Things to Do: Taipei
Since most of the world has stopped because of the global pandemic, I’ve extended my 30 day trip in Taiwan and developed a routine here. Also, I think Taiwan is one of the few places that has not enforced locked down, I was able to explore a better part of the city during my stay here.
What to Do:
Taipei 101 - I did this activity almost 10 years ago, but many people still recommend as a top thing to do. What is really cool is that there is no sky scrapers in Taipei except for Taipei 101 therefore it provide an excellent view of the horizon.
Xinyi District - It is where most of the malls
Take a Free Tour
Elephant Mountain 象山 - I do hike up to Elephant Mountain pretty regularly. To the top is only 20 mins +/-5 mins of stairs but if it is too easy for you, I would recommend extend your walk to Jiuwufeng (九五峰) - it is on the same path you just keep walking once you reach the peak. It typically takes me about one hour to go up from the peak of Elephant Mountain to peak of Jiuwufeng, with a 5 minute break in between. It takes me 45 minutes to go back down; Also there are rest spots every 20 minutes and plenty of people trying to get their daily walk in. It is a bit challenging toward middle of Jiuwufeng because there is a good 20 minutes of straight stairs but it’s a good and scenic walk. Lots of wild flowers and butterflies.
Huashan 1914 - This used to be an old industrial park turn into creative park with a lot of local artist exhibiting and smart shops from local creators to display their creations. In the back there is a park where families like to play and hangout on weekends.
Treasure Hill - It was a very creative way to convert old residents building that formed a part of Taipei’s history into another creative area where there are many cute shops from local artists and great place for your Instagram
Beitou - You can easily spend a day here with hot springs
Yangmingshan - I really like Yangmingshan but it is a hassle to get to and get home from via public transit. I would recommend plan ahead and try to dedicate a whole day for it.
What to Eat:
Bubble Tea - There is a big bubble tea culture in Taipei. I would recommend these few places to try because they’re local favourites and you won’t see them outside of Taiwan: Kebuke（可不可）and 50 Lan（50岚). They are reasonably priced but more importantly, always have a line.
Din Tai Fung - This is where the restaurant came from and it is only fare to try it at it’s origin country
Night markets - The list of food items available is just infinite but the two markets I would recommend is Raohe and Ningxia.
Sushi - I know this is a weird recommendation but honestly it has some of the best Japanese food outside of Japan. Taiwan used to be a Japanese colony, therefore there are a lot of residual culture influence post the colony era. Many of the top Michelin starred restaurants in Taipei are Japanese food. My favourite spot for casual dining is Sushiro, it’s a high quality rotating sushi joint with a reasonable price tag.
Toasts - I don’t think this is official but from the fact that I haven’t had so much toast at different toast restaurants tells me about this place’s preference on toast. Toasteria is a chain with some great sandwiches but all with toast as the bread. 滿樂鐵板吐司 (also has multiple locations) is a great place for dessert toasts, so that’s like sweat stuffing in the sandwiches.
Taro - Is a white and purple rooted vegetable (similar to other starch vegetables like potato, yam, yuca). Chinese people in general likes to use it as a potato or grain substitute during their meals but it also make an appearance in many desserts.
Workable Coffee Shops:
Palm Sugar Bistro - This is my go to coffee shop, the manager knows my order and what table I always sit at. Coffee is great and big fan of their smoothies. Their bake goods are really good, and if you order a slow drip coffee it comes with a complementary slice of their bake good. There is a time limit of 3 hours.
Gin Gin Coffee Company - Some of the prettiest and delicious coffee drinks I have had. I just find it a bit loud during certain times of the day to work in.
Trust Cafe - Awesome place to work from and you find many working there. Both the food menu and the coffee menu is very extensive. There is no time limit and it is set-up specifically for people to work away from the office. I go there less often because it is a bit out of the way from my daily routine but it is very accessible to a metro station! It is also great to park yourself there for an entire day.