Taiwan was used to be called Formosa and was inhabited by aborigines prior the 17th century. The country used to be under the Japanese regime and China took over after the World War II.
The country has 16 domestic airports and four international airports. The international airports are:
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
Kaohsiung International Airport
Taichung International Airport
Taipei Songshan Airport
Taiwan has several types of public transport to get from one place to another. They have TRA, Taiwan High Speed Rail or THSR, Taipei Rapid Transit System (or what they call MRT), City Bus and Taxi. Uber can also be used in the cities.
Taiwan has smart cards called EASY CARD and iPASS.
Easy card can be used in MRTs, bus, parking lots and some partnered store. Top up can be made in all MRT stations and all convenience stores.
iPass can also be used in MRTs, city buses, Youbike, ferries, department stores, food courts, convenience stores, petrol stations, car parks, some restaurants, markets (night and traditional market and in cinemas.
Car rentals in Taiwan are cheap. You can even rent from the airport and explore the city in one day by just driving and this is more convenient if you are in a group of 4-5. Before going, research some traffic rules and make sure that you have a valid international license.
Youbike and City bike can also be used in exploring cities and Taiwan has its own lane for bikes. There are several kiosk all throughout the city to rent bikes. You can use your Easy car, cellphone or credit card to pay for the rental fees.
Tourist’s bus are also another way to explore Japan and these are made to improve tourism in all areas of Taiwan. There are designated bus stops to different tourist places. The fare is tourist-friendly, you won’t have to wait long and it will take you safely and conveniently to your destination.
You have plenty of options to explore Taiwan. You may choose from car rentals, getting a packaged tour or simply go for a DIY (Do It Yourself) trip. DIY trips are not that hard when you are in Taiwan because of the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle that you can conveniently and readily utilize.
Best time to visit
September to November is autumn.
December to February is winter but there is no snow in Taiwan.
March to April is spring
May to August is warm and rainy.
The best time to visit depends on your preferred weather and the activities you’d like to do in Taiwan
Here are some of the places we have visited in Taipei and New Taipei City
Yangmingshan National Park
One of the known nine national parks in Taiwan. There are buses within the national park so getting around is not a problem.
Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM from Monday to Friday
Address: No. 1-20, Zhuzihu Road, Beitou District, Yangmingshan, Taipei City 11292, Taiwan
How to get there: Exit Jiantan Station (Red Line) then bus 108 to Yangmingshan Stop or from Taipei Main Station take bus 260 to Yangmingshan Stop
Taipei 101
This is Taipei World Financial Center and it was the world’s tallest in 2004 until Burk Khalifa was completed in 2010.
Hours: Observatory is at daytime but the view from the outside is 24 hours
Address: No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan 110
How to get there: Take the Red Line MRT and stop at Taipei 101 Station
Elephant Mountain
A mountain in Xinyi District which is 183 meters high and 1.5 km long and hiking is about 20-30 minutes one way. This is the best spot to see Taipei 101 and the city view.
Hours: Daily
Address: Lane 150, Songren Rd., Taipei, Taiwan
How to get there: Xiangshan Station Stop, Exit 2 and walk towards the hiking trail.
Shenao Elephant Rock
This is not known yet as one of the tourists spot but it is slowly getting famous on Instagram. The rock formation is located near the Shenao fishing port.
Hours: Daily but best to see it at daytime
Address: No.20, Shen’ao Rd., Ruifang Dist., New Taipei City 224, Taiwan
How to get there: Take bus 1811 or 1812 to Shenao Station or F805/F806 to Shenao Fishing Harbor
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial
The memorial was built in memory of the former president of the Republic of China and this has become a landmark and a tourist attraction in Taipei.
Hours: Daily 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Address: No. 21, Zhongshan South Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
How to get there: Take the Red Line MRT and stop at Chiang Kai Shek Station
The National Palace Museum
The museum housed approximately 700,000 of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks.
Hours: 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM
Address: No. 221, Sec 2, Zhi Shan Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan 111
How to get there: From Shilin Station take Bus R30
Yehliu Geopark
A 1700-meter stretched of natural rock formations formed by geological forces and strong ocean waves.
Hours: Daily 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Address: No. 167-1, Gangdong Road, Wanli District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 207
How to get there: Take a bus from Taipei Main Station, Kuo_kuang bus 1815 and advise the bus attendee to drop you in Yehliu Geopark. Walk towards the fishing port to the right and at the end is the Geopark.
Laomei Green Reef
These are volcanic rocks along the shore that were wave-cut through the years. From April to May, the green algae appears and that makes these rocks so beautiful
Hours: Daily, best to see at daytime (April to May only)
Address: 253, Taiwan, New Taipei City, Shimen District
How to get there: Stop at Tansui Station and take bus 862 or 863 and stop at Freshwater Mingdeyi Village station then walk to the beach
Golden Waterfall
Small village in the mountain with gold deposits. The golden waterfall is gold in color with high metal elements deposits. They say that touching it is prohibited due to high toxicity level so they created a fence around it.
Hours: Daily
Address: Jinshui Road, Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 224
How to get there: Take Taiwan Easy Go 856 Bus from Ruifang Railway Station
Jiufen Market
Town located at the top of the mountain originally built by Japanese and now it is a famous night market with a beautiful scenery.
Hours: Daily
Address: No.89, Qiche Rd., Ruifang Dist., New Taipei City 224, Taiwan
How to get there: From Ruifang Station take 827 or 788 to Jiufen
Thanks to KLOOK we were able to get our own charter or car for our tours. Our transport from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei Main Station, Hop on Hop off sightseeing bus and private car to see New Taipei/Taipei were all from KLOOK. This saves us a lot of money, time and energy because it is very convenient and it is so easy. There is a KLOOK booth in the arrival area. You can book you tours here.
The Taoyuan Airport MRT One-Way comes with free Reloadable Easy Card. We topped up the Easy Card in one of the convenience stores in the airport. The MRT from and to airport is indeed convenient, beautiful, spacious, and comfortable.
