'No matter the month, it'll be warm enough to not require a jacket. Peak rainfall is in June to September, although May is still annoyingly high. Pic related, average temperature and precipitation in the north and south.

No giant spiders. There are snakes and bears if you go innawoods, though.';

'>>2638030
Spent 5 months there in 2020. It won't be hot like it is in SEA year round. Usually the rain isn't all day, when it is all day a lot of places are connected on the interior and most sidewalks are covered (at least in Taipei/Tainan/Kaohsiung).

As for spiders
>be hiking right outside of Taipei
>sun starts setting
>almost out of the trail
>stop in a dark spot with giant trees all around
>something doesn't feel right
>eyes begin to focus
>what little light ends up reflecting off a big spider web two inches in front of me
>take a step back
>shine my phone on it
>scariest big black spider with a red mark on it right where my face was going to hit had I not stopped
>found an alternate path to gtfo
Also, I'm 6'4" and manlets will never know how irritating it is to hike sometimes since other hikers clear out all the webs down below but the webs at my height just accumulate.';

'>>2638102
Oh cool, just googled what that spider was. Glad to know it could have possibly killed me';

'>>2638104
>>2638102
This doesn't seem right but I guess they might have them in Taiwan. Black widows aren't very big and are fairly small. They also don't build webs at height and build webs near rocks and dark corners. You probably saw some orb weaver with a marking since they do build webs in bushes and trees and at height to catch flies. They are also very common in Taiwan.';

'>>2638049
>30
Do people actually live in that? I nearly died when it was 35c last summer.';

'>>2638134
Meh, that's the spider I saw. Unless there's one that looks like it, I googled it and said the redbacks are in Taiwan.';

'>>2638138
I climbed a 13k foot mountain and damn near froze to death';

'I swear I couldn’t engineer a better travel destination than Taiwan. Japan is slightly nicer and more culturally rich but it’s over-memed and I can’t afford to eat at restaurants 3 meals a day in Japan whereas in Taiwan I can. It’s clean with excellent transport and friendly people. Mainland China can’t even say that.';

'>>2638186
>I can’t afford to eat at restaurants 3 meals a day
Just how poor are you? The degenerate low value males we get here...';

'>>2638186
please deboonk this reddit thread thanks

https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/15f116l/taipeitaiwan_reddit_let_me_down_on_this_one/';

'>>2638030
>are there giant spiders
yes i specifically remember there being these huge black spiders everywhere. hard to get a sense of size from the pics really, kinda getting close to the size of a hand (but i have small hands)';

'>>2638479
what the FUCK. them niggas be descending from tha sky';

'>>2638479
Ok maybe it was one of them niggas I saw';

'>>2638030
>-is it going to be too hot and rainy in late may - early june
Why do people make a whole post for a question that can be answered with a 10 second google search? And yest, Taiwan is bordering the tropics, its hot and humid like 80% of the year';

'Had to pay 1100 TWD or 34 USD for a 30 day plan here.
Hotels are also pricey, and rates spike exorbitantly every weekend. Hostels regularly ask $20+ for a bunk.
Affordable food exists, and tends to be clustered on certain blocks of a busy street. Dinner was pork and green pepper fried rice. Quite tasty, only 75 TWD or a little under 2.50 USD. Free iced tea too. Menu was entirely Chinese, the kitchen decided what I was eating.
WiFi rangebans are a problem here in Taipei. Even with data I can't upload an image.';

'For now it's cooler and cloudier than points south. 31 C high today... I walked 4 km to Sanchong district with my bags and only sweat a little. Hotel staff tried to pressure me to cancel my booking for 643 TWD a night, 50% off the going rate...it was a "system error". Yep, heard that one before. The 11th floor suite is sweet, with a panoramic view of the district. Sucks I can't post pics ON A GODDAMN IMAGEBOARD.';

'>>2638049
Last winter saw numerous cold snaps, with days barely inching over 10 C under heavy gray skies. Temps shot as high as 29 C in February, then plunged back to refrigerator levels. Taipei is the same latitude as Miami, but the cold blasts which sweep off the Chinese mainland can be very strong. Monsoon-season temps are about the same from Tokyo to Jakarta. The plus side of humidity & rain is cooling cloud cover.';

