*extracted from my Thatch Travel Guide

I’ve lived in Taipei since 2018 and have seen a lot of this city! If you ask me what is there to see and do in Taipei, or just how to navigate your way around the city, then this is the guide for you! ✨

If you’re interested in learning more about me and would like video guides of unique experiences and more, then look me up on my other socials 😀

📸 Instagram: @andrercarrillo
📹 Tiktok: @ke.yingan

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Have fun & happy Taipei travels!

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This is Taipei City! 🇹🇼 Home to the iconic Taipei 101 — which was the tallest building in the world at the time of its creation in 2004 — Taipei is a city that offers so many things to do, see, and EAT. 

I hope this guide can help you navigate your way around Taipei like a pro!

🥳🥳🥳

Fun facts before we get started:

– The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese, with Traditional Chinese Characters used in writing.

– Taiwan has over 4,500 named mountain peaks 🏔️

– Bubble tea was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s

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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU COME ~~~~~~~

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A post shared by Andre Carrillo 柯穎安 (@andrercarrillo)

Other than what’s included in my video, here are other important things to take note of:

• Learn some Mandarin! In general, Taiwanese people do speak a decent amount of English, but it always goes a long way to speak to someone in their native language when visiting their country. Some beginner phrases:

– Nǐ hǎo：Hello!

– Xièxiè：Thank you!

– Wǒ yào…：I want…

– Zhè ge：this

• DON’T EAT/DRINK ON THE MRT (or even in the stations): You’ll most likely just get a warning/reminder by security that you can’t, but heavy fines can incur as well. So it’s best to just don’t! 🙅🏽‍♂️

• Road Safety: Although Taipei has lots of sidewalks and even bicycle lanes, it’s a well-known fact that Taiwan in general isn’t the safest for pedestrians (it has been referred to as ‘Pedestrian Hell’ on different news outlets). The government has been pushing out a lot of campaigns lately to improve road conditions, but unfortunately, many accidents still occur. You may see signs that “pedestrians have right of way” but still be extra careful when crossing the road 🚶🏽

• Power sockets are type A and type B (the same as the U.S.) 🔌

• The best time of the year to visit in my opinion would be February – May, as temperatures are a lot cooler between 15° to 25° Celcius. Regardless of when you come, Taiwan is very humid, making cold months seem colder and hot months hotter 🌤️

• New Taiwan Dollars (NTD) is the currency in Taiwan 💸

• In case of emergencies, please keep these numbers on hand 🚨

   – 1990 Foreigner Hotline

   – 110 Police

   – 119 Fire & Ambulance

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GETTING AROUND TAIPEI

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Generally speaking, Taiwan is very convenient and easy to get around for foreigners who don’t understand Chinese, with English available at most transportation hubs. But of course, it’s still possible to get confused if you’re not used to public transportation!

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Get an Easy Card! They can be purchased at the airport or any convenience store. Not only can they be topped off with money to use on public transport (MRT, buses, and trains) but they can also be used to make purchases at select stores. You can also pre-order one here to pick up at that airport upon arrival. (Although I’d recommend buying from a convenience store for more cute card design options)

These three apps in particular have been lifesavers for me:

1. Bus+ — I’d say this is best used in combination with Google Maps since GMaps can often be off when it comes to the bus schedule. First use GMaps to figure out which bus to take, and then use Bus+ to confirm the schedule of the bus 🚌

2. 台鐵e訂通 — This is great for looking up train times and purchase train e-tickets 🚂

3. 台灣高鐵 T Express — This is for looking up timetables for the HSR as well as purchasing HSR tickets 🚆

4. Metro Taipei — Another app that works great in combination with GMaps; used for looking up the MRT schedule. 🚇

WHERE TO STAY

There are a ton of hotels and hostels around Taipei, but to be honest, I think a lot of the hotels are overpriced with not a lot of value. To stay budget-friendly, I’d recommend staying in hostels or even Airbnbs.

Here are three areas that I highly recommend you consider staying in when planning your trip to Taipei. I’ve also listed a few hotels/hostels in these areas to help you get started on your search:

PHONE PLANS

Taiwan has excellent network coverage all over the island; my mobile network provider (GT Mobile Taiwan) isn’t the best, but I had complete 4G service on top of the tallest mountain in Taiwan!

The most convenient and cheaper way to get coverage for cell would be to pre-order a SIM Card that you can pick up upon arrival at the airport. The top three mobile providers are:

– Chunghwa Telecom 中華電信

– Taiwan Mobile 台灣大哥大

– Far EasTone 遠傳電信

You can book your SIM card in advance here. Alternatively, you can try an eSIM if it’s compatible with your phone. It’s very convenient and saves the hassle of having to take out your current SIM card and then worrying about where to keep it safe. And of course, you could also purchase your SIM card directly upon arrival at the airport too!

MAIN ATTRACTIONS

Here are a few of the main tourist attractions that you don’t want to miss in the city!

From left to right: Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Maokong Gondola, Elephant Mountain

For a full list of activities, please refer to this other Thatch Travel Guide curated by me!