Traveling in Taiwan

>>1257826
Taiwan is not 3rd world, so there is more law and order.

>>1257838
Yeah, this would definitely be the most developed country I have traveled to, other than my own. I guess the thing that concerns me the most is whether there are super strict drinking laws like... bars have to close at a certain time... if you look intoxicated you are not allowed to be served... you are not allowed to have straight drinks in certain licensed premises etc

>>1257847
Don't worry about any of that. Taiwan is great

>>1257849
Haha, that is all I needed to hear!

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>>1257826
Resident here, I feel like you have a completely wrong idea of Taiwan. It's a 1st world country, democratic, well developed cities,dotted with some spots of pristine nature. Petty crime isn't uncommon here, but violent crime is very rare and is usually a huge news topic when one happens. Drugs are heavily regulated here, but of course if you know the right people, you can get anything. For your questions:
>learning mandarin
I doubt 5 weeks will be enough time for you to really learn mandarin, but if you're already at a high enough level, I guess your fluency might develop somewhat. English is taught in High School here, so most young people can at least somewhat understand and respond to questions, given that you don't have a heavy accent. Head to the countryside if you really want to immerse yourself in Mandarin tho.
>Scooter/Motorbike
機車(Scooters) is a very common way of transportation for people here, the city roads and highways are very well paved because of this. Use common sense and follow the rules here and you should be fine
Pic related, what most people have

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>>1257902
>drinking culture
you said you found mixed results....and that's pretty much the answer, really just depends on where you go. A look at nearby bars in Taipei shows that they're open to 3~4am. I don't drink so i don't have any personal experience, but my foreign friends found clubs sorta boring 'cause most taiwanese went there in groups and tend not to mix much.You might find that lot of drinking is done in Karaoke or in 熱炒店 that are open very late (4-5am)

>>1257902
>>1257911

Hey thanks for the advice, this is all really helpful. I do understand that Taiwan is a 1st world developed country, what I am trying to get at is that where I am from there are very strict liquor licensing laws and one of the big draws for me when travelling is that I get to experience things (in the nightlife/drinking scene) that I would not be able to at home, so if it were similar to where I am from it would be a bit of a downer for me.

As for learning mandarin, I totally don't expect to come out of it fluent after five weeks, but I would like to hopefully be able to get by on what I know and improve on it and get more confident speaking.

I am not much of a big city person. I will obviously visit Taipei, but I would ideally like to spend most of my time in the country side. A lot of the travel blogs and things I have been looking at just show people hanging out in Taipei going to different restaurants which isn't what I am really into. I am more keen on exploring the national parks and what not.

Again, thanks for your help! And I will ride the hell out of that scooter.

I loved the East side of the island. Didn't get to spend enough time in Taiwan.
There were many nice sights, one I have to name drop is Sansiantai. Like... we ended up arriving there when the wind and rain were so strong that we could barely breathe, yet it was so charming.
And then just looking at the sea from the mountains... Nice.

>>1257826
I'm in Taiwan and have been for a while, so I'll do my best to answer any questions you may have.

>Is there enough English spoken in the country that I will likely get lazy and not do this?
In short, yes. I've been here for a while and I speak basically nothing besides maybe 20-100 words. If you know things like top and bottom, left and right, "how much is this?", etc... you'll probably not find yourself learning much. A lot of people like practising their English or will assume you don't speak Mandarin. If you try to lead with Mandarin it might help, but I'd say watching TV is probably a better way to improve here.

>is this a good idea and am I going to die?
Maybe, it depends. The scariest roads aren't country roads or big city roads, they are small to medium sized city roads. At that level you have the busy traffic combined with a lack of lights or signage, and it can get hectic. It's not as bad as Vietnam or most of China, but I generally don't like using them.

>What is the drinking culture like in Taiwan?
Clubs are a bigger thing than bars, and most large cities have a few nice ones. I personally despise clubbing though, so that's all secondhand info. There are some nice bars especially in Taipei though, so that's a possibility. More popular than clubs or bars is drinking at home with friends, or if you're feeling hobo-ish, drinking in front of convenience stores. 7-11 sells beer and hard liquor 24/7 so you can easily get drunk if you want. In general most people will only really be disapproving if you're being a nuisance. You can be piss drunk but as long as you aren't groping people or yelling, people won't judge too much.