'>>2638232
he is correct about the night markets. they are popular with locals because it is somewhere to go and hang out and popular with students because you can be social and get food. the food is nothing special and is replicated at more or less every other night market on taiwan.
a lot of the 'must see' spots for nightlife you see on blogs are low energy like he says. ximending is a few shopping streets and 2 large pedestrianised streets. if you have been elsewhere in asia you have seen similar and ximending has nothing special about it.
as a tourist the reddit poster is correct. if you have a local friend who is taking you out or you are in taipei for longer and get to know it then you will discover places which make it better. but going off the standard tourist lists it is not a fantastic place if you already know asian cities like the reddit guys says he has.
east coast is dope for nature and scenery and taroko gorge and park is good but it is not hard ot have been somewhere bigger and more impressive but walking through the mountains or being on the beach next to mountains is good wherever you are of however many times you have done it.';

'>>2639025
My first night here I stopped by the Ningxia night market, had a couple items. Takoyaki and some "stir fry noodle". They were disappointing, far less flavorful than I was accustomed to in SEA. Usually I prefer grabbing ready-to-eat snacks from multiple vendors, but there were few appetizing treats on display.
Taiwan just isn't a foodie destination. You eat when you're hungry here. A lot of the food stalls in Taipei don't even have seating, people or delivery drivers grab packets of food to go.
As far as nightlife, young people don't get down until midnight anywhere in the world. Of course the scene is going to be dead at 10 PM or whatever early hour some oldfag decides to go check out the place.
If you can't appreciate pristine natural beauty, that's your problem, not a fault of your surroundings. I intend to head to Keeling tomorrow and make my way down the east coast. Mountains meeting the sea in a balmy mild climate, that's pretty special even if some reddit faggot is annoyed that his photos don't look Instagram worthy with the gray skies overhead.';

'There's plenty of non-Western authenticity here, but without the filth, smells and chaos of the Third World. I haven't seen a single foreigner in Sanchong district so far. Lots of esoteric shops here...I kek'd walking past an umbrella shop. Where in the West would you find an umbrella shop?';

'View from my 11th floor room in Sanchong district which was supposed to cost $39/night, but I booked it for $20. At check-in, the staff tried to persuade me to cancel my booking, but I replied via Google Translate "I already paid and I need a shower", whereupon the girl looked embarrassed and promptly handed me the keycard.
English proficiency even in Taipei is pretty poor, and Taiwanese confidence in their English skills is even lower. Unfortunately, when Taiwanese try to say something diplomatically in Chinese, Google often garbles the translation.
General lack of dealing with tourists means that Taiwanese are much less self-assured than Thais when it comes to doing business across a language barrier.';

'Ximen district was busy with young people on a Sunday night';

'>>2638030
>>2638102
>are there giant spiders
There may be giant crab spiders that can’t build webs indoors in Taiwan
They feed on cockroaches, don’t build webs, run fast and are shy';

'typical menu at a local food place in Sanchong district of New Taipei. thankfully there were also promotional posters with pictures to point to, or I'd be lost. my phone doesn't translate pictures for some reason, but if yours does, it'd make figuring out what's on offer much easier. keep in mind 1 USD buys about 32 TWD, so these are some low prices. Not word one of English spoken, and I haven't even left the big city.
>uploading files from your IP range has been blocked';

'>>2639345
damn. appreciate it regardless, your posts are good shit';

'breffus...
>fresh juiced apple juice, $60
>french fries, $25
>8 dumplings, $35
>Chinese scallion & egg pancake/burrito thingy, $40
>strawberry milk, $30
total cost: NT$190 or $6 USD';

'i've wanted to visit taiwan ever since i watched rebels of the neon god 5 or 6 years ago

does taipei still have that early 90s G R I T or is it basically singapore-lite these days';

'>>2639402
Taipei is a huge city, I barely scratched the surface there. Sanchong district (in New Taipei) was gritty enough that local eateries still wash their soup kettles on the sidewalk at day's end. Tons of narrow alleys bounded by tall residential buildings.';

'$28 gets me a basic 6th floor room on a weekday in Keelung, about 45 minutes away from Taipei on the local train. In a comparable small Malaysian city, a similar room would cost $14-18. The lush tropical greenery reminds me of Malaysia, though the mountains crowd in much steeper and closer than they do down there. Today is sunny and 32 C, feels like Malaysia too.';

