Embarking on a Love Affair with Taiwan – Dive into the Charms of the Island Nation - Klook Blog

To catch the bus, head to the ground floor of the airport where ticket counters are located. Look out for bus number 1819 operated by Kou Kang. The journey takes around 45 minutes to an hour and costs 125 NTD. Charging facilities for your phone are available onboard for your convenience.

Opting for the MRT? Follow the signs to find your way. It takes approximately 35 minutes from the airport to Taipei Main Station, costing 160 NTD for a one-way trip (make sure to pay attention to the stops). On our way back, we took the MRT and purchased our tickets through Klook for a swift and hassle-free experience.

Secure your MRT tickets from Taipei Dao Viên Airport through Klook.

We got our 4G SIM cards in Vietnam prior to the trip, but you can easily get them exchanged directly at the airport.

Don't forget to grab an Easy Card upon arrival, available at 7/11 stores or MRT stations for seamless city navigation. The card can be used for MRT fares and all bus journeys.

For many travelers, especially those with a knack for serendipitous adventures like myself, Taipei Main Station serves as a reliable landmark to avoid getting lost. My motto? 'All roads lead to Taipei Main Station.' It's the central hub for various MRT lines and city buses. Additionally, it's the starting point for high-speed rail (HSR) journeys to other provinces. Plus, there's plenty of food options at the station, so you won't go hungry.

After organizing our belongings at the hostel, we immediately embarked on our journey to explore all of Taipei's delicacies. Our first stop? Bubble tea. With a friend studying at NTU (National Taipei University), we decided to head to the campus area and stumbled upon Mr. Tran's famous bubble tea shop.

Mr. Tran's bubble tea is simply outstanding. Though a tad sweet (we opted for less sugar), the pearls are divine with their caramel honey flavor, sweet yet perfectly chewy, almost melting in your mouth while retaining their texture.

The price? 40 NTD per cup. The area around the bubble tea shop also offers a plethora of food options, so you can indulge your taste buds to your heart's content.

A trip to Taiwan isn't complete without visiting a night market, and they're practically everywhere, catering to everyone's needs. Due to time constraints, we only managed to visit the top 3 most famous night markets.

First up, Ximending Night Market near Ximen MRT station. If you're a fan of street food and shopping, this is the place to be. H&M, Uniqlo, Zara... you name it, they have it, fulfilling all your shopping desires.

Within this area lies the renowned Ay-Chung noodle soup shop, a must-try for first-time visitors to Taipei. It's exactly what it sounds like: incredibly thin noodles in piping hot soup. You'll also find popular bubble tea spots here like 50Lan, Tenren, and Lattea, so you can grab all three in one go.

Our first day ended with a round belly and we decided to rest at a hostel to recharge for the next day's journey.

To immerse yourself in the ancient and tranquil charm of Taipei, you can visit two historic villages, Jiufen and Shifen. The most reasonable itinerary seems to be visiting Jiufen first, then heading to Shifen before returning to Taipei. However, it's also fine if you prefer to do it the other way around.

The ancient villages of Jiufen and Shifen are located close to each other, both about 50km away from Taipei city. You can easily reach them by bus.

From MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing (Green Line), take exit 1 and walk back towards the big intersection. Cross the street to find the bus station and catch bus number 1062 to Jiufen. It costs around 100NTD and takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. It's recommended to sit on the same side as the driver when going up, as you'll enjoy scenic mountain views along the way.

Explore the enchanting Jiufen Old Street and Northern Coastline with Klook

Before the path leading to the ancient village, you'll spot a sign saying “Jiufen Old Street” next to a 7/11. Once you see it, just head in. The road to the old village is lined with numerous street food stalls amidst quaint old houses, evoking a nostalgic charm of bygone years.

Here are some must-try treats after visiting Jiufen:

- Taro Ball dessert

- Thick rice cakes with various fillings (reminiscent of Vietnamese banh xu xe) such as green tea, taro, etc.

- Ice cream rolls

Besides, I'm eagerly looking forward to inviting you to visit either Amei Tea House or Jiufen Tea House and enjoy a genuine Alishan tea experience. Sitting high up, sipping tea, admiring the scenery, and sharing thoughts with your companion is truly worth it. We had our tea session at Amei Tea House for 300NTD per person, including tea and other nibbles.

Let me talk a bit about Amei Tea House (Amei Teahouse) because I'm a huge fan of Ghibli Studio, and Spirited Away is one of my favorite movies from the studio.

Amei Tea House has been the inspiration for many scenes in Spirited Away, and the tea house itself exudes a mysterious and enchanting vibe, just like in the movie. I adore tea, and being in Taiwan - the land of tea - I seize every opportunity to indulge.

Get your hands on a voucher for Aimei Teahouse from Klook now!

Sitting with my best friend, engaged in conversation over a cup of hot tea, with a serene and picturesque view of the forest and the old town in front of us. We reminisce about our past travels together and make plans for future adventures, all while leisurely sipping tea and feeling life's pace slow down a bit, our hearts becoming lighter.

