Exploring Taiwan: Day 1

Taipei, Taiwan – a sprawling city with so much to see and to do. A city that exudes a variety of things from both sides of the spectrum: modern & traditional. A cultural destination filled with so much surprises.

After a long time researching online and checking out places to visit, the time has come, and I'm finally excited to roam around and wander to see the beauty of Taipei. Let’s explore this beautiful city and immerse ourselves with the wonders of its culture and traditions.

Arrival in Taiwan

It’s a red-eye flight from Manila via Cebu Pacific Air. I arrived at the Taoyuan Airport in Taipei around 1:00 in the morning.

Taoyuan International Airport offers a wide variety of public transportation links to all over Taiwan. Since the Airport MRT From Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei City is already closed, I took a shuttle bus 1819 going to Taipei Main Station instead for 140NT$, or about Php 280.00; and it takes about 45min to 1hr travel depending on the traffic to reach the city proper.

Just a tip, it’s better to withdraw your money from the ATMs in Taiwan rather than having it exchanged through a ForEx counter in the airport. Also, Mobile SIM Cards are available for purchase at Taoyuan International Airport before clearing immigration. Alternatively, reserve online for easy pickup in the arrival’s hall. This is very useful.

From Taipei Main Station, I took the taxi going to my booked hotel – Cheers Boutique Hotel, located at No. 288, Nanjing West Road, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103 to have a few hours rest before I start exploring the city.

I was able to book this hotel at a very cheap price via agoda.com. You can also check out cheap hotel accommodations via expedia or booking.com.

Here’s the things I did during my first day in Taipei.

To officially start my day, I had breakfast at the nearest 7/11 (just beside my hotel) and grab some food and coffee on-the-go.

Taipei Main Station

Just walking distance from my hotel, i usually walk around 15 minutes to reach the main station. Not bad for a morning exercise daily hehe. 

Taipei Main Station is home to the lot of different transportation services such as taxi cabs,  double-decker buses, Taipei MRT, Taiwan High Speed Rail, local buses and buses to bring you to the airport. It is really convenient to be staying around the area that's near the main station.

LIBERTY SQUARE

The first tourist spot I  visited was the Liberty Square in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, where you can see the famous Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, the National Theater and National Concert Hall.

How to get there:

Via MRT: From Taipei Main Station Take the Red Line or Green Line to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station. NT$18 - NT$22 or ₱30 - ₱40

Opening time: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm daily.

The octagon-shaped white building rises 76 meters and is covered with blue tiles and red accents, echoing the flag of the Republic of China. The eight sides represent the Chinese cultural symbolism of the number eight which is traditionally associated with fortune and wealth. The two sets of 89 steps represent Chiang's age of death and lead up to main hall housing a large bronze statue of Chiang protected by military personnel which change hourly. (source: guidetotaipei.com)

The characters behind Chiang's statue read "Ethics", "Democracy", and "Science", and the inscriptions on the side read "The purpose of life is to improve the general life of humanity" and "The meaning of life is to create and sustain subsequent lives in the universe"
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The changing of the guards takes place every hour of the day, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Bronze Statue Hall.

ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN

Then after spending some time at the Liberty Square, I then went to the Elephant Mountain located at Xinyi District, Taipei. I did not expect that It’ll be a steep hike with lots of steps to the top and it took me about 30-45 minutes to reach the peak. But the view was amazing when you reach the top. 
(Tip: Make sure to bring water and extra shirt during your visit)

The best time to hike the mountain is during late afternoon, this way you can catch the sunset as well as a daytime view and stunning nighttime view of the city, however the trail can get relatively crowded during the weekend.

How to Get to Elephant Mountain:

Via MRT: From Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall Station take the Red Line to Xiangshan Station – NT$22 – NT$27 or about ₱35 - ₱45  

After arriving at Xiangshan station, leave from Exit 2 and continue walking alongside the edge of the park. At the end of this road, take a left and follow until the entrance for Xiangshan Hiking Trail, total 650 metres, around 20 mins.

SHILIN NIGHT MARKET

At night, I went to Shilin Night Market in Shilin District of Taipei, a mere 70 metres from MRT Jiantan Station, one of the largest and the most popular night markets in Taipei in terms of food. 

The maze of alleyways is filled with a variety of local, traditional, and international merchandise that attract locals and foreigners alike. The night market consists of two major elements: general merchandise and local cuisine.

Upon entering the market, what I mostly see is gaming booths, claw machines and other games. But if you walk towards the alleyways there you will see a variety of food choices that will surely make you hungry.

It was raining so hard when I arrived at the area, that’s why I was not able to try as much street food as I want. I only tried the food that were close to where I’m standing.

the famous HotStar Chicken

And if you’re Looking for delicious Taiwanese night market late night snacks? the food court in B1 of Shilin Public Market is a one-stop destination for Taiwan's most popular late night snacks!

How to Get there:

Via MRT: Take the Red Line to Jiantan Station, not Shilin Station. After leaving Exit 1, diagonally cross the street to the left to enter the night market.

Here are some interesting things I saw while walking back to my hotel

It was a rough start in exploring this city, but It already gives me a glimpse of how wonderful and interesting this city – that makes me want to explore it more. A couple of unexpected happenings took place, but it did not stop me from wandering around and discover a lot of amazing things.

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