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>>1258176
Wow... that place looks awesome

>>1258184
>In short yes
I was sort of worried about that. I am pretty lazy so I generally take the easy option. I have been doing a night class once a week for a year and a half or something and if I hear people talking about something that is happening in context I can usually understand what they are talking about, but if they are telling a story or having a conversation I have no idea what is going on. I have been watching Chinese kid's TV shows because they like talking about what day of the week it is and different animals and stuff which is about the level I am at ;)

>maybe it depends
Fortune favors the brave, so I think I will give it a go.

>In general most people will only really be disapproving if you're being a nuisance. You can be piss drunk but as long as you aren't groping people or yelling, people won't judge too much.
That is all I needed to hear!

This thread is relevant to my interests

I work remotely & my Thai visa is running out soon, so I randomly booked a ticket to Taipei near the end of this month as my nationality gets a 90 day visa waiver.

What kind of mileage will I get out of taipei at around 4k USD monthly? I'm used to condo living in BKK, so I'm hoping I won't have to downgrade too much with the convenience level.

What is the local music scene like? Is it difficult to find people to play music with/open mic nights?

How are western foreigners generally perceived? Are they welcoming and friendly like in Thailand, or are they obtuse and cold like what I've experienced in Korea?

Is it possible to rent a scooter without an international drivers license? (lost mine in chiang mai)

How can I meet fronk yong? I want to smell him

>>1258249
> 4k USD monthly
Could rent a pretty nice place with that kind of budget. Will cost more compared to Thailand of course, the trade off is that Taipei is stupidly convenient and the food is cheap, 7-11s that are open 24 hours. bunch of places where you can grab a bite at any time of the day.
> local music scene
The Indie scene here is huge. Idk about the rest tho
>How are foreigners perceived?
Taipei gets enough foreigners nowadays that people won't give you a second glance, but you might scare some people if you talk to them. only 'cause they're afraid to speaking english to a foreigner
>rent a scooter
from a random scooter rental site: 租用機車需備身份證、機車駕照雙證件;若為外國人需居留證或護照、 國際駕照或通用駕照
Foreigners need a passport and international drivers license to rent scooters
> I want to smell him
that's homo as fuck man

>>1258249
I got back from Taiwan a few weeks ago.

>How are western foreigners generally perceived? Are they welcoming and friendly like in Thailand, or are they obtuse and cold like what I've experienced in Korea?

Almost everyone I encountered was super friendly and helpful. Some genuinely wanted to try out English.

A lot of the employees at airports and train stations speak decent English.

If you're white you're not going to turn a lot of heads in Taipei but out in places like Chiayi you're going to get attention like people taking stealth pictures and videos of you.

Be sure to check out Sun Moon Lake if you can. It's gorgeous.

>>1258176
The east side of the Taiwan is the best. I spent a couple weeks with my road bike going down the coast with a local friend. The parks on the east coast are great as well, I loved Taroko Gorge.
There is less English on the east coast and train travel is facile if you know some Mandrin. In Taipei you won't need a scooter the public transit is top notch.

The north has Jiufen, the oceanside town that Spirted Away was based on. For sights, Taipei has 101, Elephant Mountain, Taiwan Democracy Memorial Park, and Tamshui. For art, it has Huashan 1914 Creative Park, Songshan Creative Park, Treasure Hill, & MajiMaji. If you like Myanmarian food, go to the Little Myanmar on Huaxin rd . Night Marketwise, Raohe & Linjiang have tons of good food.

The east coast is a nature lovers paradise, you have Yilan / Hualien / Taidong. Yilan I've yet to go to, but have heard the scenery's good, and it has the Kavalan Whiskey distillery. Hualien has Taroko Gorge nearby. Taidong has Sanxiantai, and can take you to some of the outer islands, Green Island & Orchid Island.

Down south, you have Tainan, Kenting, and Kaohsiung.

Tainan is the old capital, and now the food center of Taiwan. If you like history, go to Anping or Chikan Tower. For art, go to Qimei Museum, Ten Drum, The Cultural Center or Xinmei rd. For eating as much good food as you can, just walk around Guohua rd / Youai rd, or go to Huayuan night market. You can also get to Penghu Island from Anping. If you're in the area around Chinese New Year, the Fengpao festival is something not to be missed.

