Back in Taiwan after 12 years, and this time with friends, for a trip that did make it out of the group chat.

Day 1 Travel Day and Tamsui

Boyfriend and I were flying from Hong Kong while our friends flew straight from NY. Our flight got moved to a later departure time so we had time to have a proper lunch at the Chase Sapphire lounge at the Hong Kong Airport. When we landed in the afternoon we got cash and our transit cards before taking a cab to the Parkview Hotel in Zhongshan (中山) where we’ll be staying for a week. Our friends had flown in earlier during the day so we wasted no time to catch up with them in Tamsui (淡水), the seaside district on the northwestern side of the city. When we got to Tamsui the sun had already set, making it hard to see the waterfront, but we made our way down Tamshui Old Street (淡水老街). There were some really cute stores selling old school nicknacks and souvenirs, as well as food vendors attracting our attention. We had a reservation for Ro Do Do Hot Pot (肉多多火鍋) so we weren’t about to get distracted 😅. By dinner time at 8PM our friends have been up all day and are very much jet lagged, but the food did wake everyone up a little!

Day 2 Taipei Sightseeing

The next morning everyone was up early because of the jetlag and we were ready to try out some Taiwanese breakfast. Because it was a Monday and a lot of places we wanted to try were actually closed, boyfriend and I ended up at a breakfast spot right by the hotel called Wang Mama Breakfast Restaurant (王媽媽早餐店) and got some Chinese omelette (蛋餅) and turnip cakes for just $5.

When we got back the larger group split up and I went with 2 other friends to get a second breakfast at Sihai Soy Milk (四海豆漿大王). We rented U-bikes right outside the hotel and biked on mostly dedicated bike lanes to the breakfast spot. I NEVER biked around in the city because I can’t don’t trust my bike skills to be sharing roads with cars, but here in Taipei the city is so bike friendly that I felt safe riding around. Sihai was packed with locals and tourists, with a line out the door. We decided to get on the shorter line and ordered take out, and we picked out a bunch of items including soy milk (豆漿), soup dumplings (小籠包), friend dough (油條), and Taiwanese style rice ball (飯糰), all for $12. We ate at the Family Mart across the street and the food was so good that we actually went back to order more for our friends. We biked back with our deliveries and gathered the rest of the group for our sightseeing day.

Our first stop was Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (國立中正紀念堂). I remember coming here way back when with my family but I don’t remember the plaza being this big? It was probably because I was carried around by my dad and didn’t have to walk the full distance of the plaza and the stairs lol. We stayed and watched the change of guards before taking the MRT to our next stop.

We got to Lungshan Temple station but first it was time to stop and get a drink since it’s a very hot day out. I got a bitter melon drink and it was surprisingly refreshing. We then visited Banka Lungshan Temple (艋舺龍山寺), dating back to 1738. The temple has been destroyed multiple times, ranging from natural disasters and WWII, but the statue of goddess Guanyin Bodhisattva in the front hall was the only piece untouched. It was even said that in the past during air raids, people would seek refuge under the goddess’s lotus seat. We took a loop around the temple and saw the deities in the main hall and the rear hall. There was a prayer session going on while we were there and it was a pretty impressive sight. Just before the exit, the visitor information center sells lucky charms and bracelets and gives you instructions on how to bless the gift before gifting!

While we make our way over to Ximen, boyfriend and I made a detour to stop by a telecom store to pick up a SIM card, and stopped by The Red House (西門紅樓). The octogonal-shaped building is a heritage marketplace built during the Japanese rule of Taiwan in 1908, and it’s now been converted into a theater. The Red House was closed (it’s a Monday) so we only got some photos outside and continued our way to a very late lunch.

You can’t visit Taiwan and not try any beef noodle soup so we’re on a quest to find the best ones. We ended up at Fuhong Beef Noodles (富宏牛肉麵) and got the beef noodle soup with intestines. Our group gave it a combined 7.5/10.

The rest of the afternoon we spent in the Ximending (西門町) area and did some shopping. It had started raining so we stayed inside the Eslite Spectrum Ximen (誠品生活西門) department store for a bit, tried out some glasses and local brands and taking advantage of the tax refund. The rain picked up later in the evening and while the group all made different purchases, everyone ended up getting umbrellas from various stores. Boyfriend picked up a very nice UV umbrella from the lady at a stall who was selling very hard to us. The umbrellas ended up being very good purchases because we needed them for the rest of the trip.

