TAIPEI/KENTING, TAIWAN

OVERVIEW

• When: Total trip August 1-18, 2024. Taiwan: August 12-17, 2024
• Where (accommodations): Taipei: W Taipei, Kenting: Chateau Beach Resort
• Transportation: Air Canada from Boston (BOS) to Montreal (YUL) to Tokyo Narita (NRT). Shinkansen bullet trains between cities in Japan. Eva Air from Osaka (KIX) to Taipei (TPE). Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR) from Taipei to Kaohsiung, then Uber to Kenting. Same way return to Taipei, the Eva Air back to Tokyo.
• Sights/attractions: Taipei: Taipei 101, Songshan Ciyou Temple, Huashan 1914 Creative Park, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Lungshan Temple, Bopiliao Historic Block
• Food/drinks: Taipei: Raohe Street Night Market, Chia Te Bakery, Din Tai Fung in Taipei 101, Ningxia Night Market; Kenting: Kenting Night Market, Nossa Bistro, Mr Chef

Another new country for all of us! Just under three hour flight from Osaka to Taipei and we are in for a very different cultural experience. We are ready to try new cuisine and melt in the same warm weather as Japan. A few people asked why we decided to visit Taiwan. There are a few reasons. We always trying to end the trip on the beach and Taiwan is an island which has beautiful beaches. So that checked the box. It’s small enough that we could explore the capital Taipei and then cross the whole country via high speed rail which would allow us to relax in Kenting. But the main reason was the uncertainty with China. Taiwan is not recognized by many countries as an independent country and China is constantly ‘flexing’ and showing off their power around this island. Nobody knows how long until it’s fully taken over (there is a real possibility this might happen), so we wanted to experience Taiwanese culture as it is now, god forbid if it was changed forever.

No visa is required for Americans, Lithuanians or Italians (obviously check your nationality requirements). You need to fill out online arrival card, which is a simple process and the link to the form online is here.

For purchasing Taiwan High Speed Rail tickets, download T-Express App. This allows you to get the tickets in advance, select the seats and no need to print the tickets or wait in any lines. I bought all tickets for our group and we had a bit of hard time distributing them to the other’s phones ourselves, so we asked for help at the station. It was still a lot more convenient than having to buy tickets last minute, risking that the particular train might be sold out.

There is a lot to see and do on this island. If we had more time we would have probably done some hiking, as there are beautiful mountains and valleys to explore. We only had two nights in Taipei and three in Kenting, so we visited the main tourist sights in the capital and then just relaxed. In Japan we had a very intense and busy itinerary, so Taiwan was purposely planned to be slower pace. We did not know much about this country until we started planning, so here is your quick 101 of Taiwan and what you can do in less than a week!

TAIPEI

Taiwan’s capital, bustling metropolis with the skyscrapers, temples, luxury malls and famous for its night markets. To get around the city we used Uber and it was very cheap and convenient.

ACCOMMODATIONS

W TAIPEI

With only two nights in this widespread city, staying in a central location is key. W Taipei is a 5 star hotel with a great spa, pool, and excellent breakfast- you can’t ask for much more. W Taipei is located in Xinyi District– commercial hub and one of the most popular places for shopping and tourists. We really enjoyed our stay and, as often happens, wished it was longer.

Sean and I booked the room with the view of Taipei 101 tower, Agne and Cosimo did not care for the view, but their room was just as nice (and slightly bigger).

We all absolutely loved the outside pool and the excellent massages in W Taipei Spa.

ALL THE WAY UP

TAIPEI 101

Formerly known as Taipei World Financial Center, Taipei 101 is 508.0 m (1,667 ft), 101 story skyscraper that at one point was the tallest building in the world. Now it’s the tallest in Taiwan and still holds several records. One of them is the fastest elevator. It transports passengers from the 5th to the 89th floor in 37 seconds (attaining 60.6 km/h (37.7 mph)) speed!