Kaohsiung is a lot like Tainan, but with more western influence. Here you can find good European / American food. As for places to see, go to Pier 2, LDR, Xiziwan, Lotus Pond, Fo Guang Shan Temple, Monkey Mountain, Rueifang night market, Cijian Island, Xiaoliuqiu.

Kenting is where everybody goes to the beach.

As for the west, you have the ancient forests in Alishan National Park . Ershui / Jiji / Yuanlin for cycling in rice paddies / mountains. Nantou for Sun Moon Lake. Miaoli for Tea Sage Hut.

Lmk what you're in to and I can give you more specific suggestions

>>1258249
>What kind of mileage will I get out of taipei at around 4k USD monthly?
That's deinitely enough to live comfortably. It won't be as cheap as Thailand, but it's still pretty good.

>How are western foreigners generally perceived?
The attitude towards foreigners is actually quite friendly, more so than to other locals actually. I think this has something to do with Taiwanese people generally being quite proud of Taiwan and wanting to put on a good face for the rest of world, so it's developed a reputation as being helpful and friendly.

>Is it possible to rent a scooter without an international drivers license?
Yes, but it's illegal. The law isn't enforced that much and some places will rent to you regardless, but if you get into an accident or something then you're fucked. Also a lot of places will refuse to rent to you, so I wouldn't really recommend it.

I don't know too much about the music scene and I don't know who Fronk Yong is.

>>1258443
Hey thanks, I just saved this whole thing to my travel ideas folder.

I was planning on travelling hard for the first part of the trip and then spending the last week or so chilling out on a beach or something with a cocktail closeby, is Kenting the place to do this or is there anywhere more remote and chillaxed that you know of?

>>1258625

If you're wanting to still be close to civilization, then Kenting is it. If you're wanting to be remote, try one of the outer islands like Xiaoliuqiu, Green Island, Penghu

>>1257826
>my kind of reckless behavior
Don't go to Asia, please

Another anon off to Taiwan soon.

>really fucking excited
>not been to Asia for years
>will be in Taipei in about a week

Any of you guys who know anything about getting to Jinmen or Mazu? Those places look interesting.

>>1258906
You can take a plane to Jinmen, but it isn't worth it imo. Just some bunkers and a ton of museums with signs only in Chinese

How are the girls in Taiwan? Interested in white males or more timid and xenophobic and stuff?

>>1259092
I can speak and read Mandarin reasonably well.

What you're saying is like the polar opposite of the other guy I know who went there said.

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Gonna be in Taipei in a few days.

What bars should I hit, anons?

...and do I need any long pants for a month in Taiwan? Or am I good in shorts the whole time?

>>1258249
Frink Yuan finds you

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Summoning this >>1258443 anon to answer questions

>>1257826
Can you do anything cool in Taiwan for $800 per week?

I give zero shits about perks, accommodation, room service, loud guests, cheap beds, sharing bathroomd etc. So long as the location is very clean.

>>1261354
What questions?

If you're not a big city guy, I'd recommend Penghu if you get the chance. It's a bit out of the way, but you can see a lot of cool shit if you rent a scooter. It's also pretty fun just zipping across bridges between little islands in the middle of the ocean.

>>1261522
This place looks awesome, I am definitely going to try to get there.

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>>1261510
All of the questions.

>>1261791
Well, never heard of this guy...
Upon googling, I see he is biracial and kind of an outcast, hence the addiction to plastic surgery. He should sue his plastic surgeon, but I bet he loves the guy instead, such is body dismorphic insanity and all. Wow. Just wow. They look photoshopped Jay Leno wannabees, no offense to Jay.

>>1261803
If you are that knowledgeable Taiwan anon, in all seriousness I would like to know a few things

>best way to go about getting a burner phone?

>how about swapping USD cash for Taiwan Dollars? Any best method for that?

>same for withdrawing at Taiwanese ATMs from US bank accounts? Any particular banks better than others for this?

>and if you're in to that sort of thing, do you have any bar recommendations for Taipei, Tainan or Kaohsiung?

>>1260775
Depends where you're going and what you want to do. If you are going up any taller mountains (even Alishan) then it can get quite chilly at night. Also if you're planning on doing any hiking off the main trails then you will want longer pants. If you're into neither of those (and going any time but winter), then you shouldn't need anything but shorts.

