Taipei, Taiwan: Things to See While on a Layover

My friend recently asked me what to do on a 10 hour layover in Taipei. While 10 hours is hardly enough time to experience Taiwan, I did offer up a few suggestions.

Things to do on a 10 hour layover in Taipai, Taiwan:

1. Taipei 101: For the sheer fact that for the next few seconds it’s the world’s tallest building (that is until Dubai finishes their building in which even Yao Ming is going to say… whoa.), Taipei 101 is one of those buildings that’s cool for it’s novelty effect of seeing people the size of ants. They have a very extensive food court from Shabu Shabu to Indian to the beloved KFC (apparently fried chicken in a bucket is universal). After, head up to the observatory for approximately $12 USD and get a view of all of Taipei and the Damper baby..

2. Xin Beitou: Just off a the MTR subway stop, Xin Beitou is known for their Japanese-style hotsprings. After a long plane trip, it’s nice to be able to soak in hot springs and relax. Be prepared to see lots of old naked saggy skin.

3. Shilin Night Market: If you happen to have a night layover, you must stop by Taiwan’s biggest and most well known night market. There you can do a little bargain shopping from clothes to phone accessories and eat tons of foods unique to Taiwan. For $12 USD, my bf and I went from stall to stall eating as if we were cows with 4 stomachs. Food is VERY cheap in Taiwan. If you don’t speak Mandarin, don’t be scared to order if you see something you want to try. Be friendly and point. Taiwanese people are generally very friendly.

Unfortunately, Taipei/Taoyuan Airport is roughly a 40 minutes drive into downtown Taipei. So even with a 10 hour layover, it’s very unlikely you will be able to do a lot. To save time, take a cab (set a price first, approx $9 USD per person). To save a buck, take the shuttle that takes you directly from the airport to Taipei Main Station (approx. $3.50 USD per person).

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Visiting the Outskirts of Taipei

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Personally, between the great food and the ease of a well organized urban structure, I really love Taipei. Even the areas AROUND Taipei are super cool and fun to visit.

Visiting the Outskirts of Taipei

1. Maokong: Just south of Taipei, Maokong is a hilly area filled with small tea fields. From the MRT Taipei Zoo Station, you can take a long 30 minute ride on the brand new Gondola for about 50 NTD (approx. $1.50 USD).

• Teahouses: When I went with my family, we spent a wonderful late morning sipping tea, enjoying the view, and chit chatting. It was a great way to decompress after lots and lots of long shopping days. Locals often come here in the evenings to enjoy the nightscape and cool breeze with friends. Teahouses like PLC Tea Tavern, Yao Yue, Jian Cha Yuan, Yuan Xu Yuan and Xing Hua Lin are cheap and walkable from the top of the gondola station.
• Zhinan Temple: An easy stop off the gondola, a more modern edifice sits on the side of Muzha mountain. Maybe not the most exciting place, but another beautiful place to stop and enjoy the view.

2. DanShui: A cute fisherman wharf’s/college town, DanShui sits north of Taipei and is a great place to get seafood so fresh that you pick it from the fish tanks in front. Accessible by bus from Taipei, Danshui is a great place to spend a day eating fresh snacks from food stalls on GongMing Street or a stroll down the Waterfront.

3. Beitou – A small district just north of Taipei, Beitou is famous for it’s sulfuric hot springs (wen quan). Tourists and locals can come here and soak in the natural hot springs. It’s also is a beautiful place to just get away from the cosmopolitan chaos.

• Beitou Hot Spring Museum: Built by the Japanese in 1912 during the Japanese occupation, this beautiful aging building has a out of commission bathhouse and a tatami room. It may not be the most exciting place to visit, but it’s worth seeing the old archetecture that is still prevalent in many old Taiwanese buildings. Additionally, it worth seeing a little piece of Taiwanese history.

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• Soak it up! Even though it was a HOT and extremely humid day in July, my cousin and I decided to go for a soak in the natural hot springs. Up and down the street there are TONS of hotels and facilities to choose from. They vary from cheap, bathing-suit optional, no clothes allowed, fancy smacy, and chic. Personally, I preferred to splurge a little for a nice and immaculately clean place. Sweet Me Hotspring Resort is a gorgeous and modern hotel that offers indoor and outdoor hotsprings. A one day pass for about ($40 USD), we soaked in a women’s only (don’t worry, there’s a men’s one too!) bath house with 5 pools at different temperatures and 2 saunas. Longnaitang is one of the oldest bathhouses for both men and women. For approximately $3 USD, bathers can enjoy a very (emphasis on the very) basic, but classic Japanese style bathhouse. Other places to try, Asia Pacific Resort, Broadway, I-Tsuan,  Taipei Travel Net offers a couple of great resources about Beitou.

