Background
Welcome! If you’ve seen my other travel docs, this one will be a little different. I will not be talking much about cafes, restaurants, bars, hikes, or arts venues in Taipei and the surrounding area — all things that I would usually yap about.
Much of my experience in Taiwan has been shaped through my 6-8 (direct) aunts and uncles here, who all live in Taipei. What you’ll find below may skew a little more tame and family-friendly because of that.
The first time I came, I was still quite baby-brained and didn’t document much of our trip through the mountains. In 2018-19, I walked around with a lil go-pro and a cam (lol):
Below is more of a splattering of notes based on my trip in 2024, along with what I remember from visiting the places in the videos above.
Shopping Notes
- Outside of the main touristy areas, a lot of smaller shops are closed on Mondays. That includes places in Little Burma.
- The country as a whole is still pretty dependent on cash. You probably won’t use your cards much. This also means the gacha machine economy is alive and thriving so you can spend all your coins trying to win cute stuff.
Transit Notes
- You’ll want to buy an Easypass card to use on trains and buses, they don’t support things like Apple Pay. You can buy them at stations or places like 7-Eleven (which also offer cute keychains that function as Easypass.)
- Do not eat or drink in any MRT trains, buses, or waiting platforms. It’s illegal and comes with a fine. You can technically eat/drink on high-speed rail (HSR) and Taiwan Rail (TRA), although it’s still kinda rare.
- MRT platforms have waiting lanes in front of the platform gates FYI, pls wait in those lines and be aware that some gates are priority (similar to priority seats on the train.)
Regions
Little Burma
My family is ethnically Chinese (Hakka), but they were born and raised in Burma before migrating to several different continents.
“Little Burma” in Taipei sits within the Zhonghe district in New Taipei City, centered around Huaxin street. Located at the end of the yellow MRT line, this neighborhood is home to a largely Chinese-Burmese demographic (that’s us!) It’s a great place to go for foodies who want to eat authentic Burmese cuisine, which is at times most reminiscent of Indian and Indonesian/Malaysian south asian cuisine, but also has its own distinct dishes and flavors.
A few things you may be interested in eating here:
Main dishes:
- ⭐ Mohinga - A fish noodle stew, traditionally using catfish and served with youtiao, a-kyaw (chickpea crackers/fritters), cilantro, and eggs. National dish of Burma.
- ⭐ Ohno Khauswe - Curried chicken coconut noodle soup.
- Khauswe Thoke - Mixed dry noodles. There are different variations e.g. Ohno Khauswe Tho (coconut noodles), Shan Noodles (with pickled mustard greens), Nan gyi thoke (with large round noodles), and so on. Usually with chicken.
- ⭐ Chin Baung Ywet - “Sour leaf” aka roselle leaves stir-fried with shrimp paste, usually with bamboo shoots or shrimp.
- ⭐ Curries - Burma has its own twist of curries, based in turmeric/cumin/paprika and often including some flavor of fish (sauce) or shrimp (paste).
- ⭐ Laphet Thoke - Burma’s famous tea leaf salad! I haven’t had this in Little Burma but it should be available if you look.
- Danbauk - Burmese biryani! Yummy and often served at celebrations.
Tea, snacks, and desserts:
- ⭐ Falooda - A dessert with Persian and Indian origins which mixes a rosewater and basil base with ice cream, grass jelly, tapioca, and various other possible toppings. V good with bread pudding too but i don’t think restaurants do that lol
- Myanmar Tea - Milk tea, characterized by strongly-brewed black tea leaves and condensed or coconut milk + sugar for a sweeter finish.
- Semolina Cake - lil cakey boy
- Kyauk kyaw (coconut jelly) - lil jelly cakey boy sometimes with pandan or another colourful flavor.
- Samusas - Samosas. You may also be able to find samusa soup.
- Sticky rice - Different types of sticky rice, including sweet coconut sticky rice.
Here are a few places to try them:
- ⭐ 阿薇緬甸小吃店 (”A Wei Myanmar Snacks” on gmaps) - A popular hole-in-the-wall eatery that often has lines during lunchtime. Great place to scarf down a bowl of noodles, including mohinga, ohno khauswe, and khaoswe tho.
