City Rating: Taipei
Population: 2,670,000
Date of visit: May 2019
Attractions & sights: 3/5
Nightlife: 3/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 5/5
Low budget factor: 4/5
Total: ππππ/5
The city in a nutshell:
Taipei is the capital of Taiwan, a vibrant metropolis with the characteristics of many East Asian cities: Neon lights, many cars on huge streets, a good infrastructure, 7/11 shops on every corner and many, many people. Taipei may not be a city for days of sightseeing, but the city is lively and a paradise for foodies and people who like shopping.
Where to stay:
That depends on the activities you want to do in Taiwan. Travelers who wish to leave Taipei occasionally are best served near Taipei Main Station. Many tours start from the main station and from there you also have a direct connection to the airport.
The Xinyi Quarter may be a good option for travelers who care about nightlife and shopping. There are a lot of bars and restaurants as well as shopping malls in this quarter. Plus you have Taipei 101 there. Ximending would be a third option. The neighborhood is close to the main station and also has nightlife. Some compare Ximending with Shinjuku in Tokyo. Definitely a good choice.
The Good:
Taipei is a fun city. Here you can easily spend a few days with good food, day trips, shopping and sightseeing.
The most important sights in Taiwan’s capital are the CKS Memorial Hall, the Elephant Mountain with a stunning view over the city plus the former highest building in the world: Taipei 101. All of these three sights are world class and can be visited in one day. Ideally, you start with the CKS Memorial Hall, climb Elephant Mountain and walk to the Taipei 101 viewing platform just before sunset.
It is pleasing that Taipei is quite value for money. You don’t pay a fortune for hotels and also the food and drinks are quite cheap. It gets more expensive at most in upscale quarter Xinyi, where the prices are comparable to American cities. Otherwise Taipei is very affordable. Also taxis and Uber cost almost nothing. Thus one pays for a taxi ride within the city around 6 dollars, with Uber even only 4.
However, the infrastructure in Taipei is sensational and you don’t even need taxis, as you are usually faster with the metro. At least during the day. A T-Money card is recommendable (you can buy it directly at the arrival at the airport), so that you don’t have to buy each metro trip separately.
The Bad & The Ugly
For people with a great thirst for action, the city may become boring after a short time. The sightseeing program can be done relatively quickly. But from Taipei you can make many day trips, e.g. to Jiufen or Wulai, so that there is variety. Without day trips two full days should be enough for the city.
Otherwise, Taipei, like almost all other big cities, lacks charm. If you don’t like big cities in general, you should rather avoid Taiwan’s capital.
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