Taipei 3D2N Guide | Seriously, Travel Makes You Hotter! 🤩
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Hello everyone! I just returned from Taipei and would like to share some of my experiences and tips for those planning to visit.
Day 1️⃣
️ I flew from Macau to Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei, with a round-trip ticket costing around CNY1500.
️ SIM Card:
- It can be purchased at the airport immediately, or after customs clearance.
- I opted for Chunghwa Telecom, but many also use Big Brother. My package cost NT$300 for four days, which provided good internet speed and allowed for phone calls. The counters were quite helpful, letting the staff install the SIM card for you.
️ Prize Draw:
- After customs, you can try your luck by drawing prizes. People say it's quite easy to win.
- For more details on how to participate, you can search online, or check the links in my original post's comment section.
Currency Exchange:
- HKD to TWD is approximately a 1:4 ratio, meaning NT$1000 equals HKD$250.
- Tip: If you enter via Guangdong Zhuhai's port, the currency exchange rates there are much better than in the shops in Mong Kok, Hong Kong.
Travel from the airport to the city center:
- The airport express (a.k.a., Airport Fast Metro Train) directly connects to Taipei Main Station, effectively in the heart of the city.
- There are two types of trains: the regular train (blue) and the express train (purple).
- Both regular and express trains cost NT$150 per person. Of course, choose the express one, as it's much faster!
- Rant: Taiwan’s metro feels slower (possibly because I’ve been used to the speed of the metro in Hong Kong – they seem to drive slower here).
Evening Activities:
- By the time we arrived at the hotel, it was nighttime, so we only had time for quick check-ins and brief visits to famous landmarks:
- Shilin Night Market (with a plethora of delicious snacks!)
- Taipei 101 (the city’s iconic landmark)
- Xinyi District (near 101, home to many department stores and fashion boutiques)
- By the time we arrived at the hotel, it was nighttime, so we only had time for quick check-ins and brief visits to famous landmarks:
Day 2️⃣
- Morning:
- I visited Rainbow Zebra Line in front of Taipei City Hall – it’s rather well-known. Be sure to take photos!
- Strolled around for food nearby the hotel.
- Tip: Try local eateries that have customers waiting in line. They usually serve much better food than those well-known stores, without the long lines.
- Afternoon Tour ( booked through Klook @ HKD$143/person; duration from 11:15 AM to 8:30 PM):
- 1️⃣ Yeliu Geological Park
- It’s an outdoor park featuring unique rock formations along the beach.
- Warning: Sun protection is crucial as it gets extremely hot here.
- 2️⃣ Lantern release (Pingxi/Shiping area)
- A lantern release event where wishes are written onto colorful lanterns, then released at sunset. This creates a sense of ceremony.
- Staff will guide you through the entire ceremony, asking you to write wishes on all sides of the lantern, with color denoting different blessings.
- You’ll have plenty of photos and videos recorded during this special moment.
- Tip: Our group paid NT$250 for a lantern with multi-colored designs. However, it turned out that other vendors could offer the same lantern at only NT$200. So pre-order or find a vendor selling lanterns at lower prices when you are there.
- (Aside: this place had the best-priced and most varied snacks among the scenic spots mentioned.)
- 3️⃣ Shiping Falls
- This waterfall? Pretty meh. Food inside wasn't remarkable.
- Warning: Searched for fresh-squeezed juice! The owners first pour nearly half a glass of ice and water into your juice, followed by some fruit. Don’t be fooled!
- 4️⃣ Jiufen Old Street
- Similar to Macao's Guanyee Street, or like the town in Studio Ghibli's "Spirited Away", Jiufen is bustling and full of energy. Worth a visit.
- Lots of yummy treats! Almond milk, taro pudding, cheese yogurt, and milk tea taste great.
- Tip: If you're shopping for bags here, negotiate aggressively! Initially priced at NT$3,980, the merchant eventually sold it to me at NT$2,500 (much room for negotiation).
- 1️⃣ Yeliu Geological Park
Day 3️⃣
- Morning:
- Originally planned to visit National Palace Museum, which opens daily at 9AM. However, the free guided tours starting at 10:30AM (recommended booking in advance) have no openings left. If you have extra time and an interest in history artifacts, you can visit anyway.
- Later, just chilled around West Gate, a young people’s playground akin to Tokyo’s Harajuku or Shibuya.
- You can find the rainbow zebra crossing around there for photo shoots.
- Recommended trying Xingfutang black pearl milk tea and Ah Tsung noodles (which attract lots of waiting people!).
- Some cool record shops in the area (but note some are closed until afternoon).
- Lunch & Departure:
- Important Reminder: Leave an early start back for the airport after lunch! Taiwan’s metro isn’t fast, don’t miss the plane!
- Good news is the departure process allows for self-service immigration, much quicker than entering.
Wishing you a happy journey!
Hope these tips and insights help! Enjoy your trip! -
Hey, I was wondering about that tour – do they stop at each place for long? And how do you manage to get photos taken?
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The timing felt fine to me. You can take selfies or just ask a passerby. (If you're not happy with the shot, just find another person – there are plenty around!)
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Hi, I was wondering, when you travel solo, how do you get your photos taken?
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Selfies, plus being bold enough to ask strangers to take them for you.
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You're beautiful, so you'll look good no matter how the photo is taken!
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Hehe, thanks, sweetie!
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There are direct flights from Hong Kong to Hualien now.
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Excuse me, where do you light the sky lanterns?
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You're really good at taking photos, they look great!
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Excuse me, where do you light the sky lanterns?
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Could you share the itinerary/details? Thanks.