Taipei 101 from Elephant Peak
Streets of Taipei
Liberty Square Arch (left)
Liberty Square Arch (right)
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek statue
Dome w/ the National Emblem of the ROC
Boba from Chun Shui Tang (the creators of boba)
Yongkang Street
Raohe Street Night Market
Songshan Ciyou Temple
A-Mei Teahouse in Jiufen
Jiufen Old Street
Ocean overlook in Jiufen
Taipei w/ Tony 🇹🇼 🇨🇦
National Palace Museum
Dihua Street w/ Vanessa & Daren 🇹🇼
Bike ride to Ningxia Night Market
All the iconic Taiwanese food
Realistic looking gun used for carnival games
Man w/ his pet pig 🐷
Unique boba holder!
1/22
Taiwan marks my first stop on my trip around the world! After missing out on visiting during my previous trips to Asia, it felt right to start here. I’d heard endless hype about the food, the people, and the scenery—and it all exceeded my expectations.
I spent my first day exploring the city the way I always do: trying the national dish (beef noodle soup), then hitting the highlights. Along the way, I got boba from one of the originators, Chun Shui Tang. It was divine so I had to get another one to go. After visiting a few more places I took a sunset hike to the top of Elephant Peak to get an amazing view of Taipei 101. The grueling +90°F heat and the summertime humidity made it Type II fun, but it was 100% worth it! Evenings were reserved for the famous night markets, starting with Raohe St. Night Market. My time in Taiwan repeated this pattern. Food, highlights, more food, and possibly meeting a new friend along the way. It was great but on my last day, I still had a laundry list of things I wanted to do. Luckily there were people to help!
On my last night in Taiwan, my friends Darren and Venssa (who I met in Austria last year) rolled up to my hostel on their motorbikes with a spare helmet in hand, ready to hit the town! First, we went to a small Taoist temple where you can pray for good relationships. We then explored Dihua Street, where I learned about the unusual items locals buy, like solidified bird saliva for bird’s nest soup, a delicacy in Asia. We proceeded to the Container Market located next to the Tamsui River to finish off some of the Taiwanese street foods I had yet to try like ló͘-bah-pn̄g (minced pork rice) and ji pai (Taiwanese fried chicken). A 10-minute bike ride then got us to Ningxia Night Market where we had oyster omelets, stinky tofu (not for me), and Taiwanese shaved ice. It was a wonderful experience getting to catch up with my friends and check everything off my list. I’ll always be extremely thankful they were able to take me around like a local. I’ll make sure to return the favor whenever they come and visit me :)
My time here wasn’t long, so I’m very eager and excited to visit here again in the future. I feel happy that I was finally able to check Taiwan off my checklist! 謝謝台灣!
August 21, 2023
Chandler ForrestTaiwan marks my first stop on my trip around the world! After missing out on visiting during my previous trips to Asia, it felt right to start here. I’d heard endless hype about the food, the people, and the scenery—and it all exceeded my expectations.
I spent my first day exploring the city the way I always do: trying the national dish (beef noodle soup), then hitting the highlights. Along the way, I got boba from one of the originators, Chun Shui Tang. It was divine so I had to get another one to go. After visiting a few more places I took a sunset hike to the top of Elephant Peak to get an amazing view of Taipei 101. The grueling +90°F heat and the summertime humidity made it Type II fun, but it was 100% worth it! Evenings were reserved for the famous night markets, starting with Raohe St. Night Market. My time in Taiwan repeated this pattern. Food, highlights, more food, and possibly meeting a new friend along the way. It was great but on my last day, I still had a laundry list of things I wanted to do. Luckily there were people to help!
On my last night in Taiwan, my friends Darren and Venssa (who I met in Austria last year) rolled up to my hostel on their motorbikes with a spare helmet in hand, ready to hit the town! First, we went to a small Taoist temple where you can pray for good relationships. We then explored Dihua Street, where I learned about the unusual items locals buy, like solidified bird saliva for bird’s nest soup, a delicacy in Asia. We proceeded to the Container Market located next to the Tamsui River to finish off some of the Taiwanese street foods I had yet to try like ló͘-bah-pn̄g (minced pork rice) and ji pai (Taiwanese fried chicken). A 10-minute bike ride then got us to Ningxia Night Market where we had oyster omelets, stinky tofu (not for me), and Taiwanese shaved ice. It was a wonderful experience getting to catch up with my friends and check everything off my list. I’ll always be extremely thankful they were able to take me around like a local. I’ll make sure to return the favor whenever they come and visit me :)
My time here wasn’t long, so I’m very eager and excited to visit here again in the future. I feel happy that I was finally able to check Taiwan off my checklist! 謝謝台灣!
August 21, 2023
Chandler Forrest