TAIWAN, MY "DARK HORSE" COUNTRY
I never thought that I'd enjoy Taiwan as much as I did when we first put the country on our trip itinerary. But to my pleasant surprise, it was actually a fun city to be in! It also could have been because we went into it without any expectations of what to expect. My parents and I spent 3 days in Taiwan, and I thought that was plenty of time to explore all the major sights in Tapei. The main attraction in Taipei (and on the List) is the National Palace Museum. I thought the museum was a bit overrated compared to the hype I read online, but it does hold a lot of significance to the Taiwanese people. One of the things Patricia recommended specifically seeing at the museum was the Jadeite cabbage. If you go to the museum during peak times, you’ll encounter a long roped off line that leads to the exhibit with this one display case showing off their Jadeite cabbage. As you can see, it’s tiny. There was such a crowd around the informational placard, I didn’t get to read the history behind the art piece. But other than the intricately sculpted details, I didn’t comprehend the fanfare behind it. The book also mentioned that there are so many artifacts on rotation, it would take a few months to see all of them. However, for me, one visit was plenty enough.
If the National Palace Museum was your main draw in coming to Taiwan, you should definitely stay at the nearby The Grand Hotel. The hotel itself was pretty magnificent to stay at, with a gorgeous red imbued hotel lobby that made me feel, for a lack of a better word, grand. I suggest reserving one of the Chi Lin Rooms for the better views and a much bigger room, including balcony. We stayed in one of the standard rooms for one night due to a mix-up with our reservations, and discovered those rooms have super firm beds while not being as well maintained as the Chi Lin Rooms. The highlight amenities at this hotel for me were the Olympic size pool, fitness center, and tennis courts that you can use. If you do stay at the Grand Hotel, be sure to bring your swimsuit and take a swim in their pool. When we went in November, the weather was a bit gloomy but still humid to the point you were able to swim very comfortably. One of the downsides of staying here is that it is a bit out of the way from the city center. However, there is a free shuttle you can take outside the hotel that leaves every 20 minutes to take you to the Taipei Main Station (and vice versa). Just be mindful of the time when doing so because the free shuttle bus at the train station stops operating after 6 pm each day.
If you want a more modern and swankier hotel to stay at that’s closer to the city, I would then recommend the Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza hotel. Although this hotel isn't as visually stunning as the Grand Hotel, it does provide a familiar sense of luxurious creature comforts. And as you check-in, the front desk will ask if you’d like to upgrade with an amenities package. I thought it was a great deal, so I paid for it. For only $60 more, we were upgraded to a larger room, obtained lounge access, complimentary laundry service up to $605 NT, and complimentary breakfast buffet. While there was a small mall adjacent to the hotel, I was not impressed at all with the stores inside. But hey, if you are bored, it’s a great way to kill some time.
Other places I would recommend seeing while you are in Taipei is the (1) Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, which is like Taiwan’s version of Lincoln Memorial. It was still under renovations when I went back in 2017, but I would assume that it has been completed by now. (2) The original Din Tai Fung (even though there are tons of them in the U.S.); (3) Mango Cha Cha (their mango shaved ice is amazingly delicious). There were a bunch of different places that sold mango shaved ice, including the one inside Taipei 101 where we discovered this. But I personally thought that Mango Cha Cha delivered the best results. I think my parents and I had it almost every single day too. (4) Chun Shui Tang (allegedly home to the original boba milk tea); and (5) the Shilin Night Market, which is a tourist hotspot that’s great for souvenir shopping. Just be aware of the stinky tofu that resonates around the street food carts!
