Taiwan Day 1
Taipei — Day 1 of a 3-Day Trip in Taiwan
We arrived in Taipei from Vancouver, BC at 5:30am in the morning. We were in Taiwan for 3 days total (2 days at the very start of our Asia Trip, and 1 day at the end before flying back to Vancouver). We were exhausted and jet-lagged. From the airport, it took us about an hour and half to get to our hostel, Houze Hostel and Capsule Hotel. Taipei was cool in the morning, but warmed up during the day with mid-twenties temperatures.
Day 1 — Taipei
Our room was not yet available when we arrived at the hostel, so we dropped our bags off at the front desk and went out for breakfast. The hostel staff recommended LocoFood, a 7 minute walk from the hostel. The restaurant had very few tables, but we were lucky and a spot opened up just as we arrived. Food is ordered at the front of the shop, and then they give you a number. The food is brought to your table when it is ready. I ordered a cold milk tea and a sausage egg roll. A good way to start the day.
After breakfast, we headed to the miniature museum. We felt like giants browsing through the exhibitions.
After the museum, we walked to Hsing Tian Kong Temple, a Taoist temple. Hsing Tian Kong Temple is devoted to Guan Yu, the patron god of businessmen.
We headed to Sunny Hills afterwards. Sunny Hills is a small shop known for its pineapple cake. Upon arrival, we were offered a cup of tea and a pineapple cake (free of charge!). Both were delicious, we returned on our last day in Taiwan to buy pineapple cake to take back to BC.
It was past lunch time, so we stopped at a restaurant called God Knows Beef Noodles 天曉得牛肉麵 across the street for some Taiwanese Beef Noodles. The beef was so tender and fell apart easily.
After our meal, we headed back to Houze Hostel to complete our check-in and wash-up. We had our own room, which was nice. We were exhausted due to the early arrival and the time change, so we spent the afternoon at the hostel resting and catching up on sleep.
If you do have energy, some attractions in the area to visit include the Longshan Temple, Liberty Square, and 2/28 Peace Park. There are also a few museums as well.
In the evening, we headed to Ningxia Night Market for dinner. The night market was lively and bright.
There was so much food to choose from. We stopped at one of the restaurants and ordered 2 noodle dishes — wonton soup and oven roasted chicken. The extra chili oil on the wonton soup added a delicious kick.
For dessert, we stopped at a sweet potato ball stall. Sweet potato balls are a popular Taiwanese snack with a crunchy exterior and soft glutinous interior.
Complete Day 1 Itinerary
Travel times may vary and do not include walking distances to and from train stations. Check Google Maps for most accurate travel details.
9:00am: Have breakfast at LocoFood (7 minute walk from Houze Hostel and Capsule Hotel).
10:00am: Visit the Miniatures Museum of Taiwan (6 minute walk from LocoFood).
11:00am: Visit Hsing Tian Kong Temple (2 minute train ride from Songjiang Nanjing to Xingtian Temple Station).
12:00pm: Visit Sunny Hills for pineapple cake and tea (13 minute bus ride from Minquan Songjian Rd. Intersection to Jie-Shou Junior High School). Have lunch at God Knows Beef Noodles (Taiwanese beef noodles — yum!).
1:00pm: Visit Longshan Temple (11 minute train ride from Taipei Arena Station to Ximen Station, transfer for a 2 minute train ride from Ximen Station to Longshan Temple Station).
2:00pm: Visit 2/28 Peace Park (5 minute train ride from Longshan Temple Station to Taipei Main Station). Visit the National Taiwan Museum.
4:00pm: Visit Liberty Square (12 minute walk from 2/28 Peace Park). Wander the Square and visit the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, National Concert Hall, and Liberty Square Arch.
6:00pm: Head to the Ningxia Night Market (7 minute train ride from Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Station to Zhongshan Station). Explore the area and eat the street food.
Links:
Taiwan Day 2: https://medium.com/@tran.ctt/taiwan-day-2-e90d1ab666f9
Taiwan Day 3: https://medium.com/@tran.ctt/taiwan-day-3-e6993a81b82c
