Tales From The Tummy

food + travel + lifestyle

Top 10 Things To Do In Taipei

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I think the last I went to Taipei was almost 20 years ago, so I don’t know anything about the city. I decided to make a Top 10 things to do in Taipei. So, I fired up Google and searched and searched and kept adding to my list of activities. I was actually very surprised about the amount of things one can do there. During our 6 day, 5 night trip, we did a lot of stuff yet we still missed many places.Let me share with you guys the stuff we did.

Eat and Drink 

During those 6 days, it seemed like we were constantly eating, from street food to food courts to sit down restaurant. Every one was a treat for our tummies and taste buds. Don’t forget to try milk tea from many many different brands.

Danshui

A sea-side village north of Taipei easily accessible by the MRT. Historical sites mixed with shopping and lots of food choices. Read more about Danshui Part1 and Part 2.

Window on China

A wonderful theme park for young and old with many interesting displays and rides. It would be even more enjoyable in the summer time since the water park would have been open. Read more about Window on China.

Hello Kitty Sweets Café

Hello Kitty fanatics like us will surely love it at this café from the decor to the drinks and even the food. Be sure to bring your cameras and take lots of pictures.Read more about Hello Kitty Sweets Cafe.

Shilin Night Market

We literally could not eat anymore with samplings of the number of street food stalls we tried. There is even a play area as well as some retail stores around the area.Read more about Shilin Night Market.

Ximending

The Shinjuku like area of Taipei with a mix of street food, retail outlets, movie houses and even street performers. Read more about Ximenting Part 1 and Part 2

Chia Te

Get some pineapple pastry from this award winning store. They are the best ones I’ve tasted. Get there early as they do run out late in the afternoon. Read more about Chia Te Pineapple Pastry

National Taiwan Science Education Center

A nice learning adventure with interactive displays galore that kids will definitely enjoy. Read more about Taipei Science Center….

Taipei 101

The tallest building until recently being dethroned. Try to go up to the viewing deck to see the circular mass tuned damper that helps the building withstand the strong winds. Myriad choices of high end shopping abound. Read more about Taipei 101.

Shopping

It was winter season when we went there so shopping for clothes was almost non existent. Shoes, particularly boots are aplenty though, so Lauren was in heaven. We saw a lot of Japanese brands and stuff around, and I would guess this would be shopping heaven during spring and summer seasons.

We were supposed to visit the Hello Kitty Terminal C3 in the airport before our departure but we arrived late and ran out of time. So we consoled ourselves by just shopping for exclusive Hello Kitty stuff.

Taipei is not as popular a destination for tourists from the Philippines compared to Singapore and Hong Kong. This is evidenced by the small number of flights going there. I can’t pinpoint the exact reason but maybe its because of the language barrier, very few people speak English, or maybe the added cost of the tourist visit (we paid P2700 per person). Whatever the real reason, I feel people should really give it a chance.

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Comments

  1. Kristel,

    You are probably right. I hope they consider lowering the visa fee and the requirements to entice more tourists to visit.

    Thanks for your nice comments.

  3. Wow! I love the blog entry, short and simple with so much info. I want to go to Taipei hopefully soon (so I have bookmarked this page) :) Love that Hello Kitty Cafe. I am not really a fan of Hello Kitty (I dont even own a single Hello Kitty item), but the details of the shop just amaze and amuse me. Will visit that place too! :)

  5. @chino,
    Enjoy and definitely eat and eat but bring some warm clothes, its the height of winter when you go there.

    @Yedy,
    Thanks. Hope it will help all future travelers to Taipei.

    @Ruth
    Our family is Sanrio addicts, I love to buy HK stuff for my daughter and My Melody for my wife.

  6. As soon as I got to Window on China, I bookmarked this post. This will definitely be useful when we do visit Taipei in the near future.

    Lots of Hello Kitty goodies for Lauren. So cute. ^_^

    If ever we go there, we’d probably be doing a lot of eating too. :))

    (I was about to click on Publish when I saw Yedy’s comment that she’s bookmarking this post too. Thanks for the tips, Richard!)

  8. Thanks for sharing this! I’m planning a trip to Taipei some time next year (hopefully). This will be really useful.. :) I can’t wait to eat, drink and shop there.. ^^ Will definitely visit the Hello Kitty Sweets Cafe too! I love Hello Kitty and sweets.. <3 Btw, have a wonderful 2012!

    Sumi of http://thepurpledoll.net

  10. This made me miss Taipei so much! I don’t really enjoy shopping but I always always give in because the shopping experience in their nights bazaars is definitely THE ABSOLUTE BEST. I’m so grateful I found you blog. I always get a little giddy inside whenever I stumble upon fellow travelers’ blogs. I feel like I found something sacred :) Have a wonderful week ahead of you Richard!