have been lifesavers for me:
1. Bus+ — I’d say this is best used in combination with Google Maps since GMaps can often be off when it comes to the bus schedule. First use GMaps to figure out which bus to take, and then use Bus+ to confirm the schedule of the bus 🚌
2. 台鐵e訂通 — This is great for looking up train times and purchase train e-tickets 🚂
3. 台灣高鐵 T Express — This is for looking up timetables for the HSR as well as purchasing HSR tickets 🚆
4. Metro Taipei — Another app that works great in combination with GMaps; used for looking up the MRT schedule. 🚇
ACCOMMODATIONS 🏨
There are a ton of hotels and hostels around Taipei, but to be honest, I think a lot of the hotels are overpriced with not a lot of value. To stay budget-friendly, I’d recommend staying in hostels or even Airbnbs.
Here are three areas that I highly recommend you consider staying in when planning your trip to Taipei. I've also listed a few hotels/hostels in these areas to help you get started on your search:
1. Ximending Walking Street
Recommended Hotels/Hostels in the Area:
- Orange Hotels $84/night
2. Taipei Main Station
Recommended Hotels/Hostels in the Area
- Roaders Hotel $80/night
- CitizenM Taipei North Gate $120/night
- Fun Inn Taipei $25/night
- Bouti City Capsule Inn $56/night
3. Zhongshan MRT Station
Recommended Hotels/Hostels in the Area
- Chill Roof Hotel $65/night
- T.O. Hotel Chengde $50/night
*All prices are in USD and listed as average starting rates as listed on these hotels' websites; bookings may be significantly cheaper on Booking.com or Hostelworld.com*
PHONE PLANS
Taiwan has excellent network coverage all over the island; my mobile network provider (GT Mobile Taiwan) isn't the best, but I had complete 4G service on top of the tallest mountain in Taiwan!
The most convenient and cheaper way to get coverage for cell would be to pre-order a SIM Card that you can pick up upon arrival at the airport. The top three mobile providers are:
- Chunghwa Telecom 中華電信
- Taiwan Mobile 台灣大哥大
- Far EasTone 遠傳電信
You can book your SIM card in advanced here:
Alternatively, you can try an eSIM if it's compatible with your phone. I haven't personally tried this myself, but I've heard it's very convenient and saves the hassle of having to take out your current SIM card and then worrying about where to keep it safe.
And of course, you could also purchase your SIM card directly upon arrival at the airport too!
MAIN ATTRACTIONS
Here are a few of the main tourist attractions that you don't want to miss in the city!
AND MORE >
check out this guide for a more comprehensive lists of my favorite attractions, food spots and more
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