>>1261822

You can just get a simcard at the airport.

Swapping money can be done at the airport as well, just pick whichever bank, charges are about the same. ATMs are all going to charge some service fee on top of whatever your home bank charges. 7-11 charges 100NT (~$3USD)

Not a drinker

>>1262001
Thanks bro

Nigga, change your plans and go to Thailand if you want to be a loud mouth drunken asshole over here in Taiwan.

>>1262887
Sorry anon, I am coming.

But on a serious note, I am not a loudmouth or an asshole. I am sometimes drunken though.

I honestly don't want to offend anyone, I just want to ascertain whether I can go see some awesome sights, have dinner and then go to a bar and get quietly zonked without annoying anyone. I've been to Thailand and I wasn't a huge fan. It is kind of fun seeing all the crazy nightlife and stuff, but it is not what I am looking for.

>>1263569
Revolver and Carnegies in Taipei.

I've only been here a couple of days but those 2 places won't mind if you're a bit drunk. Saw a dude being helped in to the bathroom in the latter one.

>>1263570
Thanks anon, how are you finding it so far?

Also, if helpful anon is still around, is camping a thing in Taiwan? Some of the nature looks bite the back of your hand beautiful and I would love to get in a few 2/3 day hikes if I could. I am not sure if I can be bothered lugging my tent around the whole time though so I am not sure if I should just stick to day trips.

>>1263580
It's great, man.

The people are so nice. I lived on the mainland for years so it's quite a contrast.

Been getting my culture on, too. Plenty of shit to see.

>>1263580
Don't know if I'm "helpful anon" but yeah camping is a thing. Unfortunately a lot of the really great sites are quite out of the way and require a car, which I don't have so I can't often make use of them. If you do have a car or can get a hold of one though, there are some really beautiful places out there.

>>1263583
That is awesome, I can't wait.
>>1263591
You seem like a helpful anon. Hmm, I see, maybe I could hire a car or something. Are there any laws in regards to pitching tents in forests? Do you have to stay in certain areas or pay a fee or can you just do it?

>>1263609
It depends where you are as to pitching a tent. I haven't personally tried, but I know for a fact that in places like Alishan camping is strictly forbidden. There are some very secluded locations throughout the country though, and from what I've heard you can pitch a tent there (and I can't see anyone caring). Just make sure you aren't in a National Park (those have specific rules on this sort of thing, so I'd avoid it unless you know specifically; you don't want to risk a big fine) and be discrete about it. Most popular tourist destinations do have designated areas.

>>1257826
>I am planning a trip to Taiwan for roughly 5 weeks towards the end of the year (September/October)
I am also intending to head there around that time of year, but not for such a long period. My aim is around 12 days.

>Also, I would be very keen on hiring a scooter or motorbike for my time there. I am an experienced rider, however having seen roads in China/Vietnam I do believe it is pertinent to ask the question: is this a good idea and am I going to die?
I've signed up to do a 10 day scooter tour around [most of] the island with a youtuber who has run tours there for years and gets great reviews. I'd highly recommend checking his videos out to get an idea of the country itself, and if you're up for it perhaps you could sign up for a tour.

>I have been learning mandarin for a year or so in a night class and I feel like I know enough to get by in terms of getting from A to B and ordering food etc and my hope is from immersing myself in the culture I will have to either sink or swim and I will hopefully come out of it being able to speak a passable amount of mandarin.
The guy who runs the tour is a Canadian national, but seems to speak Mandarin quite well; might be able to help you out further?


https://www.youtube.com/user/13mordeth
http://taiwantoursm13.com/

I'd recommend bringing over your own bug spray. The kind they sell in stores over there is vinegar based and fucking reeks.

Just got back from 4 weeks of travelling through Taiwan. Spent most time in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung. My girlfriend lives in Taichung. Ask me everything you like to know.

My Mandarin is terrible, I know like 10 words and my pronunciation is really terrible if I have to believe my gf. I still was able to manage mainly, only small things were harder to get done. In Taipei nobody gives you a second glance if you're a foreigner, in Taichung, Tainan and Hualien people were more interested in where I am from and what I was doing in Taiwan. People are extremely friendly and do everything to help you, even though their English is sometimes not that good.

I really recommend to connect with locals to get the best experience of Taiwan. They know the best places for food and drinks which are impossible to find as a foreigner.