Our original plan for dinner was the night market but the rain doesn’t look like it was letting up so we changed our plans and ubered to Addiction Aquatic Development (上引水產), a seafood market near Shongshan Airport. It was a bit late when we visited so there actually weren’t a lot of options, but boyfriend and I got dinner at litun nad split a deluxe platter with seafood, nigiri sushi, grilled lobster and a miso soup loaded with seafood. It was definitely on the slightly pricier end compared to everything else in Taiwan but the food was pretty good!

Day 3 Yilan

It’s raining today so we scrapped our original plan of biking to another breakfast spot and ended up back at Wang Mama Breakfast Restaurant (王媽媽早餐店). We have a day trip to Yilan (宜蘭) planned and it’s a group of 11! Our group split up into groups of 6 and 5 as we have friends driving, and hired a driver, Mr Zhang, to take us around. I actually got Mr Zhang’s contact through my aunt who had visited Taiwan a few years back and communicated with them through WeChat about a 3 weeks before our trip since our trip was around the national holiday in the first week of October. Mr Zhang was very nice and accommodating, even recommended routes for us and helped us planned out the rest of our day. Our first stop was Wufengchi Waterfall (五峰旗瀑布), a short little hike of about 15 mins to get to the 2 sections of the waterfall. Normally I would hate hiking in the rain but this rain did help make the waterfall look more grand - we were bound to get wet getting close to the waterfall so I guess the rain on the way didn’t really matter. It did look like I took a shower coming back down the hike though 😅

After the hike we made our way to Jiaoxi (礁溪), known for their mineral hot springs. Mr Zhang helped us pick out a hotel spa for us to enjoy the hot spring before lunch. The one we ended up picking was Art Spa Hotel (中冠礁溪大飯店), and they have hot spring pools at various temperatures as well as hydro massage setup. We hopped around the outdoor area trying out all the pools and even did the cold plunge for a little bit. My favorite was actually the hydro massage!

We spent about an hour and half at the hot springs and it was time for lunch! Our driver took us to Full Go Roast Chicken of Stone Kiln (福哥石窯雞) to try the local kiln baked chicken. The chicken was absolutely amazing, very juicy and tender and so good that we ended up ordering another one for the table. One of the other favorites from the group was the 糕渣, which is a type of fried milk dish. And guess what, the full feast only cost us $11 per person! Unfortunately I don’t have many photos of our feast as we devoured everything off the table.

Our next stop is 35 mins South and on the drive, Mr Zhang pointed out the Guishan Island (Turtle Island) to our left. It’s the only active volcano in all of Taiwan, and known for its milky seawater surrounding the island. The water appears white and cloudy because of the high-temperature sulfur spring from the active volcano mixes with seawater. The island is also known for its whale and dolphin watching activities. On the way we also passed by a giant statue of Tudigong (Lord of the Soil and the Ground), at 四結福德廟(四結金身土地公). We stopped to take a photo and Mr Zhang explains to us that a lot of soldiers worship here before they’re deployed. The area is known for rice patties and scallions, and we passed by many on our way to the farm. Of course we had to ask about the property prices and regretted not purchasing earlier.

Our final stop and most definitely the highlight of our day was Zhang Mei Ama’s Farm (張美阿嬤農場), where we got to feed and pet the animals. You are given a whole bundle of grass for feeding, and the animals are mostly chill as long as you keep the food high. Once you bring the grass to their level though, expect them to become a little bit more aggressive and charge at you. I think our group had the most fun with the capybaras - I got to hold a baby capybara in my lap!

We ended our day trip after the farm and headed back to Taipei. Traffic was a bit heavier as it was rush hour but we asked to get dropped off at a badminton store (松山體育) in the Xinyi District for our group to shop for some rackets. Mr Zhang and the store owner recommended going to Raohe Street Night Market (饒河街觀光夜市) after shopping since it’s a straight walk North. On our way we stopped to get more beef noodle soup - and everyone in our group thought this random store on Songshan Road was better than the one we had yesterday! Rain started again as we got to the night market, but we managed to try some sugar cane juice, small sausage in large sausage (大腸包小腸), and a pineapple bun with taro ice cream. Before heading back, a few of us wanted to check out the largest claw machine shop in Taipei and we took the train (not MRT!) there. Unlike most of the claw machines I know, this place actually allows you to win household items like detergent and toilet paper. They also have toy food items that you can win and exchange for actual coupons at the counter. We took a stab at the donuts after getting some tips from a young student before us and did manage to win 3 donuts!

