Taiwan was not on my 20 before 2020 wish list, let alone in my travel radar before the visa-free access for Filipinos was granted and before I stumbled on (and got addicted) to Din Tai Fung. Hahah!
With only a few months left in Taiwan's visa-free program, the perfect opportunity for me to visit came last March! My vacation leave got approved just in time for Spring! I've been longing to witness those delicate pink blossoms for a couple of years already, so, together with my favorite travel buddies - Ed and my parents, I excitedly flew to Taipei despite the rainy weather forecast.
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Here are the things to know before you go:
Visa
Philippine passport holders are eligible to travel to Taiwan visa-free for 14 days until July 31, 2019.
Money
Taiwan currency is NTD or New Taiwan Dollar. As of writing, 1 USD is equivalent to 30.95 NTD. For my UAE-based readers, 1 AED is 8.43 NTD.
Language
Mandarin Chinese is the official language of Taiwan. English is a popular foreign language and signs usually have English translations, yet it is not widely spoken. We simply used hand gestures to ease the language barrier. For convenience, it is advisable to book an English-speaking driver for the tours. We did through OwnRides, and I have to say it was a brilliant decision!
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| Flag Lowering Ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan |
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| 19th country with this one! |
Weather
Because of its topography, Taiwan has a varied climate. December to February is Winter. The weather is mildly cold. It doesn't snow in Taipei, but you can head up to the mountains if you want to experience a winter wonderland. March to May is Spring. It is cherry blossoms season yet it can be very rainy. June to August is the hot and humid summer, but you have to watch out for typhoons during this time as well. September to November is Autumn. The breeze gets cooler, yet the weather is generally sunny.
What to Pack for Spring
- Clothes that you can layer
- Jacket and beanies
- Umbrella
- Leggings
- Comfortable closed shoes
- Reminder: Taiwan is only a few hours from the Philippines by airplane, but never ever underestimate the weather! Monitor the weather forecast and plan your outfit accordingly.
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| Vibrant spring colors scatter around the country! |
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| But do watch out for non-stop rain showers! |
Transportation
From the airport
Taoyuan Airport is located an hour away from the city. Public transportation (MRT and Bus) are available and affordable for solo travelers. However, for our family of four, we opted to take Uber as it is more convenient and reasonably priced at 942 NTD (115 AED) from the airport to our accommodation in Sanchong District.
Getting around
Most attractions we wanted to see are situated outside Taipei, hence we booked a customized private trip at OwnRides. For attractions within the city, we reached them via Uber. If it wasn't raining cats and dogs, we could have done a walking tour and traveled by MRT as most sights are near the train stations.
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| Meet Rock. He drove us around Taipei and beyond for 2 days. |
Where we stayed?
We called Walker Hotel in Sanchong District our home for 4 days. Although it looks sketchy and worn-out on the outside, the family room is clean and sleek. It is very spacious; can even accommodate 4 double beds if they allow. With the free buffet breakfast, the quad room rate of less than 200 AED/night is an awesome deal. I didn't get to take photos but rest assured that what you see in booking websites is what you'll get.
What to eat in Taiwan?
If you're a foodie like me, you would definitely adore Taiwan's culinary offerings! Here are three that you shouldn't miss:
- Xiao Long Bao: steamed soup dumplings
- Stinky Tofu: a popular smelly snack in night markets
- Bubble Milk Tea: a global phenomenon that originated in Taiwan
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| XLB in Din Tai Fung is a must! :) |
Taiwan Travel Itinerary and Expenses
Warning: This is a go-with-the-flow itinerary. We made it in such a way that it can accommodate delays or cancellations due to bad weather and last minute requests from the parents - like taking it slow or calling it a day earlier than usual.
Day 1
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Time
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Activity
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Expenses
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6:00
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Arrival in Taoyuan Airport
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7:00
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Breakfast in the airport food court
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288 NTD for 4
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8:00
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Uber ride to Walker Hotel in Sanchong
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115 AED
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9:00
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Hotel check-in,
pre-booked and paid through Booking.com
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700 AED for 4 nights
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Rest
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14:30
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Uber ride to Din Tai Fung in Xinyi Road
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25 AED
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15:00
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Late Lunch/Early Dinner in Din Tai Fung original store
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1067 NTD for 4
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16:00
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Uber ride to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
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11 AED
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16:15
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Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
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17:00
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Watch the Changing of Guards
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We were supposed to proceed to Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, and then Ed and I would climb up Elephant Mountain at sunset, but
then it rained and we didn’t have umbrellas.
As there was no chance of getting a
better weather that night, we booked an Uber back to our hotel.
