Way back in 2024, we were lucky enough to share a boat in Halong Bay, Vietnam, with a group of 3 lovely ladies from Taiwan. We had very little common language, but we laughed together, ate together and they were possibly the loveliest people we have ever met on any of our travels. At the end of our time together they managed to tell us we should visit Taiwan as it was beautiful and definitely not like China! Back then we had other travel plans, but the seed was sown and this year we decided to see for ourselves if they were correct. We had decided to make a stopover in Bangkok on the way (the ongoing Iran conflict would have cancelled any flights connecting through our usual hub of Doha) and our flight, BA2231 arrived 20 minutes early! We’d completed all the relevant paperwork online before our arrival so we sailed through immigration and baggage collection and were soon in our pre-booked taxi on our way to our hotel, the Phranakorn Nornlen.
We always try to get into some sort of routine as soon as possible, so we ordered a fresh pizza and a couple of beers from the onsite coffee shop – Unbranded Café – and then we grabbed an early night.
We had already planned our days in Bangkok before arriving and after a freshly cooked breakfast from Unbranded Cafe, we ventured out into the stifling heat and humidity to find the water taxi.
Our plan was to go directly to Wat Pho but a chance meeting with a local guy completely changed our direction. A little older man approached us as we waited to cross the road, asking where we were from and where we were heading, a conversation that led to us receiving a hand drawn map, on a small slip of paper pulled from his wallet, of 2 nearby temples (less touristy in his opinion). He explained this would enable us to see the standing Buddha, then a seated Buddha before finally visiting at the reclining Buddha in Wat Pho. He also us to us only government sanctioned tuk-tuks that were legal, before pulling one over for us and bartering a good price for visiting these temples. Within seconds we had thanked him and were on our way to Wat Intharawihan which turned out to be in a quiet residential area and totally tourist free. The standing Buddha was enormous and it was a great start to our first day.
Our tuk-tuk driver had waited patiently around the corner and climbing onboard were soon on our way to our next stop. However, we were soon to be disappointed as he diverted to tailor’s shop where they tried in vane to sell a handmade 3 piece suit, shirt and tie for £300! We tried to convince them that we had no intention of buying anything, which was annoying and we were angry that this practice of trapping you in your tuk-tuk existed so forcefully in Bangkok as it did in India. Eventually, we were taken to Wat Pavaranivesh which again was almost empty; this small temple was calm and peaceful also enabling us to take some shelter during a passing rain shower.
We decided we wanted to return to our hotel and after a break get to Wat Pho by water taxi as we had planned, but despite our protestations our tuk-tuk driver took us to yet another tailor, apparently his sponsor! This was probably the worst experience (even more so than in India!), as we immediately told him we were not buying anything but he insisted on going through his sales patter. After offering reductions and sharing cloth samples he asked how much we were prepared to pay; for the umpteenth time we said we’d pay nothing as we were just not interested in buying anything, but this just made him angry telling us we should stick to visiting temples and not wasting his time!! We reminded him that we hadn’t actually asked to visit him in the first place and we left feeling disappointed.
After lunch, and the heat of the day, we took a gentle walk to Thewet Pier, stop N15 and the water bus where, for just 24THB we shot down the Chao Phraya River to Tha Thien Pier and the Wat Pho Temple, home of the reclining Buddha. The efficiency of the boat was mind blowing with less than 2 minutes at each stop to both unload and load; all stops were coordinated by signals from a whistle at the entrance to the captain that created a fascinating ballet across the dockside.
Wat Pho was a sprawling complex of buildings and despite being pretty busy it didn’t feel too crowded. Our arrival coincided with a late afternoon thunderstorm and as it was our first day we had forgotten to bring an umbrella so had to seek shelter under the overhang of the temple roof, along with many others. The visitors thinned out during the storm so we were able to visit the reclining Buddha with little company and really get to see just how beautiful and peaceful he was. This had been one of the main reasons for stopping in Bangkok and it didn’t disappoint although the surrounding area had obviously sprung up only for tourists!
