What type(s) of travellers would your recommendations for Taipei suit?
My recommendations for Taipei are perfect for solo travellers, families and those who are into photography.
How long would you recommend for one to spend in Taipei?
4 days 3 nights.
What are the top things to see in Taipei that you would recommend?
1. Elephant Mountain, with a view of Taipei 101
– Breathtaking view of Taipei 101 and its surroundings
– Best viewing platform is near Liu Ju Shi (六巨石), which is the second viewing platform you’ll see along the way up
– Easily accessible, you can walk about 20-30 mins from Taipei 101 to get to the foot of the trail
– Alternatively, you can just get off at Xiangshan Station on the red line and walk to the foot of the trail
– Takes about 30 mins to climb up the stairs, depending on your fitness level
– Plenty of benches along the way up for you to sit and take a break if you’re tired
– Recommend to visit in the late afternoon to catch a glimpse of the day scenery then stay on to watch the sunset
– If you’re adventurous enough or have time to spare, you can continue your trail to Muzhi Mountain
Address: 110, Taiwan, Taipei City, Xinyi District (View on Google Maps)
2. Songshan Cultural and Creative Park & Eslite Spectrum Shopping Mall
– Songshan Cultural and Creative Park (SCCP) – Creative art spaces, exhibition halls, art shows and cafes that sits on the grounds of a former tobacco factory
– Eslite Spectrum Shopping Mall – Eslite bookstore, music and vinyl record shop, food court/cafes, independent merchants selling unique art pieces
– SCCP is just beside Eslite and it takes only a few minutes walk to get there
– Plenty of interesting things to see and purchase too that are locally designed from both places, mainly at the Songyan Gallery for SCCP
– Both offers workshops such as glass blowing (NTD1000-1900, 30 mins), leather craft, jewellery making, pottery, etc
– Great place to spend an afternoon to browse, relax and chill
Address: No. 133, Guangfu South Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan 110 (View on Google Maps)
3. Wu Lai
– Take the MRT to Xindian Station on the red line, thereafter take bus 849 (about 40 minutes, NTD40)
– Spend half a day at this aboriginal village
– Another alternative for hot spring apart from Beitou, and it’s also cheaper
– There is an old street lined with local food and products, museum, waterfall and plenty of small-scale hotels that you can go for your private hot spring dip along Wenquan Street
– There is also a free public outdoor hot spring along the riverside
– Take the tram from Wu Lai stop to Waterfall stop which takes about 10 minutes and costs NTD50, you’ll get some excitement as you wouldn’t expect it to travel at such a fast speed!
Address: New Taipei City, Taiwan 233 (View on Google Maps)
What are the food places that you would recommend in Taipei?
1. Ningxia Night Market
– Relatively small night market that sells mainly food
– Hardly any repeated food stalls unlike the Shilin night market
– There are a couple must-try food items like the fried Baozi with oyster and egg filling, fried oyster omelette, Yue Shi scallion pancake, fried yam balls filled with salted egg, etc.
– It takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to make a complete round of the night market
– Nearest station is Shuanglian Station on the red line, just 2 stops away from Taipei Main Station
Address: Ningxia Road, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103 (View on Google Maps)
2. Bobba Milk Tea (陳三鼎)
– Located inside Gongguan Night Market that has plenty of food and shopping
– Best Bobba milk tea – 招牌黑糖青蛙鮮奶
– Also pop by to the shop opposite called 藍家割包 for some 割包, that’s something like a Kong Bak Bao
– You’ll see snaking queues for both shops
– Nearest station is Gongguan Station on the green line, exit 4
Address: No. 2, Alley 8, Lane 316, Section 3, Luosifu Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100 (View on Google Maps)
3. Fujin Tree 353 Cafe by Simple Kaffa
– 10-15 minutes walk from Songshan Airport Station on the brown line
– Lovely place and ambience to be chilling over a cup of coffee (NTD150-200) and a slice of cake (famous for the green tea roll cake, NTD170)
– The area is lined with trees on both sides of the road filled with cafes, design shops and boutiques
Address: No. 353, Fujin Street, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 105 (View on Google Maps)
Any recommendations on where to stay in Taipei?
When is a good time of the year to visit Taipei?
How should one get around?
By trains and buses.
Are there any local norms/cultures that a tourist should be aware of?
What are the acceptable payment currencies and modes?
Cash in New Taiwan Dollar, Credit cards (usually in the malls). (Away Moments tip: Best to prepare cash in Taiwan Dollars before your trip. You can only find money changers in banks and the larger shopping malls, and most places don’t accept cards).
Any other tips/things to be aware of?
How should one stay connected to the internet?
Buy a Starhub Happy Roam pre-paid card (if you are from Singapore) for data at a very affordable cost or get their local sim card if you required talk time. (Away Moments tip: Buy a travel sim card at the airport – 8 days of unlimited data for NT$450).
Cost of Trip
Airfare – return ticket from Singapore to Taipei – Scoot – SGD320 with 20kg checked-in luggage
Accommodation – SGD50-60 per night for an Airbnb room
Food – About SGD10-15 for each meal
Transport – Taoyuan Airport to Taipei Main Station (Airport MRT) – NTD160 1-way, all other transport costs by MRT (their local metro) can be checked here.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I enjoy travelling around the world on free and easy trips to experience the local culture!