Guide on how to get from Jiufen to Shifen:

Amidst the flood of street delicacies, we exercised utmost restraint and savored only fried dumplings, grilled beef, barbecue sausages, grilled squid, ice cream, and fresh fruit juice =))

Here are some street food delights at the night market that you must indulge in:

- Fried chicken (whole pieces or nuggets)

- Fried oysters with eggs

- Spoiled tofu

- Whole grilled squid

Guidelines for traveling from Taipei to Alishan:

Alishan Forest belongs to Chiayi, so from Taipei, you need to get to Chiayi Station first, either by regular train or HSR. When you arrive at Chiayi Station, you can ask the receptionists there which platform and bus to take to Alishan, and they will guide you.

The bus you need to catch is called the “Alishan Shuttle Bus” (pictured). Once you find the right bus, simply take out your miraculous Easycard, swipe it, and wait for about 1 hour and 30 minutes for the mountainous journey ahead. The bus will drop you off right in front of a 7/11 store. Just walk behind the store, go uphill for another 500 meters, and you'll see the entrance to Alishan.

BIG REMINDER: Make sure to keep your two bus tickets for the ride up to Alishan because if you take the public bus, the fare will be a whopping 150 NTD per person (usually it's 200 NTD) (That's savings for a large bubble tea!).

After passing through the ticket gate and walking another 200 meters, you'll come across a cluster of restaurants and eateries. Once you're past that area and head down, you'll find the Tourist Information building. Here, you can store some of your belongings and gather information about destinations and routes in Alishan.

Alishan also operates small shuttle buses that take you to 2-3 fixed points within the garden area. So if your feet are exhausted from walking, you can opt for this (but it doesn't cover all stops, so you'll still have to walk at certain points).

Hidden Gem Waterfall

Deep within the vast forest lies a majestic waterfall, cascading through the rugged terrain, its soothing sound echoing all around. It's truly refreshing to wander amidst the lush greenery, embracing the tranquility and serenity that nature offers, accompanied by a crisp 20-degree chill. We spent 4 hours exploring Alishan, yet it felt like we hadn't seen enough.

Opting for the iconic red train ride, we embarked on a journey to fully immerse ourselves in the legendary experience. Although slightly pricey at 100 NDT per person for a 10-minute ride, it was worth it for the novelty. The train's final stop conveniently dropped us off at the dining area opposite the Tourist Information center.

From there, we walked back towards 7/11 and waited for the bus back to Chiayi HSR Station (similar to the one we took up). The last bus reportedly departs around 5:10 PM (subject to seasonal changes).

Upon returning to Taipei, fueled by sheer determination (or perhaps just hunger), we set out on a quest to find the renowned beef noodle shop to indulge in this iconic dish.

Driven by our insatiable appetite (and a hint of nostalgia), we embarked on a culinary adventure to locate Taipei's famed beef noodle eatery, eager to savor every flavorful bite of this beloved dish.

Hey folks, make sure to hop off at Dongmen MRT station to hit up this gem, Yongkan beef noodle joint. It's buzzing with tourists, so the staff's English game is on point. But watch out, they serve up bowls the size of a small swimming pool!

The noodles are springy, broth is solid, and the beef? Oh, it's abundant and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Price tag? 220 NTD per bowl, just FYI.

On our last day, we squeezed in visits to two of Taipei's must-see spots (thanks to some sneaky pushing from the crowd): Liberty Square and the iconic Taipei 101.

Liberty Square is massive, with the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, National Theater, and Concert Hall at its heart.

Unfortunately, our time was up before we could catch a performance at the National Theater, but if you're into theater arts, definitely check their schedule and catch a show.

You can't say you've truly experienced Taiwan until you've stood in the shadow of Taipei 101, am I right?

Experience the breathtaking view of Taipei 101 Observatory with Klook tickets!

So we dedicated a solid 20 minutes just to capture the exterior beauty of this tower and indulged in a delightful 1 hour and 30-minute meal at the renowned Din Tai Fung.

Secure your Taipei 101 Observatory tickets instantly with Klook!

Din Tai Fung is a renowned restaurant chain famous for its delectable dumplings, buns, and more, not only in Taiwan and Hong Kong but also in other countries. The Xiao Long Bao here is exceptionally delicious, with a thin yet sturdy wrapper encapsulating the flavorful filling. Watching the chefs work is truly impressive—they skillfully roll out the dough into thin sheets, fill them with the filling, and expertly seal them, resulting in perfectly intact dumplings every time.

Embark on the legendary culinary journey at Din Tai Fung today!

Another thing to note is that we arrived around 1 p.m. on a Monday, so the wait time was only about 10 minutes (usually, people say you have to wait for 30-45 minutes :v) So, if you're planning a visit, aim for weekdays and try to avoid peak lunch hours a bit.

Discover the charming little things in Taiwan:

Taiwanese people value breakfast greatly, often enjoying rice porridge with Chinese crullers, egg cakes, and a cup of hot soy milk.

At 7-Eleven, you can find everything from delicious boiled eggs to reloading your EasyCard. Whether you want to buy snacks like egg cakes or face masks, 7-Eleven has got you covered.

Taiwanese are animal lovers, especially of dogs and cats. You can see them being treated like royalty, from being pushed in strollers like babies to lounging in the air-conditioned comfort of 7-Eleven.