It’s only a few minutes walk from the W Taipei, so we headed there as soon as we checked in. The weather was quite unpredictable- it was cloudy, however expecting rain the following day, we figured visibility might be worse if we wait. The very top floor access was sold out (we did not book tickets in advance), but to be honest we did not really care. A few stories higher up would not change much in terms of views- they were quite spectacular even on a cloudy afternoon.

There are several areas made for cute photo opportunities- real orchids, a heart shaped frame, angel’s wings and so on.

Most beautiful of course are the views and the layers of mountains in the distance.

There is a lot of interesting and informative info about the building and one of those is the largest mass damper in the world- essentially a giant pendulum ball that helps the building to withstand typhoons and earthquakes that are common in Taiwan.

It was very entertaining, and great place for the whole family. There are several restaurants and shops, so you easily can spend several hours here. In fact, one of the lunches that we had was at Din Tai Fung in Taipei 101. Absolutely delicious dumpling restaurant that has branches all over the world and should not be missed.

Make sure end with their ‘dessert’ dumpling. I believe it’s with egg custard filling in a soft bao bun and it’s A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

TAIPEI’S TEMPLES

There are many temples in this 2.5 million people city. We only visited two, but both were spectacular.

SONGSHAN CIYOU TEMPLE

We sort of ‘stumbled upon’ this temple, pretty much by accident. We got out of the Uber to go to the Raohe Street Night Market and the temple was RIGHT THERE. Lit up since it was dark and was so captivating that we all forgot about the market for a while and went straight to the temple.

Built in 18th century this temple has multiple floors. Once he saw this temple, Cosimo (my brother-in-law), who was pretty tired of all the hikes and climbs on this trip forgot how tired he was! He kept climbing up and up, and we all were laughing how this gorgeous temple all of the sudden gave him a burst of energy 🙂 .

But truly, it is magnificent!

LUNGSHAN TEMPLE

We came to this temple on our second day in Taipei, and saw it in the daylight. This is Taipei’s oldest and most famous temple, so find some time to visit.

Beautiful details, peaceful, and not super crowded. We actually asked one local about the interesting customs that we’ve seen in several temples. We saw people throwing red wooden moon shaped pieces of the wood on the ground, so got curious. Apparently that is a way to communicate with the Gods! One side of the wood is flat and the other one is curved. You hold the blocks in your hand and silently ask ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer. Then throw them to the ground. Both curved sides facing up means the answer is ‘No’. Both curved down is also a ‘No’ or even a laughter from the Gods. One side up and one down means ‘Yes’.

Then there is a more detailed answer to your questions. Similar to the temples in Japan, where you shake the box to draw a number and then pick the poem/advice from the corresponding number box. But to do this, you first have to ‘ask for Gods permission’, meaning – throw the wooden blocks. As the guy explained to us- you have to ask politely, without rushing, introduce yourself to the god and then say- can I please pick the number? I got a ‘no’ first try, so the guy said I need to be more polite, then ask again. From the three tries I finally got the ‘yes’! No wonder we saw people throwing the blocks over and over.

By the way, while in Japan we often needed Google translate to communicate, in Taiwan pretty much every person we talked to spoke excellent English. Don’t be afraid to talk to locals, we always felt welcomed and people happily answered our questions.

Huashan 1914 Creative Park

This is definitely not a park in a typical sense of the word. Located on the site of the former Taipei Distillery that was operating until 1980s, later was abandoned and set to demolition, this park was rescued by the artists and activists and converted into a creative space.

Buildings and warehouses were renovated and now showcase various galleries and expositions. Some were historical and serious. One though was playful and much appreciated by Sean, Cosimo, and (other) kids.

Ultraman Expo 2024 brought more joy and excitement than all of the carefully selected temples and other sites that I planned for this trip (kidding, sort of).

