TOP THINGS TO DO IN TAIWAN
- Anthony
- Jul 18, 2018
- 4 min read
Taiwan is not known to be in the backpackers loop of Asia, but it is definitely worth a visit. Having been two times now and having explore the streets of Taipei all the way to the small island south called Xialiuqiu, Taiwan is a country worth visiting.
Here is a list of things that I did while I was there as well as a rough time line on how much time to spend in each place. This is totally subjective, obviously, but I really liked Taiwan.
1) visit the busy streets of Taipei
While exploring Taipei, you can visit many attractions like:
- meet locals
Ethan took me to so many interesting places.
- Taipei 101
- Elephant Hill
- Ride the MRT
-Shi lin Night Market
If you are crazy enough, you can try frog eggs in Shi lin Night Market.
Check out below how crazy it really is!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHbB61VSHRs&t=9s
- Visit Snake Alley
In Huaxi Market, you can visit snake alley, where you can try SNAKE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgXtbRKlSro&t=140s
It is a small piece of snake and various forms of liquid that come from snakes, like venom and blood! Do you dare?
This photo was taken at the top of Elephant Mountain. It is an amazing view of Taipei. I never went up Taipei 101, so this was a great view for me. And... if you are on a budget, it's free.
Duration in Taipei: 2-3 days is enough time to explore all of these and more. Make sure to purchase an MRT transit card to make your travels much easier!
After Taipei, start working your way south to Taroko National Park. It is located on the east coast. You can find a bus or train from Taipei easily at main stations. Make sure to avoid typhoon season in July and August at the Gorge may be closed. That's what happened to me and I wish to go back and properly visit is again.
Here is a map of where Taroko National Park is.
https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/Taroko+National+Park/@24.1262622,121.3068718,9.92z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x346882845fc2e7ef:0xddd9fd85e0b0aa31!8m2!3d24.1939265!4d121.4909628
Duration of stay: 1- 2 days. Any accommodation near by will help you arrange a way to get there and back.
Next work your way west to Taichung. I spent quite a few days in Taichung as I had a friend living there.
Here is a list of things to do in Taichung!
1)Try stinky tofu.
2) Hike Dakeng Trail no.4
It is the most difficult part of the mountain to get to, but you can easily get there by bus and then take a taxi the entrance. Once you are done your trek and finish at trail no.3, you should hitch hike back into the city! It is a common thing to do. If you have your own motorbike, that would be the best form of transportation.
Make sure to wear proper hiking gear as it can be quite slippery at times.
3) Hungry? eat poop at Modern Toilet
This is one of the most unique restaurants I have eaten at. Everything is poop related.
Make sure to end your dinner with giant bowl of ice-cream and cookies served in a huge toilet bowl.
You can watch my experience at the cafe here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb_LOrL2Shg&t=7s
Duration in Taichung: 2-3 days if you do some hiking. If not, you can spend 1 or 2 days.
When finished with Taichung, work your way even further south to Kaohsiung. The best way is by train, but it is more expensive. I took the bus and it is much cheaper, but it takes much longer!
Things to do in Kaohsiung:
1) Visit the Lotus Pond
Spend a few hours here walking around. These pagoda's have some incredible detail in them you cannot miss!
Although, I didn't make it far up the mountain because it was getting late, you should also visit Monkey Mountain. I hope you get there earlier than I did.
Duration in Kaohsiung: 1-2 days is enough.
Last and one of my favourite places to visit in Taiwan is Xiaoliuqiu. It is a small island in the south of Taiwan. I spent 2 days here to end my trip to Taiwan. You can get there by ferry. Take the bus from Kaohsiung to Donggang Station. From there you can walk to the ferry terminal and take the ferry at Dongliu Ferry Terminal.
Things to do:
1) rent a scooter
On Xiaoliuqiu you can visit all the attractions such as:
Go snorkeling and see dozens of sea turtles. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but it was one of the most magical things I have ever seen!
For a list of things to do in Xiaoliuqiu, check it out here.
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One of the coolest things I experienced in Taiwan, was the trash disposal system. You will witness people waiting outside with their trash bags as they hear the "ice-cream truck" sound. No, it is not ice-cream, but rather the garbage truck coming to collect the days trash. All neighbors will come with their trash, maybe have chat and throw it away to prepare for the next day. I didn't see any rats or cockroaches, which made me very happy :)
If you enjoyed this blog, or have more to add to it, please comment below and help out fellow travelers.
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