- ⭐ 母親的恩情 - This place SLAPS for authentic burmese curries. My faves are the chin baung ywet (sour leaf / roselle leaves) with bamboo shoots; and the curried bitter melon. They also have curried beef, goat, fish, eggplant, and more.
- The gmaps rating is piss poor cuz of the price and sanitation but i survived with no issues, also my family speaks burmese so they were very nice to us, YMMV..
- The spot next door sells coconut milk drinks with grass jellies for a washdown, it’s like filipino cendol. Not quite falooda but if you just need a quick fix it’ll hit.
- 金鑽亞洲美食 “DIAMOND” - Off of the main road, this local place has a simple, non-greasy danbauk served with curry in a “cleaner” restaurant (if that suites your interests.) Won’t blow your mind but chill spot to eat! Soup is free and falooda is off-menu but good here + served with rose ice cream.
- 旺旺來亞洲咖哩屋 HALAL FOOD (”Indian Curry House” on gmaps) - Right next door to A Wei is a halal shop that also serves up danbauk and curry, along with falooda. Haven’t tried it but looks good.
- WINNER Coffee - Serves up Burmese desserts (jellies/cakes) and Myanmar tea. Admittedly I haven’t tried a lot of Burmese cafes, but the lady here is very chatty and sweet.
- Maybe try Myanmar Tea House too, idk! Just walk around and find out. You’ll find that Burmese ppl like to sit around and loiter with their tea and chit chat.
Tamsui & Bali
The Tamsui and Bali districts sit across the water from each other near the northern tip of Taipei. Both regions have nice waterfront bike routes that are extremely flat and good for a leisurely ride.
Tamsui is accessible on the red MRT line; you can also stop earlier at Guandu and rent a bike up to Tamsui, dropping off at a sister rental location. Along the old street are a bunch of restaurants, snacks, etc.
Bali is accessible from Tamsui via a short ferry ride. Here, you can rent bikes (or multi-seat bike carriage things) and bike along the coast (Bali Left Bank Park and beyond) — again, very flat and easy but super scenic on a sunny day. This is where I’ve done a family bike ride and it’s honestly so nice and pleasant here.
Beitou
This area provides public and private hot springs for your enjoyment and is accessible via MRT. Yay! Highly recommend checking out the Beitou Thermal Valley in the Beitou Hot Springs Park. Yangmingshan National Park and Tamsui are also nearby if you want to make a bigger day trip.
Su’ao
This area is about 60-90 minutes east of Taipei by train and has natural mineral cold springs (and hot springs) that stay consistently at 21-22 C year-round. There’s a public spring that is renovated, and I also enjoyed private springs here.
I assume this may not be everyone’s idea of a good time, but it’s an option especially if you’re already in Yilan to hike the Suao Seven Star Peak Trail or any of these other things.
Shifen and Jiufen
These two ex-mining towns are about an hour east of Taipei by train and are popular destinations to visit. We did a day trip visiting both (Shifen during the day, and Jiufen after dusk.)
Shifen
Shifen is pretty small and most known for their large paper sky lanterns, which you can write on using a calligraphy brush and send into the air. It’s kind of a hectic experience since the main street is narrow and split in the middle by railroad tracks, and there’s heavy traffic even during weekdays.
If you come with intent and take your time with it, I recommend doing it! We rushed through it and I really wish we spent a little more time with our lantern : )
Also on the main road, you can eat a few snacks like stuffed chicken wings and peanut ice cream rolls. The chicken wings shop right outside of the train station is def the best. Both are tasty lil noms.
In addition to the sky lanterns, Shifen Waterfall is about a 20-25 minute walk (or a very quick taxi / e-bike ride) from Shifen Old Street. It’s a short path, but if you’re looking for a little bit of nature, it’s there for ya. You can also make a quick bus or train trip over to Pingxi Village and Pingxi Crags, which offers a little bit more nature.
While Shifen is generally optional (and a bit out of the way given the infrequent train schedules and the need to transfer from Riufang onto the Pingxi line), people will almost always go to Jiufen.
Jiufen
Jiufen is much larger and by far the more popular of the towns. It’s known for its red lanterns and winding roads filled with market shops. It’s nice just to get lost in the streets, try out some tea, eat a bunch of food, and enjoy the views. Taro balls and teahouses are v popular with da tourists.