We wandered back towards the boat dock through a large market of food stalls where we picked up a freshly cooked tofu rice bowl and a fresh juice before catching the last water bus back to Thewes Pier and the calm of our hotel.
Our experience has taught us that jet lag doesn’t impact us during the first couple of days (the reason taking a stopover at the start is good) so we grabbed a couple of local beers in the hotel and chatted about our day. We knew our next day would take us back up river so we wanted to use what we had learned on our first day to help us. We would not be using any tuk-tuks but returning to the cheap and incredibly efficient water bus!
With only 2 days stopover in Bangkok, we had planned our itinerary before arriving and today was a visit to the Grand Palace. Water bus was the most direct option so we strolled back to Thewes Pier and on to Tha Chang Pier. The weather was overwhelmingly humid and once we had left the air-conditioned underpass it was a visit punctuated by playing ‘lets find some shade and fan’. The buildings were stunningly beautiful but reminded us of our visit to the Forbidden City – you can admire them externally but there’s no admission to any buildings! One of the few buildings that was available for internal viewing was closed due to a lying in state. There was no denying the beauty of the palace but in the heat it was slightly disappointing. On our way back to the pier we found a tiny coffee shop and grabbed some iced drinks before hopping back on the ferry for a break and recharge at the hotel, avoiding the heat of the day.
Finding good vegetarian food is relatively easy in Asia, but we always try to find a totally vegan/vegetarian restaurant somewhere, so we could be certain that we can eat anything on the menu – this is particularly easy in countries that are predominantly Buddhist. We found that within a 10 minutes walk of our hotel there was a great vegetarian restaurant – May Kaidee Tanao. Nestled in a residential area and resembling a warehouse, we would certainly never have found it by chance. As the reviews said, the food was great, cooked to order and very cheap. The heavens opened while we ate and the deluge of rain was accompanied by a violent thunderstorm; there was only one thing for it we would have to have dessert until it was calm enough to walk back!! We meandered back through the quiet rain soaked alleys back to our hotel.
And that was it! Bangkok done and dusted. We were glad we stopped over as we enjoyed what we had done and seen, but somehow Bangkok simply lacked charm and to us, it felt a little empty, like they were delighted we’d spent our money there but weren’t too fussed that we came with it! Maybe mass tourism and the impact that comes with it has left them a little jaded?
TAIWAN – KAOHSIUNG
We were excited to be travelling on to Taiwan even though it was a late flight out of Bangkok, meaning we would be arriving at almost 11:00pm. The journey was eventful and easy; being the only non-Taiwanese on the flight we were through immigration in just a couple of minutes! Having very fond memories of a business trip to Kaohsiung some 17 years ago, I was really excited to be returning. Reaching the warm friendly welcome of the JoHo Hotel was a delight, both of us getting small gifts as not only was it was Mother’s Day, but also the month of my birthday. After a day of travel, our room way up on the 15th floor was cool and welcoming.
Breakfast was part buffet and part pre-ordered main dish; copious fresh fruit, bread, savoury dishes and tea/coffee saw us refuelled and ready to explore Kaohsiung. Being just a 5 minute walk from Kaohsiung Station meant we didn’t have to spend too long out in the baking sun. Memories of the well-used tatty railway station were quickly refreshed by a stunning modern canopy overhanging both mainline and metro stations along with a host of shops and eateries! Failing to work out the ticket machine we purchased two from the booth and caught the next MTR to Ecological District station, the closest to our ultimate destination – Lotus Lake. The lake is famous for its twin Dragon and Tiger Pagodas but the entire lake is dotted with stilted temples including a huge statue of Confucius! This was possibly the most photogenic place we have ever been and you have to keep reminding yourself that you are in a city. Despite the intense heat, a refreshing breeze (and an umbrella for shade) made the walk very pleasant.
We sauntered back round the lake to a wakeboard centre for ice cold beers, enjoying the antics of wakeboarders and a very excitable golden retriever who begged for a ride until somebody let him on their board. Joy definitely comes from watching a happy, wakeboarding dog!!