I am sure the expositions vary, so check before going, but this park is worth a visit when in Taipei.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Another landmark not to be missed is Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. This national monument has been built in in memory of Chiang Kai-shek- former President of the Republic of China. His history with the country is controversial and you can learn more about it when you visit.

We did not plan it, but it just so happened that we made it right for the changing of the guard ceremony! We arrived just before noon and witnessed the whole elaborate process. I believe it happens every hour.

The Hall hosts various exhibits and events and the building itself is quite impressive.

Bopiliao Historic Block

This historic block consists of one or two story buildings, many built over 200 years ago. It was one of the earliest commercial districts in northern Taiwan.

And that was the last item on our itinerary for a short couple days in Taipei. The rest all involved food, spa, and a little shopping.

Taipei’s Night Markets

Night markets are very popular in certain countries in Asia and we knew coming to Taiwan that we can’t miss it. Taipei has several night markets that stay open late into the evening, and we had two nights here, so we tried a different market each night.

Raohe Street Night Market

One of the oldest night markets, not super huge and therefore not overwhelming. We came here on the first night in Taipei and got distracted by Songshan Ciyou temple, which is right next to it.

There are several street food stalls recommended by the Michelin inspectors and we tried one of them. Fuzhou Black Pepper Bun is right at the entrance to the market and you won’t miss it- there is usually a line, which moves quick. In general – if you see the long line, most likely the wait is worth it. Locals don’t mind waiting for good food. The buns were filled with pork and onions and were absolutely delicious!

Ningxia Night Market

Another very popular market, but on the smaller side- it’s basically one street, so impossible to get lost here. We came in not long after the rain and were overwhelmed by the smell. We assumed that is the smell of sewage, possibly by some clogged drains. It was odd that it smelled more in certain parts and less in the others, but when it smelled, it literally smelled like sh*t. We got some food, we especially liked the chicken and rice at Fang Jia Ji Rou Fan (Fang Jia Chicken Rice) stall.

Another delicious dish was this meat and veggies in a flaky bun. The problem was that the ‘sewage’ smell was so potent, we couldn’t stay very long in the market.

Little did we know (and only found out in Kenting, all the way across the country) that the smell was not from the sewage. It was the ‘stinky tofu’- Taiwanese ‘delicacy’ that you either love or hate. It was SO smelly that neither of us could even consider actually trying it. People say it tastes great- best of luck to not throw up from the smell before it reaches your mouth! We are pretty adventurous, but stinky tofu was not the line either of us were able to cross.

Chia Te Bakery

Not in the market, but worth an Uber ride to! This bakery sells an incredible amount of mini cakes, which are individually packaged, so you can try many flavors! Pineapple cake is traditional Taiwanese dessert, but we liked other fillings more. I don’t know the name of it, but both Cosimo and I LOVED it. I think it was called Moon cake and had a picture of cherry blossoms on it. Sean was not that impressed, Agne I think was right in the middle.

Ugh, I could go for a pastry or two right now!

We enjoyed Taipei, experienced a quick but very strong rain- luckily it rained only in the afternoon and not for long. Time to cross the country and relax at the beach for a bit! It’s been a whirlwind trip, we all need to rest for a few days.

KENTING

We’ve done quite a bit of traveling on Shinkansen bullet trains in Japan, so were curious how it will compare in Taiwan. I booked the tickets and reserved seats via T-Express App and we were on the High Speed Rail (HSR) train leaving Taipei Main Station at 9.30 in the morning. A comfortable hour and a half journey got us to Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung.

The seats were not as huge as in Shinkansen Green Car trains, but still very comfortable, we had no complaints!

From Kaohsiung to Kenting we had an option to get on a Express Shuttle Bus, but that was not leaving for another couple of hours (there are I believe three per day). Instead, we scheduled an Uber in advance, so that he would arrive as soon as we disembark from the train. It was super cheap and so much faster than the bus that makes several stops. The Uber driver was flying. From the time we got into the car (11.29am) until we reached the beach (1.22 pm), we made it in under 2 hours. It cost us only $145 USD. Now we still have the whole afternoon to relax and settle in at our last location in Taiwan.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The main requirement for the accommodations in Kenting was to be near the beach. Of course it had to be a decent place, we don’t want to end our trip in a rundown shack. When we started looking for the hotels, there were not that many, especially well rated ones. Chateau Beach Resort had the best reviews, and is on the beach- decision made!

