Tips for future Taipei bound travelers

(from upper left- clockwise: CKS Memorial Hall Square,
CKS Memorial Hall, Presidential Office,  Taipei 101,
Longshan Temple, Tian Yuan Gong)

Just arrived from my flight from Taipei, Taiwan and I wanted to share my experience. Here's my tip for all future Taipei bound travelers (especially first timers like me):

1. Book your flight in advance
I bought my plane tickets 7 months ago to get good rates. In addition, consider the flight schedule. I could get cheaper rates however I prefer not to arrive in Taipei at midnight. I opted to get a more expensive flight with arrival in Taipei during the day.

TIP #1: Sometimes you should consider whether you will get more expensive flight that will arrive during daytime rather than booking cheaper flight that will arrive at night which will make you spend additional night at the hotel just to sleep unless you're just staying at the airport.

2. Book your hotel in advance
The most difficult thing for visiting a country for a first time is the unfamiliarity of the places. It is hard to select which area is a good place to stay. For Taipei, I decided to stay in Ximending. Based on my research, Ximending was described as "Harajuku of Taipei" or "Shibuya of Taipei". I never been to Japan but I have been to Korea, and they compare Shibuya to Myeongdong. That means I would enjoy Ximending as I have enjoyed Myeongdong.

I search for several hotels in Ximending. Most hotels I found are located on top of the old buildings. However, I found a nice hotel with its own building and in a good location, City Inn Plus. I booked the hotel almost 6 months ago to ensure that we will get a room since other bloggers said the hotel always gets fully booked.

TIP #2: You can use websites to book your hotels such as Agoda, Booking and Hotel Combined. But remember to compare the rates indicated directly on the hotel's website (if they have). Personally, I have used Agoda in Hongkong, Thailand, Bohol and Manila and Hotels Combined in Manila and I got good rates. Also in Agoda they have "book now and pay later" option, you can select that if you're still unsure of the hotel or still finding better deals.

TIP #3: In choosing hotels, I always check how close is the hotel to the nearest MRT station. In addition, I check how convenient to go to the hotel from the Airport via public transport.

3. Book your Wifi Pocket 
It is always good to stay connected while in abroad. Not only you can update real time but you can use your connection to operate Google Maps and use MRT Apps. For Taipei, I decided to rent a Wifi pocket and I found a very good deal at Klook. It was only USD $6 for four days rent. Not only it was cheap but also it was easy to pick up at the Airport. You may also purchase sim cards at the airport but the long line was such a hassle.

For Filipinos, Smart has a new offering, Travel Wifi for rent. You just need to book the wifi at the website and they will deliver the item at your place. You may check it here

TIP #4: Undecided whether to get sim or rent a Wifi pocket? My tip: If you're alone, get a sim but if you're with a group, Wifi pocket is a better option (for one device, it connects up to five (5) devices meaning divided cost among you)

4. Plan your Itinerary
I am not getting to any details in here since I will be sharing my trip on my next few post.

TIP #5: Read websites, blogs, news articles to plan your activities.

TIP #6: Consider a list of places, additional or alternative, that you can visit if you have free time or for sudden changes on schedule.

5. MRT
Before your trip, try to understand the railway system. Taipei has several lines and per station there are several exits. Make sure to include on your itinerary on how you will transfer lines during your trip and which exit door is closest to your destination.

TIP #7: Consider checking how much and how long the MRT ride will be to know what time you need to leave your hotel and estimate your expenses. Consider purchasing Easy Card, save time and have discount on your every ride. Check Taipei MRT Website

FAQ:

Question: How many days should I stay in Taiwan?
Answer: It depends whether you want to go to Kaohsiung and/or other provinces, maybe a week at least. But for my 4 days trip, I covered most tourist spots in Taipei including Tamsui. 

Question: Where do I change my money?
Answer: I brought Philippines Peso (PHP) and US Dollars with me. In Taoyuan Airport, they accepted PHP. However on FE21 department store they only accepted four (4) currencies and one is USD.

TIP #8: Always bring USD whenever you travel abroad, since USD are 99.99% accepted at any money changer. Unlike in Hongkong and Singapore where you can always spot money changer on the streets, Money Changers are limited in Taiwan. Be sure to change enough local currency when you see one.

Question: How much should I bring?
Answer: Most of the tourist spots in Taipei does not charge entrance fee, consider the amount of money to bring with your estimated computed cost for MRT, balance payment for the Hotel, estimated amount to spend on Food and Drinks, Shopping money, Pasalubong money, etc. 

Question: What clothes and shoes should I wear?
Answer: Monitor weather through Google, it was accurate during my stay but there are sudden changes so be sure to monitor everyday. For my travel (March 2017), most of the time I wore turtle neck long sleeves plus jacket. I brought a scarf, bonnet, gloves just in case it gets cooler. I wore rubbers shoes cause I expected that we will be walking a lot. 

Question: Do I need to bring Plug Adapter for my charger?
Answer: For Filipinos, No. We have the same socket in Taiwan. Just make sure your chargers are capable for 110 volts.

Question: How to check the volts?
Answer: Check the label of your charger. The volts is written as input and usually 100-240 volts. 

Question: Do I need to book hotel transfer from the airport?
Answer: There are a lot of alternatives to go from the airport to the city. You may either ride the bus and or the train to Taipei Main Station. From Taipei Main Station, you can transfer to local MRT line, city buses or taxi to go to your hotel. For convenience but more expensive, book your hotel transfer and/or ride taxi from airport. For public transportation, reaching the city is faster for train rather than the bus.


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