In November I’m heading to Taipei to talk at a three-day conference. We’ll be based at the National Museum of Taiwan and a few other sites. I’d love to spend a couple of extra days either side, but I have a huge clusterf*!%k and need to be in Sydney either side of the conference. This is because I have a visitor (fellow Doper Pitchmeister from Germany) arriving on the Monday and I need to be back for my brother’s play opening by about 7pm on the Friday. With a minimum 12hr flight each way, that means I will pretty much only have the three days of the conference with nights free.
I’m pretty disappointed to go all that way and not see anything, so maybe you can help me make the most of those nights? What are the must-sees in Taipei, what should I make sure I eat, where are the best districts, etc. etc.?
So no one has any ideas for fun stuff to do in Teipei? I know having no free days makes it a challenge, but all the more reason I need your help! This is my one and only allowable bump to try to get the cool kids to play with me. After that, I guess I’ll just have to rely on a Lonely Planet city guide and teh internets.
The Taipei night market is worth seeing. In case you don’t know, getting around Taipei is very hard unless you speak Mandarin Chinese. And the traffic is always terrible.
You can always ask at your hotel, for them to write out the destinations you’re seeking, they’ll give you an idea of what a cab should cost. Make sure you get one, to return to the hotel.
(I did this on my first visit to Bangkok, back in the day when no one spoke English. I had my pockets full of scraps of paper for; telecom office, night market, embassy, guesthouse, museum, etc. It worked pretty good, actually.)
I’d reccomend the night market also. I found the roadside vendors had some interesting food, and I didn’t get ill. I could not do the snake blood/venom drink at the snake handlers, although watching was fun. Even a trip into one of the local grocery stores is interesting. I found the Peoples Museum where you will be to be the best. I speak no chinese, but found the people quite helpful, as most places I’ve been where I don’t speak the language. (it’s been about 15 years since I’ve been there…)
Thanks for the tips. I’ve travelled in quite a few countries where I have no language including China, Vietnam (although roman script and tourist-aware locals help a lot), Cambodia and Japan (also surprisingly not great for English but I knew locals). Getting info and maps from the hotel is always a good idea though. Thanks for the reminder.
Sometimes just getting lost and failing to be understood can be half the adventure. My limited time makes endless wondering a little less of an option here though.
Coincidently, I have a friend who travels extensively both personally and professionally and I barely know where he’ll be in the world. Last night he uploaded a series of photos to Instagram of the night markets in Taipei. Looks great. So it’s definitely on the list!
If you can make your way to a mass rapid transit (MRT) station, you’ll find plenty of information in English, staff who probably speak English and a lot of English-language maps. Most tourist sites are within walking distance of an MRT station, including Taipei 101 (the tallest building in Asia) and the Shihlin night market (the most famous such market in Taipei). You can also check out the Grand Hotel and the big Ferris wheel at the Miramar department store.
Taxi drivers may not speak English so much, but your hotel should be able to provide cards with addresses of where ever you want to go. And taxis are cheap and plentiful – just stick your arm out and 2 or 3 will pull up, and will take you wherever you want to go in town for less than 10 dollars.
Not since they built the MRT system, on both points.
If the “night market” is Snake Alley, I would say check it out. You might want to get someone to go with you.
I’ve been to Taiwan many times, and I have to say that it’s basically very crowded, very polluted, and very hard to get around. If you are there during the “rice field burning season”, be prepared for some major air pollution. I know this happens in the fall, but I can’t remember if it’s as late as November.
There are lots of good restaurants, and some crazy night clubs if you’re into that sort of thing. The one we used to go to is called Kiss, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was no longer there. This was maybe 15 years ago.
Great. As I said, I’m based there. It’s a Museum Studies / Practitioners’ conference looking specifically at national museums, so the director will be talking.
Thanks to everyone for offering advice. I don’t have time for lots of research, so it’s good to have a few ideas in advance and then I guess I’ll read up on the plane.
There are many different night markets. you don’t have to go to the snake market. Ask around the hotel. Get locals to take you to some local restaurants.
BTW, Koxinga is our resident expert. I haven’t lived in Taiwan since 1989. He’s right about the traffic - not too bad these days even in rush hour.