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Taipei on a Budget: Our DIY Trip for Two! 🇹🇼
A jam-packed itinerary and amazing experiences! 🫶🏻
Pre-Trip Essentials: Get Ready to Rumble! 🚀
- Taiwan Travel Research: Dive deep into Taiwan travel groups (like "Ăn chơi Đài Loan")! Get the vibe, plan your route, and become a mini-expert.
- EasyCard & SIM Card: Grab these in Vietnam. Pop in your SIM, load up your EasyCard, and you're ready to conquer the MRT (super convenient – Google Maps is your friend!).
- Stamina & a Shutterbug: Prepare for lots of walking! And find a travel buddy who can snap those Insta-worthy pics! 😉
Taipei: Days of Wonder! ✨
Day 1 (Thursday): Taipei Takeoff!
Afternoon:
- Touchdown at Taoyuan Airport: Load up your EasyCard & try your luck with the Lucky Land lottery (5000 NTD jackpot!). Head to Taipei Main Station and find your MRT line to your hotel (Zhonghua Road, near Ximending Night Market & MRT).
- Rainbow Road: Strike a pose! Weekdays are less crowded, perfect for epic photo sessions! =))
- Tamsui MRT Line View or Elephant Mountain Hike: Catch that iconic Taipei 101 view! Options include a casual MRT view or if you're feeling ambitious, brave the 1-2 hour Elephant Mountain hike for panoramic city and 101 views. (We opted for the chill view!)
- Taipei 101: Like Lotte Mall in Hanoi, but taller! The elevator's supposedly the fastest in the world – your ears will pop!
Evening:
- Yongkang Beef Noodle: Michelin-rated goodness! The regular beef noodle is tastier than the tendon version (tendon can be a bit heavy).
- Ximending Night Market: Bubble tea galore (50 Lan, Natural First, Coco, Comebuy!), fish ball soup, meatball soup, oyster omelet, stinky tofu... Shop 'til you drop for clothes and accessories! Taiwan's tourism push means great exchange rates – shop smarter than back home!
- Chia Te Bakery: Gotta grab their signature pineapple cake! (https://goo.gl/maps/KerLBhWUQkCQufZT6)
- Foodie Feelings: Taiwanese food is a win! Everything tasted amazing, but a serious craving for some simple boiled veggies set in.
Day 2 (Friday): Temples, Lanterns & Furry Friends!
Morning:
- Matsuia Brunch: Delicious and authentic yellow-branded Japanese chain restaurant with generous portions. Fast and delicious so we could get going!
- Longshan Temple: Taipei's famous, spiritual temple. Grab a lucky charm!
- Dadaocheng: Rent a traditional Taiwanese outfit for stunning photos (book before 11 AM, or arrive before 10:30 AM or 1:30 PM to snag cancellations).
Afternoon (with a Local!):
- TRA Train Tour: Shifen, Houtong, Jiufen! A trio of must-sees.
- Shifen: Decorate and release your own lantern on the train tracks (200 NTD – includes photo/video service!). Souvenir shops and snacks abound.
- Houtong Cat Village: Sunbathing kitties everywhere! (We skipped this due to rain and early closing.)
- Jiufen: Gorgeous lantern-lit ancient town with amazing food! (The rain actually made it more atmospheric!)
Evening:
- Shilin Night Market & Raohe Night Market: (Raohe highly recommended!) Shilin is huge, bustling, and clean. It's got everything and Raohe is small with mostly foods.
- Early Closing: Night markets start closing around 11 PM (What?!). Guess Taiwan doesn't need more money! They slowly open again around 10 AM the next morning.
Day 3 (Saturday): Dragons & History!
Morning:
- Late Start: A well-deserved sleep-in to recover! Recharging those batteries! 😴
- Local Breakfast & Xing Fu Tang Bubble Tea: Delicious and topped off with a fortune stick!
- Taipei Checkout: Prep for our journey to Kaohsiung!
Afternoon:
- Shengyuan Xiao Long Bao: Delicious soup dumplings (https://goo.gl/maps/Xzfmji1QjDQQ8aSd8) A local favorite! Din Tai Fung is great.
- Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall: Right by the dumpling place! Get a free audio guide and explore the museum. A history lesson on Taiwan! (Don't miss the Changing of the Guard ceremony every hour!)
- HSR to Kaohsiung: Book ahead for 20% off! (North to south in 2+ hours, beautiful views!), Hotels are cheaper and nicer here, and flights back are cheaper too.
Kaohsiung: Southern Charm! ☀️
Saturday Evening:
- Formosa Boulevard Station: The largest glass dome in the world! 4,500 panes of colored glass. Italian vibes!
- Liuhe Night Market: Bubble tea, snacks galore! This is a true, local night market – authentic and delicious.
Day 4 (Sunday): Seaside Serenity!
- Kaohsiung Harbor: Admire the 85 Sky Tower, and explore the surrounding restaurant complex. Ride the Kaohsiung Light Rail.
- Gang Yuan Beef Noodles: Delicious (different from Taipei's, lighter broth!), but we still preferred the soup.
- Souvenir Shopping: Pineapple cake (Chia Te!), face masks, bubble tea ingredients! (Poya is a treasure trove!). Taiwanese fashion - NET, similar to Zara or HM in price.
- Cijin Island: Beach vibes and mental reset before heading back to Hanoi! 😂
Next time: I'd do 7 days, 6 nights! More time in Taipei (didn't get to the National Palace Museum or Taipei Zoo!), a day in Taichung (stunning natural scenery), and a day in Tainan (food paradise!). Then train to Kaohsiung, snap pics at Formosa Boulevard, and fly home!
The End. Thank you. Gud luck for your trip.
#taipei #tutuc #kaohsiung
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