I was able to have a good time partying too in Taichung, everybody is very careful about foreigners being too loud in the street, even when you're drunk, try to be polite and quiet in the streets, police are alert.

I found it a bit hard to find good bars though, I think most Taiwanese aren't that into partying, they mostly only drink some beers during dinner or just in the park or something.

>>1263816
I've met some people who are really into clubbing, and I do think that is a pretty big thing, but bars are almost non-existent outside Taipei. It's definitely more popular to drink with friends inside or just walking around.

>>1264072
Yeah Taichung has some ones as well. Went to a pretty nice nightclub myself when I was there. Being white is pretty much an attraction inside too. Some guys get instantly mad at you.

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Went to Tamsui today and saw all the George Mackay shit. He's a great man and it's strange and heart warming to see how well-loved he is there.
>impossible to have such a public dedication to a Westerner, let alone a Western missionary, in the PRC - the Cult of Mao forbids it!

You can get The Black Bearded Barbarian for free on Gutenberg project. Any anons planning a trip here should read that book and then visit Tamsui.

Plenty of old Colonial buildings there too. Always awesome - pic related.

Off to Tainan at the end of the week. Looking forward to checking out Fort Zeelandia
>read a book about that, too

Going to taiwan in a month. Decently prepared, still need to plan the 2nd half.

Any tips and tricks about anything and recomendations for places to visit are very, very, very welcome!

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Hiking Xiangshan is much harder exercise than I thought it would be. Be ready for a hell of a lot of steps going up without much of the way in breaks between. Don't forget water.

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Well I just landed in Taipei yesterday, Fuck me this place is clean compared to Bangkok. Seems like these people take a great deal of care in doing things the right way, all the streets are flawless clean and as a smoker I'm surprised by how few cigarette butts are around. The highway architecture is pretty damn impressive too.

Staying in a capsule hotel, its pretty cool and relatively cheap at 90 euros for two weeks (!) and have checked out a night market.

A few questions:

Are Taiwanese people opposed to tattoos? I have a lot of tats on the arms, neck etc and I'm getting a lot of funny looks.

I'm staying in the Sanchong district and struggling to get by with just English. Is there another district that's more welcoming to foreigners?

I'm staying for around three months and hoping to score a condo for around 20,000 to 27,000 taiwan dollars, is anybody aware of a good platform for short term rental? Or what is required to rent a place outside of airbnb?

I've got 1000 taiwan dollars to last me five days more lol I'm so fukt.

>>1265719
>Are Taiwanese people opposed to tattoos?
Kind of. A small tatoo or two wouldn't get many looks, but big ones will. It's becoming more accepted these days, but extensive tatooing is still highly associated with gangsters and criminals. Most older people will definitely feel this way, and if you have visible tatoos on your arms and neck then you'll definitely be considered sketchy as fuck by most of the population. Sorry.

You might find that the area directly around Taipei 101 is more English friendly, but in general there won't be a huge difference.

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>>1265719
>Is there another district that's more welcoming to foreigners?
Um, it's all welcoming in my experience as a white dude, but I do speak the language a bit I suppose... if you want to be in a place where the locals expect to see foreigners, then you're looking more at Da'an and Xinyi. Hit the expat bars when you get some money sorted.

>tattoos
In Tainan right now and seen plenty of people with tats in both Taipei and here.

>>1265860
This guy makes some fair points but he's exaggerating a bit, I think. Just be cool to people and they'll get past your tats.

>>1266177
Well it's not like they'll deny you service or anything, but I think it's realistic to say a lot of people will find you sketchy if you've got all these tatoos on your arms and neck. Not a big deal, but funny looks are going to keep happening.

>>1264878
I had no trouble with it myself. But I'm pretty well conditioned. Took some sweating after it though. My friend had a lot more trouble, took him 20 minutes longer than me I think. On the top I decided to climb the highest rock to make some nice pictures, all the Koreans were making sound effects when I was climbing. When I got off the rock a Korean girl even came to me and said: 'fighting!'

>>1265719
Lots of Taiwanese people have tattoos and they don't try to hide them, so don't worry. I even know some locals with questionable tattoos that are probably totally acceptable there, while here in Europe people may find them a little weird.

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>>1266187
Yeah, I agree with the basic gestalt of what you're saying... but I think it's also something that can be got past with pretty much everyone.