Additional Reading:

Enhance Your Health and Your Knowledge on a Grand Island Tour

Relaxation and Tea Awaits at Maokong- Taiwan Journal

The Pleasures of Tea Tasting

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Go Taiwan Go! Taking the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR)

(image via NYTimes)

I just got off the phone with my Dad. Initially, I was worried that I was going to spend 20 days in Taiwan playing slow painful games of mahjong with my 89 year old grandmother. But he’s assured me that we’ll definitely be visiting other cities and seeing the sites!

I haven’t been back to Taiwan since 1999, so I’m definitely going to do tons of exploring! On my last trip, my brother and I spent hours on a decrypted train from Taichung (central Taiwan) to Taipei. But this time around, I can take the Taiwan High Speed Rail! Taiwan High Speed Rail, or THSR, was a privately-funded projected completed by a partnership between a number of Japanese companies. Now, people can go from southern Taiwan (Zuoying Station) to Northern Taiwan (Taipei Station) in approximately 1.5 hours.

1. Eight Stops: Currently, there are only 8 stops right now (Taipei, Banciao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, Zuoying). By 2010, there will be 10 total (Nankang, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin). This makes traveling through Taiwan quick and easy!

(image via THSR)

2. Reasonably Priced: From Taichung to Taipei, which is the leg that I’ll be taking with my Dad, it’ll cost about $18 USD. As of today, May 12, 2008, the exchange rate is about $30 NTD (New Taiwan Dollar or Taiwan New Dollar) to $1 USD. For $36 USD round trip, this may seem like a lot, but for a 50 minute train ride, I’d gladly spend that money so that I can have more time exploring all the cities. Currency Converter

3. Transport system for all Eco-travelers: I love all things green! By uniting Taiwan with this bullet train, commuters and travelers don’t have to make long solo drives in a high carbon dioxide emitting car. According to the New York Times article, ” Passengers who travel on a fully loaded train will use only a sixth of the energy they would use if they drove alone in a car and will release only one-ninth as much carbon dioxide“.

After taking the virtual tour on their official website, I can’t wait to try it out myself!

Fares range from $1- $64 one way. THSR website: http://www.thsrc.com.tw/en/index.htm

Part 2 – The Ins and Outs of Taking the Taiwan High Speed Rail

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Bizarre Foods and No Reservations

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Lately, I’ve been obsessed with watching Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. Being a good Asian daughter that didn’t fight (too much) when my parents put food on my plate, I can pretty much eat almost anything. I USE TO say that I’m willing to eat anything, but after watching Bizarre Foods and No Reservations, I can safely say that there is a limit to what I am willing to eat. Yes, the white men on TV are more adventurous than I am. Sure, I love a good grilled chicken heart skewer in Beijing and will chow down on some pig intestine at dim sum in Hong Kong, but there’s no way I’m going to eat A LIVE BEATING BLOODY HEART freshly cut from a HISSING SNAKE at the side of your table. Check the Travel Channel’s cable listing to find out when these shows are on.

(Image via NYPost.com)

But, besides eating organs freshly ripped from animals put on my dinner plate, I think that trying new foods is the best part of traveling. Even a bad food experience makes for a great story. Did I ever tell you that time a sweaty smoking man stirred stew with his right hand and ashed his cigarrette into the cauldron with his left? Oh I didn’t? It’s probably because it’s not that interesting… huh?

Three of the craziest things I’ve ever eaten on vacation:

1. Snake soup in Taiwan: Now remember, I said I wouldn’t eat a bloody beating snake heart… didn’t say i wouldn’t eat snake stew. I had it at Snake Alley, a Taiwan night market. The whole time I slurped my soup down, dead snakes marinading in jars surrounded me and hissing, “Dood, add some vinegar!”. Apparently, different snake organs can provide medicinal remedies. What does this mean? Referenced in the New York Times, snake bile is good for vision. So much for lasik. Snake Alley, Huashi Street Taipei 108 Taiwan

2. Beef Tartare in Paris: Now, eating ground beef isn’t that exciting, but when it’s a lb of raw ground beef fresh from the grinder with a raw quail egg cracked on top… well, that’s just salmonella parrrr-tay waiting to happen. I’m definitely a foodie and always willing to try something new, but… I just couldn’t do it. Pass the me the fish heads and sea cucumbers anyday… raw beef, HELLS NO. If you’d like to try, it’s served in many restaurants in Paris with a side of fries. Good luck!

3. Ice in a glass of coke from a fountain in China: Dood, just because an American-style restaurant in China looks like a TGIFridays, don’t trust the water! EVER. Let’s just say that for three weeks after, there was a party in my stomach and a post party in the toilet everyday.

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