Taiwan

Taiwan is one of the easiest places in Asia to travel by public transport, especially if you base yourself around Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. The High Speed Rail is the fastest way to cover the main north–south corridor, while local trains and city MRT systems make day-to-day travel straightforward. For a flexible trip, plan your route around a few key hubs rather than trying to rush the whole island.

In Taipei, the MRT is clean, frequent, and simple to use, and it connects well with places like Ximending, Lungshan Temple, and Taipei 101. If you are heading into mountain areas or smaller towns, allow extra time for transfers and book popular train tickets early. A Hello eSIM is useful from the moment you land, since you can activate it before your flight and avoid roaming charges while checking train times, maps, and platforms on the go.

If you are travelling with companions, use expense splitting for shared taxis, train tickets, and meals, especially on multi-city itineraries. It also helps to keep your route in trip planning tools so you can group nearby sights efficiently instead of zig-zagging across the island.

Taiwan is a brilliant place to build a trip around food. Start with beef noodle soup, xiao long bao, and gua bao, then work your way through night markets where the real fun is in choosing a few small dishes and sampling widely. In Taipei, Ningxia Night Market is a good place for classic snacks, while Shilin Night Market is better for a big, energetic evening out.

In Tainan, the food scene feels especially local and unhurried, with dishes like dan zai noodles and sweet tofu pudding served in old-school shops and market stalls. In Kaohsiung, combine dinner with a stroll around Lotus Pond or the Pier-2 Art Center, then stop for shaved ice or grilled seafood near the waterfront. Taiwan’s bubble tea culture is everywhere, but it is worth trying tea from a local teahouse too, especially in the hills around Jiufen or Alishan.

Prices are generally friendly for travellers: a satisfying night-market meal may cost around NT$100–250 (roughly US$3–8), while a fuller sit-down meal often lands between NT$300–600. Keeping your food spending in budget tracking helps, because it is easy to lose count when every stall looks tempting.

One of the best things about Taiwan is how easily modern city life sits beside older traditions. You can spend the morning at Taipei 101, then head to Lungshan Temple or the National Palace Museum in the afternoon, and still end the day in a neon-lit night market. In places like Tainan, temple culture feels especially visible: incense, dragon carvings, and neighbourhood rituals are part of daily life rather than staged for visitors.

If you want a slower afternoon, try Beitou in Taipei for hot springs and a quieter atmosphere. Soaking in a public bath or spa is a classic local experience, and it pairs well with a walk through the area’s old streets and parks. Farther south, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas at Lotus Pond in Kaohsiung are one of the country’s most photogenic temple sights.

When visiting temples, dress modestly, keep your voice low, and watch how locals behave before taking photos. Many sites welcome visitors warmly, but a little restraint goes a long way. Use trip planning to group cultural stops together so you can move at an easy pace instead of rushing from shrine to shrine.

Taiwan is easy to enjoy on almost any budget, but a few smart habits help a lot. A comfortable traveller can often manage well on around NT$1,800–3,500 per day depending on accommodation, transport, and activities, while food alone can stay surprisingly affordable if you mix night markets with simple local lunches. Cash is still useful in smaller shops and older neighbourhoods, though cards are increasingly accepted in cities.

For connectivity, an eSIM from Hello is one of the simplest ways to stay online without hunting for airport kiosks or worrying about roaming. Buy and activate it before you land, then use maps, translation apps, ride-hailing, and train schedules immediately after arrival. That is especially handy if you are moving between Taipei, Jiufen, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, where transit connections are straightforward but timing matters.

Track your daily spending in local currency so you can see where your money is going, especially if you are paying for extra desserts, coffee, or taxis. If you are travelling with friends or a partner, expense splitting makes shared meals and transport much easier to settle without awkward math at the end of the day.