There is some debate about when to visit. More shops will be open before dusk, and you’ll be able to see more of the surrounding countryside; however, I liked being there after nightfall to enjoy the red lanterns lining the streets. Try to time it and enjoy both :)
Before going to Jiufen, it can be nice to go on a longer hike, visit a beach, or otherwise look around for some other activities. Since I’ve always been with elder family that doesn’t happen, but check out places like Fulong beach, Bitou Cape, Teapot Mountain, and Keelung Mountain (no promises, pls do your research.)
Miaoli / Gongguan / Hsinchu
This is very specific, but if you need to plan a goofy photogenic family-friendly trip, I had a good experience with a group of ~12 aunts, uncles, and kids doing a day trip west of Taipei towards these three cities.
We had a car and booked an extra private driver (~$220 USD for a van that seats 7 passengers) — these places are technically accessible by public transit but to string them together you’d spend a lot of time on trains.
A few places you can stop at:
- OHANA Coffee - Ok, look. It’s basically this decorated path for taking instagram photos but it’s well done and cute as heck. If you have even one person in your party that likes to take group photos, it’s worth it. They will be SO EXCITED and some of the drinks at the cafe come in little cat- and snowman-shaped bottles that you can take home.
- 棗莊古藝庭園膳坊 - This place does good Hakka food. It’s in Gongguan which is known for their Hakka cuisine and red dates. Yes I’m biased and all the tour busses come here but it’s actually pretty good.
- Hsinchu -
- We stopped in Hsinchu to visit the zoo and the glass museum, festival, and open studios, which are all located in Hsinchu Park. The zoo is really tiny. The museum is also a bit tiny, but I enjoyed taking a look around. You’re able to go into some of the studios where they do live demonstrations!
- There was also a glass festival happening with a special exhibition, and some performers + an open weekend market in the park. The park itself is quite nice to walk around.
- Pushin-Ranch - If you have kids or you just like to hang out and pet / take selfies with goats, alpacas, capybaras etc. this is a cute place to go. Who doesn’t like to pet animals!! (Eat the ice cream but don’t eat at the restaurant, truly sad food.)
Shopping
Taipei has a lot to see and explore if you enjoy spending $$$. Lots of street fashion culture and little shops.
I like to hunt for local artist craft shops and markets, focusing on things like ceramics, prints, zines, and stationary. There are “creative parks” and dedicated storefronts, and you may also find souvenirs and crafty items available at local cafes and such depending on where you go.
1. Yongkang Street
Yongkang street is located near Dongmen station in Da’an and has a lot of nice cafes, famous Taiwanese food, and popular gift and stationary shops.
Shops
- 厚里 HOLI - Okay I bought a lot of stuff here. This gift shop sells nice prints, small pouches, stickers, etc.
- Bao Maison - Really lovely selection of all sorts of things. They also have cute branding with happy clouds and the merch (t-shirts, plushies, etc.) are super cute.
- LAI HAO - This gift shop has two floors full of authentic Taiwanese products, including lots of teas and jams.
- Littdlework - Sells lots of earrings, keychains, patches, bottle holders, embroideries, etc.
2. Zhongxiao Xinsheng
If you walk 20 minutes north of Yongkang street, you’ll reach the Zhongxiao Xinsheng station, which is located near two stationary stores:
- Molly Lifestyle - Really well-curated selection of sticker sheets, pens, brushes, stamps, sketchbooks, film and film cameras, etc. They also have their own ML ink pen line with color-changing ink :DDDDDD
- Plain Stationary, Homeware, & Cafe - Supplementary stationary store if you want to browse more
Within walking distance is Huashan 1914 Creative Park. This is a nice area to walk around for cafes + shopping and often has pop-ups and special events happening.
If you’re interested in stationary, Yoseka Stationary instagram has a full 7-day series of reels about relevant shops in Taiwan that I highly recommend.
3. Dadaocheng
Dadaocheng sits in the Datong district along the Tamsui River. Admittedly I mostly went to go to the Risograph Museum shop..
