i ate & walked my way through taiwan 🇹🇼
here’s how we spent 8 days across kaohsiung, taichung & taipei 👇
📍 kaohsiung
day 1: taipei arrival → kaohsiung + night market
landed in taipei at 5:35am, cleared immigration and immediately took the 🚄 HSR down to kaohsiung
🌈 dome of light
touristy, but still quite pretty. we stopped for like 5 mins & that was enough. worth it if you’re passing by, but not worth going out of your way for
🏝️ cijin island
short ferry ride over (kinda gave udo island in jeju vibes). we rented an electric “tuktuk” for 3 pax and honestly… BEST decision. toured the whole island w/o feeling tired at all
🍢 liuhe night market
not the biggest night market, but a decent intro to taiwan’s night market scene. eventually you’ll realise that most night markets sell the same things…
day 2: artsy streets & night market chaos
🎨 weiwu village / graffiti street
colourful murals, indie bookstore energy, very IG-friendly. nice for photos and a chill walk
🍽️ food & misc
popped by yaletown bistro, then somehow ended up spending way too much time at dream mall (huge, air-conditioned, very dangerous for the wallet). honestly we were just there to chill because we were already damn tired… ageing is real…
ended the night at ruifeng night market, which imo is better than liuhe. more choices, more chaos which is exactly how a night market should be. as mentioned… eventually all night markets start to blur into one
day 3: alishan day trip
booked via klook and omg the ride was LONG. 3 hours up + 3 hours back = 6 hours total. my butt went numb. BUT no regrets because the weather was amazing!! super cooling, misty forests, very scenic, very peaceful. it did rain a bit, but vibes were still there.
tour guide stopped by honest charlie honest tea and we got a free tea tasting session. the red tea was really good & would recommend buying the tea leaves if you’re into that
📍 taichung
day 4: slow taichung day
very chill day. started with breakfast at a random beef noodle shop (forgot the name oops), then visited a random museum before heading to miyahara. it’s part cafe, part dessert shop, part tourist trap BUT still worth it
day 5: sun moon lake + gaomei wetlands
🌊 sun moon lake
my FAVOURITE part of the entire trip. the scenery was so calming it genuinely felt like life slowed down for a bit. peaceful, pretty, very healing. we cycled around the lake & we got an e-scooter which i highly recommend because zero effort needed… but also slightly dangerous because it was kinda hard to control LOL
🌅 gaomei wetlands
PLEASE go near sunset. the reflections, silhouettes, and overall vibes were unreal. sunset was GORGEOUS. BUT it was also super cold and windy, so bring a good jacket or windbreaker unless u enjoy suffering.
ended the night at fengchia night market & at this point… i was lowkey sick of night market food 😭
📍 taipei
day 6: taichung → taipei, chill city day
took the train up to taipei, checked in, and kept the day intentionally light.
did very important things like:
🧸 pop mart browsing
🧋 xing fu tang (brown sugar boba always hits)
🛍️ casual shopping + wandering
day 7: classic taiwan day trip
did a day tour covering:
🏮 jiufen: old streets, teahouses, touristy but still charming
🎈 shifen: lantern release + waterfall combo
🪨 yehliu geopark: weird rocks, strong winds, hold onto your hat
yes it’s VERY touristy, quite rushed but also worth doing once.
day 8: yangmingshan & beitou (ending on a chill note)
last day = nature + recovery.
headed to yangmingshan for cooler weather and greenery, then down to beitou to explore the hot spring area. it was raining, cold, and we were exhausted…
final thoughts
taiwan is easy to travel, affordable, & perfect if you love eating non-stop, efficient public transport, and having cities + nature in one trip. my biggest regret? not going bar hopping. i later found out taipei has some really quirky, award-winning bars and i LOVEEE bar hopping and cocktails 😭would i revisit? maybe… but probably not until like 10 years later
During my Taiwan trip, I realized that transportation is incredibly efficient, making it easy to move between cities like Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taipei via the High-Speed Rail (HSR). If you’re planning your own visit, don’t miss renting an electric tuk-tuk at Cijin Island—it’s a fun and effortless way to explore the whole island without tiring yourself out. One tip I’d share is to bring warm layers if you visit places like Gaomei Wetlands near sunset or Yangmingshan, as it can get quite cold and windy despite Taiwan’s generally mild climate. Also, while night markets offer a great introduction to local food culture, try not to overload on market eats every night; mixing in restaurant cafes like Yaletown Bistro or local favorites can keep your palate fresh. I also recommend building in some downtime. For instance, the Dream Mall in Kaohsiung is massive and offers a cool, air-conditioned shopping break that’s perfect for tired travelers. And if you love nature, a day trip to Alishan offers refreshing forests and misty mountain views—but prepare for a long ride. Lastly, a personal favorite was cycling around Sun Moon Lake with an e-scooter—a unique way to soak in the tranquil scenery without overexerting. Just be cautious as e-scooters can be tricky on uneven paths! With so much to see and eat, Taiwan truly offers a balanced trip of vibrant city life and serene nature, perfect for travelers who love diverse experiences packed into one adventure.
