"Anong makikita mo dun?"
(What would you see there?)
"Wala kang mapupuntahan dun."
(There's nothing to visit there.)
"Mas maganda pumunta sa [insert some other country here]"
(It's actually better to visit [insert some other country here])
Those are just some of the things I hear from people whenever I tell them I want to go to Taiwan. True, it wasn't only until recently I realized Taiwan has a lot to offer other than fangirling.
Of course I went there to fangirl. I booked a flight to Taipei once I confirmed the date of Bii's first major concert. Luckily it was early in the year. I had roughly six months to save up for the rest of the trip.
I booked my flight through Eva Air. They offer the best flight schedule to and from Taipei. The ticket of course is a bit expensive compared to Cebu Pacific, but it was sulit. It was a comfortable ride. In-flight perks like food and entertainment are also available. I loved how the plane back home had a couple of CPOP albums to listen to. I had Dino Lee, Hebe Tian, and Andrew Tan serenading me throughout the almost three-hour flight.
I stayed in an apartment in Songshan that was booked through Airbnb. It was just a small room, really, enough for one person to spend the night. I don't need a big bed and other amenities since I'll only be in the room at night. As long as the shower isn't common, has a heater, and the bed is comfy, I'm totally fine.
The Essentials
One travel tip I learned is that it's best to get the Easypay card to ease commuting and to get away with asking how much the fare is. Once you get on the bus, just tap the card to the sensor and you're paid! It's the same with the MRT. One bonus is that a lot of establishments in Taipei actually accepts Easypay as a method of payment. I had mine loaded with NT 1000 and it was too much for 4 days. Good thing, even establishments in the airport accepts it, I was able to zero the balance.
Another essential for me is the internet. I wasn't sure if Taipei has wi-fi on public places so I decided to buy a sim. Taiwanese telcos offer good deals for travelers. I bought the NT 500 deal with NT 300 of credit for SMS and calls, plus unlimited 4G+! I'm not sure if I was able to use all my credit but the internet was sulit for me. I was practically using it the whole day!
The last essential for me is Google Maps. I'll be lost without it. (Still got lost with it 😂) Just enter your location and your destination and Google Maps will provide you all the commute options - bus, MRT, train - whatever is available. What's more important for me are the bus numbers since there are a lot of buses that goes on different routes. You will not be lost if you're not like me who is stupid when it comes to reading maps and following instructions. 😂
Itinerary
I didn't have a solid itinerary. When I was doing my research, it was then when I realized Taiwan has a lot to offer. It was so lot that I had problems deciding where to go. Below are the places I visited.
 |
| Taipei 101 from the ground, a few corners away |
 |
| Outside Taipei 101 at night |
Taipei 101
The first place I visited in Taipei. I was supposed to visit Jiufen that morning but I was so tired that I decided to sleep instead. Friday afternoon, I went to see the 101 and strolled around, had a quick lunch, took photos, then headed to my next destination. I didn't bother visiting the observatory on the 80th something floor since that's expensive, plus I've decided to see Taipei the budget-friendly way. 😁
 |
| stairs going up Xiangshan |
 |
| Taipei 101 as viewed from the Six Giant Rocks |
象山 Elephant Mountain
A hill that was named after its shape. Xiangshan is so close to Taipei 101 that you could actually walk to get there. But I wanted to try something else and decided to ride the bike. You have to walk up these stairs to get to the top. I stopped climbing up when I got to the Six Giant Rocks. Travel blogs say that this is where most tourists stop and take a good view of Taipei 101. I'm not sure if you can still climb up, but people doesn't go beyond this spot.
Shopping and food trip galore~ This is the best place to be when shopping for souvenirs and looking for cheap but authentic Taiwanese food. From street food to the food court at the market basement, your options are vast and varied. I didn't try the stinky tofu or the octopus balls, but I did try their fried chicken. 😁
Jiufen Old Street
I really love this place. I was in Jiufen around 8am, 8:30-ish. Majority of the stores were still closed at that hour. It was raining that day but it wasn't able to stop the tourists from visiting the place. By 9:30, a lot of Korean tourists were arriving by batch. The feeling is quite similar to that old street in Vigan. It really is just a street. Majority of the stores are selling souvenirs, cheaper than what you can find in Shilin Market, and food. The food they are selling is unique only to Jiufen, so it's a must to try their food.
Taipei Arena
It's not a usual, common tourist spot, but this place is very special for me. My fangirl haven! I was here for the main reason I went to Taiwan: to watch Bii's concert. It felt very surreal to be finally seating inside the arena. I won't babble much about this. I've shared a lot on my post about Bii's concert.
Mindong Korean Restaurant
Sunday morning, I had a lunch date with my friends in this Korean resto Bii frequents to. In the photo is the owner, who is also Bii's friend, who shared a lot of *insider* stories, from Bii's struggles in the past to the things he was experiencing now. It also was really fun to meet the other fangirls from Taiwan. (I thought they were from SG haha!) This is a really cool fangirl get together, which I hope I could have again with my PH gals back home.
Places I wanted to visit next time:
- Ximending
- Miramar Ferris Wheel
- Shifen
- Houtong Cat Village
- Danshui
0 comments
Spam messages/advertisements will be automatically deleted.