We could happily have sat all day just ‘being‘, but jet-lag was catching up with us today, so we made our way back to the MTR station and the hotel lounge for some hot buffet and a glass of wine (all in the room price!). After a short break we hoofed it down a couple of roads to Liouhe Night Market as Mrs Y loves a night market! It was vibrant and busy, but really enjoyable. Nearly all the stalls were food stalls but unfortunately there was little we could eat, however, this didn’t detract from our enjoyment. The bustle of life in night markets is one of the pleasures of travel.
Before arriving, we had seen pictures of a site that felt like it was a must visit and fortunately for us, only a short drive from our hotel. We try to use public transport as much as possible, but the remoteness of the site meant that to do so would take a minimum of 2 hours allowing for perfect connections; an Uber would take just 40 minutes so, for us, it was a no-brainer. Within minutes of breakfast we were on our way to Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum. The site is 250 acres of manicured gardens with a 16 storey seated Buddha at the top of an expansive plaza with 4 enormous pagodas either side. Everything you could ever wanted to know, and more, about Buddha with a host of tea rooms, vegetarian restaurants, gift shops and, unfortunately, a Starbucks! The scale, symmetry and architecture was magnificent as was the totally peace throughout the entire complex. Despite a number of buses in the car park, we were never in the company of more that half a dozen other visitors (we only saw 4 other western visitors all day). Each pagoda had a different theme, and no, we didn’t visit them all, however, we did watch an inspiring video about the founder of the complex (86 years old) who continues to work on single stroke calligraphy as he is losing his sight. His commitment to both calligraphy and the museum was inspirational. The vastness of the site meant that our couple of hours visiting turned into a half day but it had definitely been worth making the effort.
Grabbing an Uber, we returned to the hotel for some afternoon nibbles in the lounge before repacking our suitcases ready to move on. We like to make the most of our final evening in each destination so sorting out our logistics early enables us to really enjoy our time to the full. We wanted to see the Dome of Light at Formosa station so we decided to make it the starting point for our evening trip to Pier 2, an area of regeneration now full with public art and restaurants/bars.
Unfortunately, most of the restaurants were closed as it was Monday but we were able to stroll along the waterfront admiring the art and also the cool sea breeze. Eventually, we found a tea house/restaurant to grab dinner only to discover it was part of a small Taiwanese chain that claims it invented bubble tea! We didn’t know how true this claim was but it was definitely home to the best bubble tea. Walking back to the station, we vowed to return to Pier 2 on our return at the end of our holiday as it had such a lovely vibe and we were disappointed that so much was closed.
TAINAN
Leaving behind the delightful Kaohsiung, we were traveling by high speed train to the ancient capital of Tainan. The HST station is a little out of town so we needed to use the MRT to connect but the efficiency of the services made travelling easy. Tainan was only one stop up the line, so we swiftly at our destination; again we needed to connect from the HST by local train that took us into Tainan Central station. We were staying at the Retro Tai-Pan Hotel but with the intense heat of the day, we opted for an Uber for the trip. The Tai-Pan Retro is a recently converted industrial office block repurposed as a funky slightly industrial hotel with lots of polished concrete and utilitarian fixtures and fittings.
We had 2 things to take care of before we could take a good look around our new destination – laundry and find food. Fortunately, both were within 100yds of the hotel but food always wins! We found a great vegetarian restaurant and had a mushroom hotpot dinner. The place was friendly and welcoming, offering a menu through QR code that we translated through Google as no English was spoken or understood. We were shocked to find that our £3 hotpot came with enough food to fill a tray each and included dessert, fruit and a drink. We were full to bursting when we left to attack the second job – laundry. Loading our clothes into the machine, we used the hour to explore the local streets.
We finished the evening on the ubiquitous plastic chair drinking local beer on the pavement, our favourite pastime! Tainan was the polar opposite of Kaoshiung with low level buildings and narrow alleyways; it felt like a city contentedly trapped in the past. We had no plans for our time in Tainan except to simply explore and enjoy whatever we found!
