Top 5 Places in Taiwan blog by Tricia Lee

Over the last decade or so, Taiwan has become a very travel-friendly city.  With its vast array of different things to do along with the friendly people and culture, Taiwan ranks much higher than mainland China in my travel book!  Many people speak English and English is found on almost all street and transportation signs. With two trips to this small island country in the past 6 years, here are my top 5 places to visit in Taiwan:

1. Start your trip with a brief education of Taiwan’s history at the Dr. San Yat Sen Memorial.  The memorial will give you a good understanding of Taiwan pre and post 1940s.  With mainland China becoming communist around this time, it led to a large emigration of mainland Chinese to Taiwan.  Spend some time in the area with a short walk over to Taipei 101 tower and observe the 360-degree views of the city of Taipei.  On a clear day, it’s breathtaking!
3. Sunny days are also best spent down on the waterfront known as Tamsui.  Check out the shopping, and many local eats! Taiwan has amazing seafood dishes!  Eat crab, scallops, and shrimp all caught fresh from the water right there! Don’t leave the area without a stroll through the shops (buy if you want, but I have a better shopping spot listed next).  And definitely try sour plum juice, a Taiwanese favorite!
4. Escape the bustle of the city with an hour train ride to Jui Fen.  This tiny mountain town is located along the coastline.  After you get off the train, you have to take a bus to get up there.  Here is a better place to shop! Make sure you eat along the way. Here you’ll find local artists selling their goods.  I love supporting local handmade artists when I travel.  Grab some local Jui Fen dishes to eat, like Yu Yuan, a sweet dish with taro, sweet potato, and other goodness!  It’s served either hot or cold. Make sure to grab a Chinese sausage on a stick. The kids LOVE them!
5. Still, have money to spend?  Xinmending is a shopping hotspot in Taipei.  Going in the morning will be less crowded, but late afternoon into the evening will give you the chance to hit up the night market vendors!  Located just a few stops from Taipei 101 on the Brennan/blue subway line, you’ll be excited to explore this area. Still looking for handmade?  Check out the Red House there.  It is filled with local vendors whose work is impeccable!   If you’re thirsty, make sure you get bubble tea at Tiger Sugar. One word: amazing!
6. Now that you’ve been on your feet plan to take the high-speed train to the middle of Taiwan and spend a few nights at Sun Moon Lake.  There, you can be pampered with spas and massages.  Enjoy the hot springs and the quietness of the mountains.  You can take some guided hikes along the lake and learn more about aboriginal Taiwanese culture.  There are many little villages there with some more shopping opportunities. You’ll notice a common theme there: owls.  Make sure you pick out an owl to take home (not a real one of course!). Owls are a symbol of luck and protection in the aboriginal culture.

Before leaving Taiwan, don’t forget to explore these other unforgettable experiences:

Best eats and traditional Taiwanese dishes:

1. Night markets (prepare to food crawl!)   We really enjoyed Raohe St. Night Market.
2. Beef Noodle Soup
3. Pork Chop Over Rice
4. Bubble Milk Tea
5. Taiwanese shave ice (it’s a dessert and you can find an amazing booth at Raohe St.!)
7. Sour Plum Juice
8. Salt and Pepper Chicken

Other places to visit:

1. Elephant mountain for hiking
2. Taipei Zoo (a favorite for the kids!)
3. Yangmingshan National Park (also a kid favorite!)