Korean Job Discussion Forums

[corkgirl]

thinking about heading to Taiwan for Chuseok but mostly cos its the place with the most affordable flights. Dont want to just go for the sake of it so would appreciate if anyone who has been there can tell me the best places to stay - what is the nightlife like and if i travel on my own (single female) the best places to meet other travellers...

cheers!!

[Mosley]

Irish girl, perchance?

I was in Taiwan about a decade ago, and only for about 6 days(not a lot of time). As such, can't remember much about where to stay(if you're going to go, and thus pay airfare, may as well invest in a LP guide). Probably can still get a decent place to stay for 40-odd bucks a night. What I do remember, and can still be fairly confident about, consists of the following:

Taipei:
a) Bet on mugginess, air pollution, traffic & crowds that will make Seoul look benign in comparison.
b) Yoshinoya(the Japanese fast food chain)is everywhere in Taiwan...and that's a good thing, esp. if they have the picture "point & order" deal.
c) Where to visit, as a tourist(I have no idea, & could care less, about night spots where to meet other barbarians): 2-28 Peace Park, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, Martyrs' Shrine(mind you, I'm a modern history buff), National Palace Museum, Night Market.

Outside Taipei:

I only went to two places...Wulai & Taroko Gorge. In hindsight, I would skip Wulai but a 2 day trip to Taroko was a good safety valve trip from the madness of Taipei.

Have a good trip!

[Smee]

I went to Taiwan three times while living in Korea, stayed for about four combined weeks and spent most of the time in Taipei. I really loved it there, think it's a great place to spend a few days, and think it a nice break from Korea.

In Taipei I stayed a few times at the Taipei Traveler Hostel, across from the bus station and next to the large Mitsukoshi building (an excellent central location). The staff is very friendly and there are plenty of travellers there to meet.

As far as other accommodation, the motels are a little more expensive than they are in Korea. The names mostly escape me, but you'll find a street full across from that bus station. I did spend a couple nights at the City Inn, a chain of business hotels reasonably priced and clean. It's about a block behind the large McDonald's there, and you'll probably find more information via Google.

Official site [Chinese] http://www.gocityinn.com/index_1.php

However, I will caution that going during a holiday means you won't find as many available rooms. I was last in Taipei over Lunar New Year 2009 and without a room for the night, and I had to go to about 8 places before I found a late-night vacancy at the City Inn.

For touristy things, Google and WikiTravel will provide lots of information. Things I really enjoyed include:
+ Chaing Kai-shek Memorial
+ The view from atop Taipei 101 (lots of good food in the food court)
+ Shillin Night Market
+ Longshan Temple
+ ESLite, a chain of bookstores with a large one near Taipei 101

Hualien is a really pretty mid-sized city, the closest one to Taroko Gorge if you're looking to make the trip.

[pugwall]

I really like Taipei. i think it sone of the most underrated cities in Asia. Goto Beitou for Hot Springs. Night Markets in Shilin and Shida are fund. Eat in Din Tai Fung. Drinking is expensive though.

[jhicks99]

Don't have much expectations for the night life - however the night markets are terrific. You can count all the really happening drinking places in Taipei on one hand. There's nothing remotely close to hongdae, gangnam, apgjeong etc. I found one great place with my roomie though right around the corner from Guting subway station, I think it was called Roxie. Great music, great atmosphere, kind of like a music bar along the lines of Tin Pan or Ting Tings if you go to hongdae, I'd check it out!

[northway]

[Smee]

I've read some of the negative things people say about Taipei---crowded, dirty, polluted---but find it mild compared to Seoul.

[iselynjenniep]

i am planning on going to taiwan for chuseok... 2 nights in hualien and 3 nights in taipei after reading lonely planet...

[pugwall]

If you dont mind listening to Lady Gaga and being around 21 year olds there are some all you can drink clubs in Taipei that are cheap. There is one called Wax that is about 300 NT on Wednesday for foreigners , all you can drink.

There is a cool English pub named 'On Tap' near Sun Yatsen Memorial, they have Guiness, Bodingtons, Hoegaarden and Herefordshire Cider on tap. I think Taipei isnt a great drinking city in general tho. Eating is good, cheap and interesting.

Taiwan has some of the best tea in the world so its worth hitting up some tea houses. Taiwan tea has a good reputation in Asia so would make a good gift got co-workers/principal/any Asian person its benefical to suck up to.

[captain kirk]

I lived in Taipei (Peitou area) a year and Hsinchu for a year (other side of the island from Taipei. In Taipei the Weekend Jade market under the overpass is, no joking, about one hundred tables of jade, semiprecious stones, carved, polished, lot of it coming from China. The Weekend Jade market is near the Weekend garden market. Not far from Mitsukoshi building.

Also, Yeliu. A train from the main station (across from Mitsukoshi building) about forty minutes I think. Yeliu is a promontory that has a mountain and juts into the sea. Along its side are sandstone cliffs and pilllars eroded by wave action that are very unusual. With mask and snorkel one can jump into the sea there and see tropical fish (butterfly/turkey fish, cowrie mollusks, large schools of silver fish swirling/swarming, blue and yellow angel fish, and so on...).