Chateau Beach Resort

A few pools, ocean front, and the area that allows swimming, this hotel is listed as 5 star property. I’d say it’s a bit of a stretch – this is no W or Four Seasons. We booked the Honeymoon Suite- the best room they had with the balcony and ocean front.

The room was spacious and the huge tub with the ocean view was definitely a plus. Overall hotel is a bit dated, but it was not run down or dirty in any way. It’s simple and comfortable, we did not want to turn around and run (as this has happened to us before).

It seems like this hotel was the only place where it had designated area for swimming. You also had to sign a waver if you declined wearing a life vest. The rest of the beach belongs to Kenting National Park and swimming is prohibited. Maybe that’s why we did not see any other hotels around, but clearly we made a right choice. It would be very sad to stay near the warm Sea and not be allowed to go in.

We had a very large lunch on premises (there was a bit of a language barrier with the guy that took our order, so it ended up with more than what we needed). Later on we fully enjoyed their spa.

Hotel also has a game room and organizes different activities. On a rainy morning Cosimo signed us up for archery lesson, which was a lot harder than what I expected!

Game room was never busy, so Sean and I got our a$$es kicked in pool by Cosimo and Agne.

As you can see- this part of the trip was very slow and with minimal activities. No side trips, no excursions- we just needed a few days to decompress and relax. Even though it’s not a super luxurious hotel, it met our needs and I would not hesitate to stay there when in Kenting.

Village life

In the evenings there was nothing to do at the hotel, so we ventured out to Kenting Night Market. That’s where we smelled the same smell as in one of the night markets in Taipei, and were explained that it is stinky tofu and not a problem with sewage system 🙂 . Luckily it only smelled on one end of the market, so we could enjoy the food in the other part. The market stretches on both sides of a long main street.

Our favorite was the pizza from the truck. The guys had an oven and everything!

It was pretty funny to see these little bars set up on the side of the road. And of course you have to have the bubble tea! After all it is a VERY traditional Taiwanese drink. Sweet, chewy tapioca balls- it was super cheap and delicious.

For one of the lunches we went to Nossa Bistro restaurant- short walk from the hotel. Food was good, they also had a cafe/bakery next door with some pretty sizable desserts.

Simple, ‘plan free’ days in Kenting were very much needed.

For a little shopping we visited the local mall- KTONE (I believe the address is for Howard Beach Resort).

It was kind of odd- Christmas decorations in August, pretty much empty, but we still had a good time. There even was a mini arcade with basketball, boxing, and other games. Cosimo essentially broke the boxing one with his strong punch. Locals were watching and laughing 🙂 .

For our last dinner in Taiwan we went to Mr Chef– great food and very pleasant staff.

CONCLUSION

Taiwan has been a great country to visit. It felt more relaxed than Japan- less rules and lots of people with tattoos. I would not say that we liked it more, but it was not a disappointing trip. Many people said that after Japan it will be hard to visit another country, so we were a bit apprehensive at first, but not for long. Food was delicious, and the people were warm. We found some similarities (like the fancy Japanese toilets were present here as well to our delight). Mall culture is big, especially in Taipei. We also got super lucky with the weather. While we were enjoying the beach in Taiwan, Japan was bracing for the typhoon, which went through Tokyo one day before our flight back. Flights and trains were cancelled, so we were thanking heavens we did not schedule our return flight one day sooner. We barely had any rain, even though August is monsoon season. All in all, excellent trip that we’ll remember for many years to come. It was great to experience it all with Agne and Cosimo, each trip we take together is special!