The hotel was great but the soundproofing was awful leading us to be woken at 7:00am by fighter jets from the nearby military base. For a brief moment we thought Taiwan was being invaded due to the sustained noise! Jet lag had caught up with Mrs Y and along with the poor nights sleep she woke up feeling decidedly off kilter, so we grabbed breakfast and returned to our room for a while. The intense heat meant we waited until after lunch to explore, making our way very slowly to the other side of town and the Hayashi department store. The store was the first department store in Tainan and with 5 storeys was one of the cities tallest buildings; built in the 1930’s it retains many of it’s original art deco features including a beautiful old wooden lift with an arrowed floor counter. Our English understanding of department stores was our old Debenhams store that sold everything from the high street, just under just one roof, but Hayashi was very different. Tainan have turned this store into floor after floor of small areas each selling only locally produced goods – not overpriced, touristy or mass produced. Each area is served by staff who really know the provenance of the products they sell and do not give you any hard sell. It was a joy to wander around. Near the top of the building was a book shop with an attached reading room but the real gem was on the rooftop with views over Tainan – it cannot compete with the spectacle of high rise observation decks but looking into the narrow streets of a real lived-in city was absolutely charming. On the roof there is also a shrine dedicated to the owner and Hayashi Café, a beautiful wooden tea house that overlooks the rooftop courtyard that was covered in large round stools shaped like Tainan Peng Bing (cakes). There was also evidence of US bombings in WWII on the walls here. Having taken the lift up to the roof we decided to walk down and enjoy the store which proved fortunate as there was a display by an English artist – Tom Parker. He had created a map of Tainan and you were able to create your own postcard sized version by layering 5 different stamps using different colour inks – it was free if you spent a certain amount in store but our coffee and cake in the café far exceeded the required limit; the result was a great souvenir that we will treasure.
Returning to the hotel we allowed ourselves to just wander and discover some of the alleyways and small markets.
The weather had been scorching but it began to cool early evening and bustle filled the streets as people began to look for food. We found a tiny vegan restaurant in a small road away from the main street where the food was perfect. Wanting to enjoy the little time we had left we continued to explore the city again finishing with a cold beer watching the world go by.
We loved Tainan with it’s easy, laidback atmosphere, nobody was in a hurry and rather than leave feeling it was a forgotten city, we felt it liked itself and was happy not to have to compete with the new shiny cities.
FANLU TOWNSHIP
Our next stop was deep in the mountains and a long travel day. We picked up the High Speed Train to Chiayi and had arranged a taxi to our Air BnB. For such a small island the weather was surprisingly varied and we left a scorching hot Tainan watching the sky turn darker and cloudier by the minute. By the time we arrived in Chiayi, the rain was torrential and relentless throughout our entire road trip. We knew that the scenery would be spectacular as we climbed higher and higher into the mountains but visibility was too poor to actually see it! Our Air BnB was at the top of a precipitously steep road and set in it’s own vast gardens amid fields of tea bushes. This stop was purely to enable us to just stop and smell the coffee, we had no plans whatsoever for the couple of days we had. Alishan Seasonstar BnB was very remote and, in anticipation of finding eating a challenge, we had booked the owner’s vegetable hotpot for both nights. The owner was very welcoming and despite having no common language we managed to check in easily. The entire place was spotless and silent (great after the paper thin walls and aircraft noise of Tainan) with an expectation that there would be no movement or noise after 10:00pm. The weather made any sort of exploration impossible so we simply unpacked and settled in, hoping for better weather in the morning. Meal times were very precise and we were told to be at our table in the dining area at 7:00pm for our hotpot; as this was purely home cooking and not a restaurant we had little expectation but were proved wrong as a huge bowl of hotpot with piles of fresh vegetables arrived. We struggled to eat everything and were rewarded with a dessert of tea flavoured egg pudding with fresh fruit.
Our room was on the side of the house and looked out over a bamboo forest so when we went downstairs for breakfast (8:00am sharp!) we were totally unprepared for the spectacular view that awaited us from the breakfast tables. As far as the eye could see were mountain ranges, lush green against the clear blue sky.
We knew we wouldn’t be wandering far for the day so after breakfast we collected our books and installed ourselves on chairs in the garden. We spent the day watching the everchanging light and it’s impact on the landscape, as well as exploring the beautifully manicured garden.
