Friday, April 05, 2019

What Bloggers don’t tell you about Taiwan?





Here are some of the things you should know when visiting Taiwan.

1. Brace yourself with the weather.  

We went there during the spring season (March 22-26). Given that the weather is unpredictable we expected that it is not that cold when we get there as we check the weather forecast for our travel dates it has 24 degrees temperature and up with a slight chance of rain. To our surprise during our whole stay in Taiwan it is raining and is very cold for a spring season. Bring appropriate clothes that suits the season of your visit.



2. Choose fast and convenient mode of transportation.  

We did our research and decided to follow the DIY tours we read on some blogs.They will tell you that it is easy navigating Taiwan and bus fares are cheap especially if you are traveling on a tight budget which is true but you have to consider the different factors that may affect your travel. When we are exploring Yehliu and Jiufen we had a hard time commuting cause of the rain and we also waited long for the bus. So it is better if you booked a tour for Yehliu. Jiufen and Shifen or take a taxi instead. We regret not taking the offer of the taxi as we waste so much time waiting for the bus and the travel time is two hours or more from one place to another. Taking the taxi will only take you for about twenty five minutes. Also, the regular or most common bus has limited seats less the priority seats so there’s a fat chance that you will be standing the entire ride up to your next destination. Taking the taxi is more convenient and fast way of getting around especially if you are traveling in a small group. If you decided to explore the northeast coast of Taiwan better take the taxi or booked a tour for this.


3. What’s with the claw machine? 

One thing I’ve noticed in Taipei is that there are a lot of claw machines. You’ll only not see stuff toys inside but all sorts of things. 


4. Milk tea and Xiao Long Bao are the best. 

During our stay we had milk tea every time. I felt like water was replaced by milk tea. And there is only one size unlike in the Philippines you can choose from M to L cup. You don’t have to go and look for the most popular milk tea chains cause all of their milk tea is delicious even the not so common chains.








5. Where to buy souvenir items?  

Best to buy souvenirs or “pasalubong” (gifts) in Raohe Night Market as it is less expensive there than Shilin and Ximending. This night market is bigger than Shilin and has more stalls, eateries and souvenir shops. Shilin has less stalls and eateries and mostly have more games than food.

6. Expectation vs. Reality. 

Since Taiwan is booming as one of the hot tourist destinations in Asia expect that there will be a lot of tourist everywhere. So taking that IG worthy photo is a challenge, that’s one. The other is that some attractions can be really crowded like in Jiufen area since it’s a narrow alley it is really hard to pass through in a sea of crowds.



hahaha :P I was like what's going on back there?


7. Good for sharing.  

Their food servings are enormous and can be good for two or three person. Hotstar chicken is one of them. This is literally bigger than our face, the taste is OK but I think it is just famous for its size.

"Hao Chi" means delicious


What a big bowl of noodles.




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