Top 5 Things To Do in Taiwan
Taiwan surely is a small country but huge in terms of amazing places, exciting food scene, rich culture, natural attractions, and of course, efficient transportation system.
It is nearly impossible to see and experience each and every sites and activities in just one visit. But you can definitely have a taste of everything and make your trip truly worthwhile.
In this article guest blogger Dea from How She Wanders gives us a run down of five major sites and activities that you simply cannot miss when visiting Taiwan!
Get a killer view of Taipei City through Taipei 101 Observatory
When we hear Taiwan, what instantly pops into mind is the iconic Taipei 101. It once held the World’s Tallest Building Title — amazingly built in a tiny island country. So it’s a no brainer that you really cannot leave Taipei without at least witnessing it firsthand and take lots of souvenir photos!
But if you’re not contented with just beholding its outside grandeur, you can take a trip to the top through Taipei 101 Observatory. Expect to enjoy a fantastic bird’s eye view of Taipei City from the building’s 89th floor. It’s open daily from 9AM to 10PM.
Go street-food hunting at Taipei’s numerous night markets
Many people are actually convinced that Taiwan is a street food paradise. Taiwan surely has many restaurants to offer but it’s the street food that really grabs the attention of every food lover. It’s relatively cheaper and tastes more authentic in case you’re wondering why.
Among Taipei’s famous night markets are Shilin, Raohe, Shida, and Ningxia. Every Taipei trip should involve a food tour from at least one of these. Some of Taipei’s street food specialties are Stinky Tofu, Xiao Long Bao, Bingsu (Shaved Ice), Bubble Tea, Chicken Cutlet, Toffee Fruit, and many many more!
Ride a glass-bottomed cable car at Maokong Gondola
Cable car ride is another fun activity and becomes even more exciting when experienced in a glass-bottomed car! Maokong Gondola is Taipei’s first gondola transportation system with a total length of 4 kilometers.
Travel time on the gondola takes about 20 to 30 minutes with four stops namely Taipei Zoo Station, Taipei Zoo South Station, Zhinan Temple Station, and Maokong Station.
Have a Northeast Coast Day Tour to Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen Old Street
The Northeast Coast Tour is one of the most popular day trips from Taipei. This tour allows you to visit four quintessential sites (situated far from each other) within just a day.
Many tour agencies offer this tour such as KKday, Klook, or you can even do this by renting a car if you’re in a big group.
Yehliu Geopark, Shifen Old Street (Sky Lantern Releasing), Shifen Waterfall, and Jiufen Old Street will all be covered in one day without hassle. Those four sites are all worth the visit and would make every Taiwan tour truly memorable. A Jiufen day trip is definitely worth doing.
Expect to witness oddly shaped rock formations; an old railroad under a lantern-filled sky; a huge curtain-type waterfall that totally amazes every visitor; and an old street filled with delectable street food and looks even more magical at night.
Experience Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) Train
Taiwan is undeniably one of the Asian countries having the most efficient transportation system. Aside from its hassle-free and systematic MRT that could take you around Taipei, it also has one of the world’s fastest commuter trains: The THSR or Taiwan High Speed Rail.
THSR could easily take you to cities far from Taipei. It moves up to 250 kph; fast enough to take you to Kaoshiung within just 90 minutes! That’s a roughly 360-kilometer distance from Taipei City to Kaoshiung which is the southernmost municipality of the country.
Not only that it’s fast and efficient; it’s comfortable and convenient as well. The seats are spacious enough and just like in airplanes, each seat has foldable tray-table and bottle holder, and is also equipped with comfort rooms. You could also go on a Taichung day tour.
And that’s pretty much it! I highly encourage you to experience these five amazing things about Taiwan. I hope this post helped and somehow inspired you to visit Taiwan as well!
Dea Mariano is a travel and food blogger based in the Philippines. She enjoys planning and creating itineraries as much as she enjoys traveling. Coffee doesn’t activate her the way vanilla ice cream does. An introvert, but the outgoing version. Follow her adventures via and
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