Taiwan

Taiwan rewards curiosity. Compact yet incredibly varied, it’s easy to experience futuristic cities, coastal villages, and misty mountains in a single trip. Most journeys start in Taipei, where you can ride the elevator to the top of Taipei 101, hunt for souvenirs in Ximending, and soak in hot springs at Beitou. Plan at least three days here to balance temples, street food, and day trips.

Beyond the capital, hop on the High Speed Rail to Taichung for art spaces like the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and a relaxed café scene, or head south to Kaohsiung for waterfront warehouses turned galleries at the Pier-2 Art Center. History lovers should not miss Tainan, packed with temples and old streets. Nature fans can circle east to Taroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake, or tea-covered hills in Alishan.

Use Hello’s trip planning tools to map your route around the island, cluster nearby sights, and keep transport bookings and notes in one place. Taiwan’s rail and bus networks are efficient, but services can sell out on weekends and holidays, so add your train times and backup options. With a flexible route, it’s easy to add a spontaneous night market or an extra day where you fall in love with the pace.

Taiwan is a paradise for street food lovers, and the easiest way to taste it all is at night markets. In Taipei, start with Shilin Night Market, Raohe Street, or Ningxia, then look for regional favorites as you travel: Liuhe in Kaohsiung, Fengjia in Taichung, Dongdamen in Hualien.

Don’t miss beef noodle soup, gua bao (braised pork belly bun), oyster omelettes, stinky tofu, and mango shaved ice in warmer months. For drinks, follow the queues for bubble tea; chains and small stands are everywhere, and you can choose your preferred sugar and ice levels. Most stalls post prices clearly in New Taiwan Dollars (NT$), and a filling street-food feast can be around NT$150–300 (roughly US$5–10).

To explore more calmly, visit traditional breakfast shops for hot soy milk and egg crepes, or sample tea in Jiufen or Maokong. If you’re traveling with friends, use Hello’s expense splitting to divide food costs fairly after an epic snack crawl, and turn on budget tracking to see how quickly small bites add up. Keep cash on hand for older markets, but many urban vendors now accept contactless payments too.

Taiwan is one of the easiest places in Asia to navigate. The High Speed Rail (HSR) connects Taipei with major western cities like Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung in a few hours, while regular trains and buses reach smaller towns and the scenic east coast. In big cities, expect clean, intuitive metro systems (MRT) with clear English signage. Pick up a stored-value card like EasyCard or iPASS for tapping onto metro, buses, some trains, and even convenience stores.

For mountains and rural areas, buses are reliable but less frequent, so check schedules in advance and avoid the last departure of the day if possible. Renting a YouBike is a fun way to explore flat city neighborhoods like Taipei’s riverside paths or the rice fields of Chishang. Taxis are metered and reasonably priced; in Taipei, popular ride-hailing apps operate as well.

Having data on the go is a game changer. Activate a Hello eSIM before you land so your phone connects as soon as the plane doors open, letting you pull up maps, translate signs, and check live bus times without hunting for Wi‑Fi or worrying about roaming charges. Save all your train numbers and hotel addresses in Hello’s trip planning section so they’re handy even when you’re tired or offline for a tunnel stretch.

Taiwan’s currency is the New Taiwan Dollar (NT$). Cash is still widely used at night markets, small eateries, and temples, while many hotels, malls, and larger restaurants accept cards. ATMs are common in 7‑Eleven and FamilyMart; choose machines with international logos for foreign cards. For everyday budgeting, it helps to know that a simple meal can be around NT$100–200 (US$3–6), while a mid-range restaurant dish might be NT$250–400 (US$8–13).

Use Hello’s budget tracking to log spending in NT$, organize it by category (food, transport, shopping), and avoid end-of-trip surprises. When you share taxis, family-style meals, or accommodation, Hello’s expense splitting keeps things transparent so no one ends up doing mental math with receipts.

For connectivity, Wi‑Fi is decent in cities but patchy in the countryside and on islands like Green Island or Orchid Island. Installing a Hello eSIM means you can stay online for navigation and messaging without juggling physical SIM cards. As for etiquette, Taiwan is relaxed but polite: queue in lines, offer seats to those in need on public transport, and speak quietly on the MRT. Many temples welcome visitors; dress respectfully, avoid blocking worshippers, and follow any photo signs posted near altars.