Exploring Taipei on a Budget

Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, is really a great place for food lovers like me. A wide variety of street foods and it's busy modern cities are the some of the reasons why Taipei is worth visiting.

Exploring Taipei!

Taoyuan to Taipei

The gateway to Taipei is through Taoyuan International Airport which is about 40 minutes away from the city. From there you can either ride bus 1819 to Taipei Main station this will cost you NT$125.

Another option is to use the Metro train. The train departs to Taipei every 15 minutes and will cost you around NT$160.

The last option is to make a deal with private drivers waiting at the arrival hall. Their usual offer is NT$1200. We arrived at the airport early in the mornig so we decided to make a deal with these drivers and we got a ride from the airport to our hotel in Ximen for NT$1000.

Going around the City

You'll find it easy to roam around the city because all of the street signs have English translations.

I suggest that you try to walk around the city on your first day and get familiarize with the different streets around you. Don't worry if you lose your way, these tourist maps are scattered throughout the city. You can easily locate where you are and the places withing the 1km radius.

You can also get a free map from your hotel 

The city and the food

Yes it's true there are a lot of cute locals around Ximenting (LOL). We found it hard to communicate with the locals because they speak little English so we just relied on our map in navigating through the city. There are a lot of places that you must see like The Modern Toilet which is located near the intersection of Kunming St and Wuchang St. They serve delicious meals in a mini toilet bowl and drinks in a mini urinal. Here's a sample of their menu

 

 

The streets are always busy and you can find street performers playing the harp near the Ximen station. Talented singers singing on the streets etc.

The Peace Park

One of the best place to take a selfie is the peace park. It's quiet, clean and the beautiful.

Taipei 101

The tallest skyscraper in Taipei is the Taipei 101. As the name implies, it has 101 floors. The observatory is on the 89th floor. before you can go to the registration which is in the 5th floor, you have to pass through the most luxurious mall I have ever seen! It's really quite intimidating to pass through these shops. I wonder how much does it cost to buy a single bag there. 

 

When you reach the registration area, you have to pay NT$600 

You'll get these. A ticket and a couple of coupons

The elevator is one or maybe the fastest in world. It will only take 37 seconds to reach the 89th floor. That was amazing but you should be prepared because it will surely make your ears pop. 

The Chiang Kai Shek Memorial

Entrance fee: Free

I suggest you go visit the memorial at 9am or 5pm so that you can witness the ever popular changing of guards.

Below the memorial hall you can find a museum where you can learn more about Chiang kai Shek. 

Just a friendly reminder: When you enter the museum you should pay respect by not making loud noises.

 

 

 

You can also see a wax figure of Chang Kai Shek

Shilin Night Market

For the food lovers out there, Shilin Night market is a great place for you. Here, you can find cheap but delicious foods! Souvenirs are also sold at an affordable price.

These small crispy crabs for NT$ 150

Shrimp Fried Rice NT$ 80

Wonton Soup NT$ 50

Squid Dish NT$ 100

Dumplings NT$ 100

 The people in Shilin are very accommodating, they are all smiles and will actually recommend the best dishes if you cannot choose which one to eat. 

Key chains for NT$ 50 each

Pineapple cakes NT$ 100 a box (10 pcs) or 6 boxes for NT$ 500

When you have spare time you should visit small cities around Taipei

Window on China

a one and a half hour drive from Taipei you'll reach Windows on China. This is a amusement park located at Longtan District

Entrance fee : 

It comes with unlimited rides. You can see here miniature buildings around the world

 

 

 

 

 

When you're tired, you can ride this mini train or this boat to roam around

Here are some rides the we tried

For those who are adventurous and wants to experience a little thrill while in Taipei, you can find interesting bars at the Red House in Ximen. There's also an adult shop nearby (hehehe)

 

There are a lot of things to see and do in Taipei and for me 4 days is not enough so I will surely go back to this majestic city.

Overall impression about Taipei:

Taipei is a very clean and organized city. The people are well disciplined and friendly. You can safely use your phone while walking on the streets. People will give back the excess money you unknowingly paid. You can walk alone the streets of Ximen without worrying about your safety. And most of all, the food is delicious!

Please subscribe and follow me:

Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChiQpJilHnPwQa_EFgXpzzg
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/PJTeeVee/
Instagram: pj_avisado