Taipei appreciation

I’ll be frank, Taiwan (much less Taipei) was never on my radar until I watched an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover.

He was not wrong when he said it was the hidden culinary gem of Asia.

On my way to Bali in April 2019, I decided to extend my layover and was glad I did. Taipei is so clean, technologically advanced yet steeped in history and culture with friendly residents. It is the best introduction to Asia I could have asked for.

I couldn’t find a lot of information in any of my travel groups prior to my trip, oddly enough, so here's some info/tips that I think can be helpful when planning to visit (bear in mind I went pre-Covid):

Transportation

Incredibly easy, clean metro system to navigate that offers free wifi everywhere! I picked up a joint 72 hour taipei pass + roundtrip airport ticket (they can come together in pack at a slightly lower price). I didn't get an ‘easy card’ because it didn't make sense financially for me but might for others.
Stick to the rules, absolutely no eating or drinking once you cross the yellow line in the subway stations. You will be fined.
Line up to get on the subway, it's unbelievably busy but organized. Just do as the locals do and you'll be ok.

Food

Taiwan is the home of bubble tea, I grew up drinking it as a kid so I was in heaven. It's everywhere and dirt cheap, my fave is in the pics below.
Eat everything. Taipei takes food seriously and I loved it all…well, except the intestine vermicelli soup. I had a couple of legitimate food allergies at the time of my trip (hello Epipen!) and managed to enjoy the cuisine 100%. Restaurants in Taipei are pretty accommodating and there was always a vegetarian option I noticed on menus (if relevant to you).
I highly recommend the Taipei Food Tour by Like It Formosa. If you only have time for one food-related activity, please do this tour. The guides were fun yet informative, the group size is capped at 10 but I think there were maybe 7 of us on the day I went. We had fruit, bubble tea, Beef Noodle, vermicelli, traditional Taiwanese dumplings, taro & mango shaved ice and my favourite: flaky scallion pancakes, which are pretty much little pieces of heaven.

Attractions/Tours

The Longshan Temple/Night Market tour by TourMeAway was great, it's free and a nice way to pass a few hours in the evening (must reserve your spot in advance) while learning the history and current climate of Wanhua district, which is where Taipei was founded in the 18th century. I also enjoyed learning about some of the beautiful Buddhist rites and customs, which gave me a greater appreciation for my visit to the Longshan Temple instead of walking around aimlessly.

Do not miss the Maokong Gondola ride up into the mountain side like I almost did. Thankfully was convinced otherwise! The ride takes about 30 minutes each way and is ~$10 CAD (240 TWD) round trip. There are nice traditional tea houses when you reach the peak in Maokong and they are not overrun with tourists. It’s a pretty peaceful area with some incredible views.

I skipped the visit to Taipei 101 and paying way too much for an entry ticket (imo), instead I opted for the view of it from Elephant Mountain. Free and so worth the "mild" trek up. Be prepared to take some gorgeous shots, but wear proper footwear and use bug spray beforehand.

**if you really want to go up Taipei 101, get a local to call the Starbucks there the day before and make a reservation for you (learned about this from one of my tour guides). It's on the 80th floor I believe, and as long as you spend the minimum (equivalent of a drink) you'll get the same views.

Safety

I’m happy to report that I didn’t have any concerns as a solo Black female traveller (that’s a mouthful!). Taiwan is one of the safest places in the world to visit, I even felt comfortable walking to my hotel at midnight.
If you look like me…you may be wondering…the Taiwanese are curious about the melanin but polite.
Pickpocketing wasn’t a big issue in 2019 but I was still careful with my belongings, same as if I was walking around Toronto.

Hotels

So many options to choose from! I decided to stay at hotels that were close to subway stations, just a personal preference when it comes to travel. Both Wow Happy and Hotel Quote Taipei were located in great districts that had tons of food options around, looked better than their pictures with super comfy beds and staff that were helpful even with the language barrier.
The main difference between the hotels: 24 hour unlimited free snack and toiletry lounge at Hotel Quote Taipei. Yes unlimited. They also get pastries/buns from some nearby bakery in the mornings...delicious.

The one negative

The fact that I only have one downside about my time is Taipei..not bad I must say. I lump them into one because it was the same issue both times and not any fault of the Taiwanese. I had 2 run-ins with mainlanders: one pulled my hair at a night market I was at and another tried to block me from getting off the escalator at Taipei 101 because he trying to take my pic (which he didn't manage to do). Not enough to deter me from visiting Taipei again but I definitely won’t be visiting mainland China based of those limited unpleasant interactions.