Shops
- Risograph Museum - Located in an alleyway, this shop is only open Fri-Mon later in the day. They have an exhibition space in the back room and offer printing services and workshops in addition to their retail space.
- The retail shop is actually a mix of riso prints/zines and lots of more traditional trinkets and cards. It’s a bit of a toss-up if you’ll find something there that ~wows~ you, but it seems to be the only retail space that heavily features risographs (and the only place I visited with any riso zines) so I’m glad that I visited. They hold both locally printed items as well as international prints and zines.
- 梁山泊壹零捌 - I haven’t actually been here, but it’s on my list and seems to be another nice gift shop for grabbing souvenirs.
- 印花作夥 inBlooom Together - I haven’t been here either, but it seems like a good place to buy screen-printed bags and fun fabrics. They also offer screen-printing workshops.
4. Additional Places, haven’t been
- Mangasick - Specialty independent bookstore with lots of comics, zines, art books, etc. Runs exhibitions in the back. Connected with the cartoonist community. It’s a bit out of the way and you have to walk down into the basement essentially.
- JOJA DESIGN - A hat store. it’s near a bunch of other shops so I figure hat people might like this idk lol
- 詩生活 Poetry in Life - An independent poetry bookstore with lots of unique/rare works, particularly from Hong Kong.
- Waiting Room - IDK if it’s worth visiting but it’s run by the drummer of “Transparent Magazine” ? They sell records and apparel and stuff with an underground vibe.
- Songshan Cultural and Creative Park - A creative park that also houses Design Pin, Not Just Library, and Taiwan Design Museum (all operated by Taiwan Design Institute.)
Touristy Things in Taipei
- Taipei 101 Observatory - For the people who like the “tall skyscraper” experience. The elevator up has a short light show thing which I enjoyed more than the top but that’s just me. Maybe go during the day for a nicer view.
- National Palace Museum - Interesting museum to walk around if you’re into it. It’s got the Jadeite Cabbage and the Meat-shaped stone, which is on-brand.
- Chiang-kai Shek Memorial Hall - Nice scenery, questionable history. People like to come and watch the changing of the guards.
- Syntrend, Guang Hua Digital Plaza - Giant malls focused on high-tech electronics shops. My techy uncle brought us to Syntrend and sure enough, you can buy all sorts of things (dash cams, lighting rigs for photoshoots, mech keyboards, giant monitors…)
- Banqiao Christmas Village - During the christmas season, Banqiao runs a christmas village with big lights and lots of places to take pics; they also have concerts during the weekend. Good family friendly activity.
Night Markets
You probably want to go to a night market or two. Although Shilin Night Market is the most well-known, a lot of the stalls suffered and closed through the pandemic and there have been a lot of changes to it by the government throughout the years. The costs are higher than other markets and it’s super crowded.
I can’t give personal experiences here (yet), but Nanjichang seems to be the most recommended as a less touristy market that serves tasty and diverse food with lots of stalls offering seating.
Food Dump
Gonna dump random places and things I enjoyed eating or want to eat here lol
- Beef Noods
- A Cheng Goose Restaurant 阿城鵝肉 - Michelin-recommended restaurant that serves juicy signature goose as well as dishes like mala choudoufu (spicy stinky tofu), goose blood, blood steamed rice cake, bamboo shoots, goose intestines, steamed fish, and more traditional sides. There may be a decent wait at the Zhongshan location compared to the original one in Tucheng.
- Black pepper buns
- Hu Tao - Taiwanese traditional restaurant in Songshan and Tucheng with good clam and squid rice noodle soup! Although I don’t know why they cut the rice noodles up, lemme slurp ‘em
- Tofu pudding
- Just a Bear - Western-stylized brunch restaurant. idk when you’d be near a Just a Bear since they are only in Xindian and deep Tucheng , but i think about that french toast. Maybe cuz it came with ice cream and bananas
- Hotpot - There’s so much hotpot, I really enjoyed going to a Jhujian branch location (serve-yourself buffet except for the main meat; good ice cream and drinks included incl. beer.) Can’t really go wrong with any hotpot restaurant tho.
- Oyster omelette, Oyster noodles, stinky tofu - Common in night markets nom nom
- Stinky tofu
External Resources
KLIAO: https://liaokev.in/taipei