Day 4 Shifen and Jiufen

Another day, another Wang Mama breakfast. It has now become a routine for us to get breakfast at Wang Mama before our day trip. We tried the burgers today and they were actually pretty good! We left the hotel around 10AM after a big breakfast and off we go to Shifen Old Street (十分老街). Our driver Mr Zhang told us the towns were named Shifen (and Jiufen, the town that we’ll be visiting in the afternoon) because the area was known for coal and gold mining back in the day and not many families lived here. They would refer to the area as Shifen and Jiufen to signify the ten and nine families that lived in the area when they have to portion out the food and supplies as they trade (Shifen and Jiufen literally means “ten and nine portions”).

Shifen is known for releasing sky lanterns with written wishes (放天燈), and I have actually never been to Shifen before on any of my previous Taiwan trips so I am glad I got to try this out with our group! We started off with some souvenir shopping along the street while waiting for the rain to subside. The stores carry these “blind pouches” that are mystery packaged Taiwanese keychains, and I was immediately drawn to the cat series and the beer series. This is a genius idea because we all kept wanting to get more to get the specific one we want (is this what gambling feels like?) They make great gifts too but I just wanted them for myself 🤪

Once the rain died down a bit we paired up to write our wishes onto the sky lanterns - you get to select the background colors on all 4 sides, each color representing a specific wish. We tested out our penmanship as we write with an ink brush, wishing for happiness, prosperity, health and ways to retire early. The staff will help you take photos and videos, and let me tell they are great at giving instructions for posing! Before heading off to our next location we also checked out Jingan Suspension Bridge (靜安吊橋) on the other end of the Old Street.

Next stop is Juifen (九份), coined the “City of Sadness” as the 1989 movie with the same title was filmed here. The town also resembles the downtown in Sprinted Away, attracting many tourists after the gold mining industry slowly started declining after WWII into the 1970s. A long set of stairs with red lanterns from the bus stop/ car parking area will lead you up to the main Juifen Old Street (九份老街). We had lunch first at a sit down restaurant, then made our way down Old Street buying souvenirs and sampling the local snacks, including Lai Ah Po Taro Balls (賴阿婆芋圓) and A-Zou Burning Snow (九份阿珠雪在燒) for their peanut ice cream roll with cilantro and smoked cherry duck. We also bought some local oolong tea to take home after the sales lady tried to guess who in our group drinks the most.

Our last activity of the evening in Juifen was a tea ceremony at A-mei Teahouse (阿妹茶樓). The staff showed us how to heat up the tea cups and smell the first brew of tea, and we got to do it ourselves for the next couple brews. By the time we ended at the teahouse the sun has completely set, leaving huge crowds outside gathering to take photos of the red lanterns lighting up the stairway.

Everyone passed out in the cars on our drive back to Taipei, and once again we ended our day trip at another badminton store to do more shopping. From the badminton store we walked to the Zhongshan District to get the last order of mochi from Sa bai tian (灑白甜鮮奶麻糬販賣舖). The neighborhood is really cute and we walked around trying to decide on dinner. The group ended up splitting up since it was impossible to seat a party of 10, Zhongshan, and my boyfriend and I got noodles and then a drink at an izakaya. We ended the night at a massage place (千里行足體養生會館) near our hotel and the one hour full body massage took me out.

Day 5 Taipei Shopping and Baddie Day

Everyone had a late start today since the massage last night ended late and probably put everything into deep sleep. Most of the group headed over to Zhongshan in the late morning to do some shopping while a few of us stayed behind. My boyfriend and I checked out a local gym and had brunch at a nice cafe called Fujin Tree Cafe (富錦樹咖啡). The cold udon dish and the banana latte were surprisingly good!

