I took the following Taiwan Photos during my round-the-world trip in 2013. As I had some days in Bangkok and wanted to continue to Seoul, I was able to do a stopover of two days in Taipei, Taiwan. Normally, Taiwan might not be on the top-list of tourists in Asia. I am very glad though that I did this stop, as Taipei is a beautiful city!
Because of the small amount of tourists in Taiwan I was glad to have a friend of mine guide me around. Don’t be afraid though – English signs are everywhere you need them, besides the buses. Plus, the Taipei subway is one of the best in the world. We started out visiting Longshan Temple which is located conventiently at the subway station. Afterwards we visited Taipei 101 which is a must-do in my opinion to take typical Taiwan photos. The view is just awesome and the big tuned mass damper really is incredible engineering. Afterwards you should head to Chiang Kei Shek Memorial Hall. If you’re there at the full hour you can witness the guard change – a very interesting thing to experience. At night you need to check out one of the night markets. When I was there, this was an awesome experience and we tried lots of different (strange) food. Try the “smelly Tofu” if you’re brave enough. But believe me, it’s really(!) smelly. If you’re not hungry though, the whole market will give you great opportunities for unique Taiwan photos.
And a last recommendation: if you want to eat some fantastic food, check out Din Tai Fung! This little gem has been awarded a Michelin Star and is a Taiwanese landmark. Enjoy great, soup-filled dim sum for great prices, just like many foodies and celebrities before you!
Hans’ Tips for our own trip to Taiwan:
1. Taipei in a Day
2. National Geographic Guide for Taiwan
3. Taiwan Essential Cultural Guide