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18:00
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Uber ride to Walker Hotel in Sanchong
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33 AED
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18:30
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Visit a 7 Eleven near the hotel to buy umbrella and snacks
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178 NTD
(60 NTD for a cute clear umbrella)
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| At the first-ever Din Tai Fung! Expect to queue if you come at peak hours. We arrived at 3 PM and had to wait 5 minutes to be seated. |
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| We feasted on Xiao Long Bao, Schezuan Wontons, Vegan Dumplings, and Fried Rice. |
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| The first attraction on our itinerary: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall |
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| First sighting of Cherry Blossoms in the garden of the memorial hall |
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| Changing of the Guards ceremony |
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| The massive gates of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall on a cold and rainy evening. |
Day 2
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Time
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Activity
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Expenses
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7:30
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Breakfast in hotel
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Free
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9:00
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Pick up for Taichung Day Trip via OwnRides Customize trip
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669 NTD advance deposit, 4760 NTD cash
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10:30
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Zhong She Guan Guang Flower Market
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150 NTD/adult
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12:00
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Tai’an Police Station (Cherry Blossoms)
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Free Entrance
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13:30
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Lunch at Chun Shui Tang Original Store: The birthplace of bubble
milk tea!
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1069 NTD for 4
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14:30
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Dessert at Miyahara
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170 NTD for 1 ice cream sundae
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15:00
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Rainbow Village
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Free Entrance
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15:30
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Travel back to Taipei. Drop off at W Taipei.
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18:30
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Pre-dinner drinks at Yen Bar at W Taipei
This bar has an excellent view of Taipei 101. Too bad we missed
the sunset!
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2200 NTD for 4
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19:30
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Uber ride to Taipei 101
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8 AED
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20:00
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Dinner in Taipei 101 food court
I forgot what exactly we had for dinner, but I remember the Chicken
Rice meal at Hawker Chan (a Michelin-star hawker stall originally from
Singapore) was at 120 NTD.
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Around 500 NTD for 4
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21:30
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Uber ride to Walker Hotel in Sanchong
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51 AED
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| Spring is also tulip season in Houli Flower Farm! |
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| Such a colorful place for fun shots! If only the weather cooperated. :p |
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| A lovely lane of cherry blossoms in Tai'an Police Station |
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| The original Bubble Milk Tea! |
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| Bubble Milk Tea at Chun Shui Tang is definitely one of the bests I've had. However, food is so-so. Portions are really huge though. |
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| Too pretty to eat sundae at Miyahara |
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| Rainbow Village: another must-see in Taichung |
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| Happy place! |
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| Nightcap: Drinks and light bites with a view |
Day 3
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Time
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Activity
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Expenses
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7:30
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Breakfast in hotel
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Free
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9:00
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Pick up for Northern Coast Tour (which I tweaked the last minute
due to bad weather) via OwnRides Customize trip
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588 NTD advance deposit, 4220 NTD cash
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10:30
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Wuji Tianyuan Temple: a popular spot for Cherry Blossoms viewing.
Unfortunately, we visited at the wrong time.
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Free Entrance
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11:30
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Yehliu Geopark
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80 NTD / person
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14:00
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Lunch at Golden Emerald Seafood Restaurant
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1890 NTD
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We canceled
our afternoon trip to Jiufen and Shifen, and opted to travel back to Taipei due to heavy rain and cold winds. We visited the attractions we didn’t get to see on our first day instead.
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16:00
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Sun Yat-Sen
Memorial Hall
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Free Entrance
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17:30
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Longshan
Temple
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Free Entrance
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18:00
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Shilin Night
Market
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approx 500 NTD for pasalubong and whatnots
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19:00
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Uber ride to Modern Toilet Shilin
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8 AED
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19:15
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Dinner at Modern Toilet
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900 NTD
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20:30
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Uber ride to Walker Hotel in Sanchong
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20 AED
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| at the entrance of Wuji Tianyuan Temple |
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| This 5-tiered pagoda is a sight to behold. |
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| Yehliu Geopark |
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| Yehliu features bizarre geological formations. This one looks like a mermaid's tail! |
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| There are a lot of seafood restaurants near Yehliu Geopark. Our driver, Rock, took us to Golden Emerald where we had this succulent oysters and shrimps! |
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| Taipei 101 played peek-a-boo in the thick clouds! |
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| Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall |
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| Cherry Blossoms in Sun Yat-Sen park |
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| Quick stop at Longshan Temple |
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| Pasalubong Shopping at Shilin Night Market |
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| Dinner at Modern Toilet: Pasta in a tub, Poop ice cream, not in the photo is Hot Pot in a toilet bowl! |
Day 4
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Time
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Activity
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Expenses
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7:30
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Breakfast in hotel
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9:00
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Uber ride to Taoyuan Airport
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191 AED
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13:00
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So long, Taiwan! Xie Xie!
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Estimated Budget for this 3-day Itinerary
Details
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Expenses in Philippine Peso and UAE Dirhams per person
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Flights
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Approximately 800 AED or 11,000 PHP/person roundtrip
if you’re coming from Manila or a SE Asian country, so you gotta watch out for seat sales if you want to save on flights!
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Accommodation
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175 AED or 2,500 PHP/person
4 nights in a quad room in a hotel outside the prime tourist area
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Transportation/Activities
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Tours, Entrance Fees, Pasalubong: 380 AED or 5,300 PHP/person
Uber rides: 116 AED or 1,600 PHP/person based on 4 people
sharing
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Food and Drinks
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250 AED or 3,500 PHP/person
Most of our meals were taken in popular restaurants and we splurged on drinks at Yen Bar, that's why our expenses shoot up beyond the food budget. But it's my Papa's birthday, so that's ok! :)
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Total
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Approximately 1,700 AED or 24,000 PHP/ person
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