I’ve read a lot and noticed that Taipei is considered an underrated travel destination by a lot of western travellers. As someone who lives close to Taiwan, I’ve visited Taipei for several times, and would love to share some of my photos I took during my fourth visit to Taipei this year. I really recommend it to everyone who’s never been there, as it’s very worth it!
I went there mainly because of a live music show, and the whole trip lasted for about 3 full days only. I visited Yangmingshan where I’ve never been before, and I love it so much! Xiaoyaukeng is fun with geothermal vents, Qingtiangang is good for a hike, while Lengshuikeng is less stellar but still nice to see. I took a bus and got to all these places fairly easily. I personally prefer Yangmingshan to Yehliu, where I went many years ago and also quite liked it.
Besides nature, Taipei is also full of vibrant city activities and attractions. I went to Xiangti Avenue Plaza in Xinyi, and found it to be pretty nice. It’s really walkable with some street performance or activities. Love the city lights, and you can see Taipei 101 from there too.
I also visited Tamsui. I’ve been there twice before, and while I don’t think it’s sooooo special, I still like it for its sea scenery, food and vibes. The same goes for Ximending - I’ve been there every time I visit Taipei as it’s really close to the city centre. I’ve never been to Dihua Street before: there are some historic buildings, and overall it’s a nice visit.
Besides Jiufen / Shifen / the night markets / museums in Taipei which are all worth visiting of course, Taipei has even more to offer. The food is great (loved my breakfast there), the nature is amazing, and the city is vibrant. It’s also incredibly safe and very easy to navigate. The public transport is good (not the best in East Asia but definitely better than many American cities lol). Overall, highly recommend!
Photo Captions:
1 to 2 - Xiaoyaukeng (You can see some smokes coming out from the geothermal vents - I hope my photos are clear enough!)
3 to 5 - Qingtiangang with some cute cows
6 - Lengshuikeng
7 to 9 - Xiangti Avenue Plaza, you can also see Taipei 101 from there as shown in picture 7
10 to 11 - Tamsui (found a nice modern architecture there, it’s not a tourist attraction but still pretty cool to see)
12 - Ximending (like the pedestrian street there with many shops and restaurants)
13 - Dihua Street (a street with some historic buildings)
14 - Syntrend Creative Park (it’s a shopping mall, the architecture is very interesting)
15 to 16 - Taiwanese food is so great I wanna go back asap!