With all the travelling rage and wanderlust going on, a lot of us have Taiwan listed as one of our must-go destinations. And what do you know, with all the food, shopping, sceneries, mountains, oceans, river tracing and awesome night lives, you might just fall in love with the place and wish you could go back there AGAIN.
So, just my two cents’ worth on what you might want to know for your (next) trip to Taiwan.
First thing first, the most mesmerising allure of Taiwan is their food.
Finally.
All those variety shows you watched all your life describing how incredibly good those food are – it’s finally your chance to get your drool all over those piping hot awesome-ness. On nom nom! And while we’re at it, here’s the best app to help you get all those food you catch on the TV – “????”. (Loosely translated as “Good food on TV”. Note that you must search for the app in Traditional Chinese words as seen here before they will pop out on your google play or iTunes app stores.) The app allows you to search for food recommended on variety shows according to locations and specific dishes. The must-try dishes of each of the famous eateries and even the operating hours are listed on the app. However, all of these are only applicable for Taiwan and everything’s listed in the Traditional Chinese language. Ehehehe.
As part of your pre-trip preparation, you should know two things. First, Taiwanese use the “Line” app rather than “Whatsapp”, so download it for easy communications while you are there.
Second, Taiwan Tourism Board loves their tourists and they have plenty of freebies going on for travellers. If you would just make a trip down to the Taiwan Tourism Board at Chevron House, you can get a free ticket for the bus ride from the Tao Yuan International Airport to Taipei. These are actually tickets for public bus transport services sending travellers to and fro the airport, but you get to ride them for free! 🙂
For those travelling with a budget, there are plenty of information and tips for youths travelling to Taiwan, all listed on their Youth Travel website. If you are between the age of 15 to 30, you might also wish to apply for the Digital Tour Buddy at the website, which has 200 Digital Tour Buddies (mobile phone + 2G SIM card) and 500 mobile phone numbers (3G SIM card, travellers will have to bring their own phones) available for free application. This should be done via the website AS SOON AS you decide to go on the trip, because applications are approved based on a first-come-first-serve basis and are really popular. Just be aware that collection of the phone and SIM card at the airport’s Tourist Service Center requires applicants to leave a photocopy of the passport and a photo ID. These will be returned when the phone and the SIM card are returned.
If eventually you failed to lay your hands on one of those Digital Tour Buddies, apply for the “iTaiwan” free wifi at the Tourist Service Center. Simply show your passport for registration and voila! Free wifi is accessible anywhere there’s “iTaiwan” signs.
Finally, also at the Tourist Service Center, apply for the Youth Travel Card. The card allows you discounted rates for many entry fees to museums and other tourist attractions.
Now you’re all set to go, have a GOOD ONE!
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