Rarely do we factor in a whole day for just being, but we now felt rested, relaxed and happy as we settled down to our second hotpot of our stay at 7:00pm sharp!!
We were grateful that the rain did not return again for our stay and this excited us for the trip back to Chiayi and the views. They did not disappoint, with every corner throwing up a different view of the mountains that seemed to stretch to the end of the earth.
TAIPEI
We were sad to exchange the peace and tranquillity of the mountains for the craziness of the city, but we felt refreshed and ready. This is the last stop on our journey, which brought it’s own sadness, but it was also the stop with the most must-see places. Ms Zhou the taxi driver picked us up, exactly as arranged, winding our way down the mountain in sunshine this time, which made the journey to Chiayi HSR station more pleasant than our arrival.
As you’d expect, the high speed train arrived bang on time and 90 minutes later we were negotiating Taipei Main Station. We picked a hotel for its reasonable price and it seemed quite central (Dandy Hotel – Tianjin Branch) but were delighted to find that it was only 5 minutes walk from Taipei Main Station – a hub for both the HSR and MRT.
Dumping our cases, we grabbed a quick drink and headed straight back out. We had pre-booked Taipei 101 observatory tickets online as they were slightly cheaper and also guaranteed us entry if it was too busy. The red line MTR was clearly going to be our lifeline as it picked us up at the end of the road and dropped us right underneath Taipei 101! One thing pre-booking didn’t give you was a queue jump as we still had to line up at the ticket desks to collect paper tickets followed by another line that snaked it’s way across the concourse to the lifts. Being a fan of tall buildings this ticked another one off the list. The view across the city was spectacular and timing our visit with sunset meant it was clear enough to see for miles. Our only disappointment was the amount of viewing space taken up with huge unnecessary arrangements of flowers etc. for photographs; the irony was they blocked out the view. A number of families were also using the window space to sit and eat as the sun set, but again this made finding a free spot a real challenge. Jumping into the smallest spaces and dodging behind girders enabled us to get some unobstructed views but the number of people was crazy.
We were ready to eat but the entrance to Taipei 101 was through a very high end shopping mall (think Knightsbridge/Mayfair under cover) and restaurants were either rammed with visitors or crazy expensive. As we left the hotel, one of the hotels front desk staff – Kim – recommended some good local restaurants so we hopped back on the MTR and stopped across the road from our hotel in Su Noodles. Despite the travelling and the busyness of the city, it had been a very stress free day so we decided to wander down to Ningxia Night Market. We had completely forgotten that it was Saturday until we saw the crowds of people in the market! This was unlike any other night market we had visited in other Asian countries – this was a mix of fairground type games stalls and food. Some of the best street food in Taiwan is in this market but the queues were crazy and sadly the majority of stalls were meat dishes. But we loved the vibe and bustle of the market, but the narrow gap between stalls was awkward to walk down, so we chose to cut back through nearby road back towards our hotel.
Day two, phew, it was very hot and Mrs Y had chosen today’s visit. We were off to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. After a slow breakfast we headed out to the MTR; the service is easy to navigate and cheap (most journeys are 20NTD – about 50p). The MTR had a number of exits near the Memorial Hall but all outside of the perimeter wall that hid the buildings inside. We felt that the best way to enter was through the main gate and this was confirmed as we rounded the corner of the wall. The gigantic gate framed the entire courtyard with huge grandeur and beautiful symmetry, it was truly spectacular.
The buildings themselves are not ancient (built 1976-1980) but they are very traditional in appearance. The whole complex is free to visit, although there were private events going on in both the Concert Hall and National Theatre so they were closed to the general public. Liberty Square was vast with well manicured gardens leading up to the actual Memorial Hall. The climb up to the Memorial Hall entrance was hot and slow but the vista from the top was worth the effort; fortunately, we arrived just as the changing of the guard was about to take place and being able to stand on the stairs gave us a real birds eye view of the ceremonial precision. We descended back to ground level and made our way underneath the building where there were small shops selling traditional crafts and a Xing Fu Tong where we were able to watch the tapioca balls being made for bubble tea. The building was cool so we picked up a bubble tea and sat for a while.