We did a bit more shopping in the main Zhongshan shopping district and I ended up getting a book at Eslite before we took the bus to a different neighborhood. My boyfriend was in the market for a martial arts shoes but because of the national holiday all the stores ended up being closed. We decided to try again tomorrow and headed to Nanmen Market (南門市場) in search for a late lunch. The ground floor features prepared foods and the marinated chicken leg caught our eye. We then made our way up to the 2nd floor where the food court is, and immediately saw the line for the Hehuan Knife Cut Noodle Restaurant (合歡刀削麵館). They’re known for their tomato based knife-cut beef noodles but that had just sold out so we opted for the traditional beef noodles instead.

We took the MRT back to the hotel for a quick change of clothes and it was time for us to pick up our new rackets from the store and play some badminton in Taipei! The Nangang Sports Center (臺北市南港運動中心) has 8 floors featuring a swimming pool, rock climbing, air pistol shooting ranges and badminton courts. Our friend was able to book us two courts and we got to play a little with our new gear. After the workout it was time for dinner and the group went to 渣男 Taiwan Bistro (what an interesting name for an izakaya). The food and drinks were pretty good and we got a great view of Taipei 101 at night!

Day 6 Last Day in Taiwan

Last day in Taiwan means it’s the last opportunity to get soy milk breakfast. I got ready at 6:30 in the morning and a few of us biked over to Fuhang Soy Milk (阜杭豆漿). It’s located on the 2nd floor of a traditonal market (華山市場) and there was already a line on this weekday down on the ground floor. Definitely note down what you want to order as you wait as the ladies will rush you to place the order once you’re at the counter to get the lines moving. They have so many options on the menu and it’s hard to choose - and definitely over ordered and you can see our breakfast spread below. Their soy milks - both the sweet and savory - were great but I think my favorites were the egg in the fried dough (薄蛋夾油條) and rice ball (飯糰). Whatever we couldn’t finish we ended up taking back to our friends. Before biking back we saw a little takeout coffee spot and picked up some specialty coffee (I got charcoal latte) to bring back to the hotel.

It was only 8:30AM when we got back from breakfast so while the boyfriend hit the gym (we have been eating a little too well) I decided to go on a bike ride with 2 other friends all the way to Tamsui River. We headed towards the district of Di Hua and made it to Yanping Riverside Park (延平河濱公園), a waterfront park that has bike lanes stretching along the Tamsui River. It was a beautiful day out and we spent about 20 mins in the park before biking back to the hotel.

Our next group activity for the day was Maokong (貓空), one of the largest tea growing areas in Taipei. It’s a mountainous area and has many footpaths which were used to transport tea. Nowadays there is a zoo, and a gondola that takes you up the mountain. The lines for the gondola were long but moved pretty quickly, and I thought the ride was really worth it. Some of our friends were actually afraid of heights so the gondola ride was very interesting 🤔.

We took our time once we made it up to Maokong, picking up some snacks by the gondola station and enjoyed a little walk towards the tea promotion center. There were tea houses and farms along the way and we stopped for lunch at this really nice spot overlooking Taipei 101 and the city. Their tea leaves food options, especially the fried tofu, were excellent with their tea selections. Just before catching the gondola back down we grabbed a Tieguanyin (鐵觀音) beer just to see if it tastes like oolong tea and it does!

We realized we had spent too much time at Maokong so the group decided to skip the zoo and head to Taipei 101 for some more tea and snacks while my boyfriend and I ubered to the martial arts store to pick up the shoes he had been searching for. This time around we did manage to get them and on our way back we passed by Jin Feng Braised Pork Rice (金峰魯肉飯) and decided we had to give it a try. We ordered the braised pork rice to go and followed up with another order of the 肉焿油麵 which is actually a pork soup with noodles. We finished both dishes while standing next to the U-bikes as we were kinda in a rush but the meal did not disappoint. I actually thought the soup noodles were better than the braised pork rice!

By the time we made it to Taipei 101 the cafe on the 88th floor was already doing last entry (they close at 8PM) so we waited for our friends to finish up and the whole group got dinner (my second) at the food court down in the basement. We did some final shopping and got some pineapple cakes souvenirs before we said goodbye to some of our friends staying a bit longer in Taiwan. We had to squeeze in another foot massage on this final night in Taipei and went to the same spot we went to a few days ago - 千里行足體養生會館. They were actually fully booked so we didn’t get our appointment until 11PM but they are open 24 hours and we’re so close by that we finished our packing at the hotel and walked back for our foot massages. It was much needed after all the walking we did on the trip, and prepared us well for the next part of our journey, South Korea!

Taiwan. October 2024.