That said, advice for that other anon would still be: for fuck's sake, don't get any more tattoos!

>>1266225
Yeah it is superficial, I'm sure most people will get past it if they talk to anon and realise he isn't that scary.

Flew in on a flyonward ticket with like 2000 TWD in my pocket so I'm on a fucking TIGHT budget til paid onn wed, any tips for eating on the super cheap?

>>1266177
Yeah I'm a bit lost in it at the moment, having trouble getting food from the street food stalls. When I can get a sim and use google translate will be easier desu

>>1266225
I'll never stop

Do people smoke weed here? Is it as illegal as it is in Thailand? Not a degen, just miss having a joint and playing guitar

>>1266321
Weed is absurdly expensive, and while it isn't as illegal as in Thailand, it's still very illegal. I don't even know where you start with getting that, drugs in general are rarer than Western countries and rarer than Thailand due to (thankfully) less of a partying culture.

>>1266329
ah ok, thanks for the tip man. Haven't had a joint in over a year anyway thanks to these extremely strict SEA laws

>>1265719
where's this capsule hotel?

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Sup anons,

Love me some Kaohsiung. The British consulate at Takow was awesome, afternoon tea on the verandah looking out at the sea.

The Lighthouse was a cool bar, too.

Considering a trip to Taichung. Is it worth it?

>>1267807
Taichung lacks anything of value, you'd be better off going to Tainan or Alishan if you haven't already.

>>1267883
What about Chiayi?

>>1268163
Chiayi has Alishan

>>1257826
>travel destinations where my kind of reckless behavior is not only not frowned upon, but encouraged
stay at your trailer park then

>>1267643
It's called Hey Bear, in Sanchong District. I just booked another two weeks through LastMinute, which cost me 110 euros. It's actually extremely decent, and has laundry facilities. The pods themselves are pretty large as well, enough room to sit in and chill out. Looks very futuristic.

I'm giving up on Taiwan, I don't really like the vibes. Headed back to BKK where luxury condos are cheap as shit and the nightlife is more fun. Fucking Taiwanese people don't smile- I haven't seen one smile here yet on the island of ant people.

>>1267883
You really need a local to experience Taichung well enough. The first time I went there I didn't really like it there, but I came back and went around with a local and I really loved it there. The skyline view from the hill is the most amazing thing I've seen in Taiwan.

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Bumping.

Really loving Taiwan.

Nobody have any particular hints about getting to Quemoy & Matsu?

>>1269090
Naturewise & foodwise, what does Taichung have that isn't already better elsewhere on the island?

Get some danbing and doujiang for breakfast

So goddamn delicious

>>1258906
Went to Matsu about 5 years ago, took a boat from Fuzhou, then on to Keelung

Loved it, it's complete isolation from everything. The pink rice dish they have there is amazing, I still have cravings. Stayed in the art hostel place from lonely planet, the owners were lovely.

No one speaks English, having mandarin was super helpful there.

Stayed on nangan, beigan is nice too.

Definitely more you could do there if you rent a scooter, but it's hilly as fuck so I didn't risk it, never drove one before.

The sunsets there have to be seen to be believed. Holy fuck, I really need to take a trip back

The natural hot springs really made my trip to Taiwan great, street food there is awesome.

Don't really have questions, but I'm staying with my gf (who lived in Taiwan for 22 years) for a few weeks. I know she has a bunch of places she wants to show me, but any recommendations? Flight takes off in a few hours. Thanks lads

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>>1266189
>On the top I decided to climb the highest rock to make some nice pictures
Hope you don't mean these rocks, bro.

...because they aren't the top.

Maybe that's the top of what is technically Elephant Mountain (I dunno), but you get up there in just five or ten minutes from the street and that's just the beginning.
>if your buddy took 20 minutes longer than whatever time you took just to get there, then he is very out of shape
I walked on for hours after those rocks and was high up in the jungle. I walked up steep stone steps that just kept going up; didn't see any other people at all for about an hour at one point. The photo I posted earlier is about half an hour's hike up from those rocks.

If any anons just want to just get up to the famous rocks then sure, no need to worry about water or probably sun cream either. But if you're making a day of it in the summer, then you definitely need lots of water AND good bug spray. It's pretty wild despite being so close to such a big city.