We had arranged to meet up for dinner with a long term colleague, the guy that looked after me on my first visit, so we got cleaned up and grabbed an UBER out of the city to meet up for sushi.
Our last full day in Taipei and again we had our own agenda. The lovely Kim, on the front desk, really wanted to show off her city and every day checked that we knew the places we should visit. She was impressed that her desires were already our to do list! We had discovered a great social media site – Taiwan Travel Tips – that shared local information and also hidden gems and one of the recommendations was the daily chanting at Lungsham Temple. We spent the morning making use of the hotel laundry room and packing our bags ready to move on, choosing to use the rest of the day and evening enjoying the city around us. We arrived early at the temple expecting it to be full of tourists but we were pleasantly surprised. Situated in a residential area, it is for Buddhist/Taoist worship and was built in 1700’s but perhaps the most wonderful thing was that it was an active temple and not just a tourist trap. We wandered around the temple making sure we had a good look around before the chanting and then picked a spot on the raised walkway to observe. Slowly people started to arrive, taking books out of bags and pockets and finding spots to sit or stand. At 4:00 there was the sound of a gong from the inside of the temple, then slowly everybody with a book opened it and began to sing the words in a low hum. There was a tiny amount of tourists and this made us feel as if we should make ourselves invisible – staying still and silent – whilst observing this mesmerising ritual. We expected the entire thing to be over in a few minutes but they were still chanting when we left after 30 minutes. We are so thankful that it was recommended as we would never have found it ourselves.
We had also seen on Taiwan Travel Tips that there was an underground shopping corridor so we got off the MTR a stop early and explored. It was essentially a long Eslite book shop, R79, dotted with the occasional small shops and eateries. We were blown away by the cleanliness of the passage and also how it had helped to create a safe space for young people – there was even a large mirrored performance area that was crammed with youngsters practicing TikTok dances – as well as providing reading spaces in each of the bookshop departments encouraging you to explore the unwrapped books without judgement or disturbance!
Needing to eat before zipping back out for the evening, we returned to Su Noodles again knowing that once we left we would not be able to find noodles like it at home.
The evening was warm but great for walking so we just wandered, making our way back to the MRT station as we had noticed that there was a green walkway that joined metro stations above ground. Zhongshan Park was definitely the cool area of the city, with it’s shops, bars and cafes all bordering a narrow ribbon of green parkland dotted with viewpoints and benches. The entire area was buzzing with life even as it stretched into more residential areas and we just kept walking, enjoying the evening and another beautiful part of Taipei.
We had not been too excited about visiting Taipei but we were so sad to leave, it had really stolen our heart and, despite being a metropolis, it felt small and friendly.
KAOHSIUNG
We decided to return to the same hotel for our last night as not only was it a great hotel but we knew our way around the locality and wouldn’t waste any time. Our return to Kaohsiung was on the HSR and the longest journey we had taken (although from top to bottom of Taiwan would only take 90 minutes!) as we were travelling at 180mph.
We were a little early for our check-in, the staff allowed us to wait in the restaurant with afternoon tea before dropping our bags once our room was ready. In hindsight it was probably not a great decision to head out, on foot, in the peak of the days heat although Sunfong Temple was definitely worth the sweat; again a local temple that had no tourists apart from us!
After a recovery break, we headed back to Pier 2 to continue the exploration we started at the beginning of our trip. This evening we were able to take our time and enjoy the public art, as well as cross the bridge and viewpoint we had only admired previously. We were also not desperate to eat, so the entire experience was more relaxed with us finally grabbing a veggie burger in TheFreen Burger.
Sadly, we had reached the end of the trip so all that was left was an unhurried breakfast followed by taking the MRT directly to Kaohsiung Airport to begin our journey back home.
We had arrived with no expectations and an open mind but we left feeling like we had experienced a little bit of the world that is still relatively untouched by tourism. Long may it stay that way! Thank you ladies from Vietnam for your love and passion for your home country and for allowing us to experience that love from everybody that we met during our visit.
mrandmrsyoung 