'>>2639351
Fat ass';

'My carrier here is Taiwan Mobile. IDK if it is a legal requirement, but they have entirely separate phone plans for foreign tourists, who have to go through an in-person registration process. You will need both your passport AND a secondary ID or unspecified "document" with your home address on it.
Despite paying NT$1100 for 30 days, I have not been impressed with data speeds, especially here in Keelung where the carrier keeps bumping me down to 3G connectivity when I am not actively using data. However, WiFi connections in hotels have been poor enough that I have been using my phone as a WiFi hotspot. Plus, 4chan has rangebanned nearly all WiFi connection IPs in Taiwan.
The suckiest part is the term-limited SIM expires after 30 days, so you have to buy a new SIM card and go through the whole rigamorole again if you are staying another month.';

'Many bedroom communities line the railway from Taipei to Keelung, which feels more like a metro than a proper train. High-rise apartment buildings tucked in a narrow river valley backed by jungle mountains.';

'Using my phone data, I can post, but am blocked from uploading pics here. Using my laptop connected to my phone's data hotspot, I can upload pics. Weird.
Streaming music prevents my 4G coverage from dropping out.
Keelung is a cruise ship destination. It has bustling port city vibes. The commercial center is cramped and grimy, but very authentic and sovlful I guess. I haven't seen any other whiteys here.
Some claim that mainland Chinese are rude toward whites...Taiwanese are the opposite. They are respectful without being deferential like Filipinos usually are. Self-confidence seems low here, and apparently it's rude to stare at people, because nobody does.';

'>>2639402
Taiwanese cinema is so good bros holy shit';

'>>2638102
when will lanklets learn';

'>>2639624
>t. in Asia teaching ESL because girls don't look at him back home.';

'>>2639675
are you the guy getting beheaded in the image';

'>>2639675
don't knock it till you try it bucko';

'>>2638030
It gets very hot and muggy in early summer then it turns to rainy monsoon season and you could get stuck there because flights are cancelled. So in May/June it will be hot. It's like a tropical island there. I did not have trouble with bugs.';

'had the building dancing around a bit';

'>>2639855
Looks like the CCP has deployed their earthquake weapon.';

'>>2639855
did u died? post vids. you mustve taken some';

'>>2639855
are you good nigga?';

'$7 for this meal of typical Chinese buffet food. The old lady at the register counted every piece of meat before naming the price. Fair enough, take less pay less. Gluttony just isn't a thing here.';

'>>2639905
It was a 7.4 magnitude EQ.
Hualien was worst hit, they had buildings collapse. Looks like the east coast highway is shut down as well. Up here in Keelung it was less severe, but I have fresh new wall cracks in my 6th floor room. A few pieces of concrete popped off the wall and fell on my desk. Funny thing is, it happened at 7:58 AM, then right on the dot at 8 AM, the renovation crew started their scheduled work upstairs. Gotta make that money I guess. They paused a few seconds for each aftershock tho.';

'So many of these freaking claw arcades in Taiwan, they must be a tax writeoff hustle or something. I walk half a km on one street near my hotel and pass six of them.

Also, Taiwan is great for alcoholics. Light 4.5% Taiwan Beer is NT$44 for a half liter can, NT$51 for the 5% stuff. You can walk around with a can of beer no prob, drink while sitting on a park bench...but you'll still fall afoul of littering laws due to the lack of public trash cans.';

'Nice little beer-fueled climb to a point overlooking Keelung Harbor and the sea beyond. There's a Buddhist temple with a Buddhist (reverse) swastika and large meditating Buddha up here. Warm and muggy now, but rain is on the way.';

'>>2640031
I just assumed they were for money laundering.for local triads.
Oh also >>2638030 op Taiwan has really strict drug laws yet ketamine possession isn't illegal. I did some when I was there with this Jordanian chick, then she wanted to take me to one of those sex hotels which the businessmen go to to cheat on their wives. Good times.';

'>>2640095
innarestin. I'd love to score some, but who to ask? Everyone here seems so upright and uptight...';

'>>2638030
Is taipei worth visiting?
Is it walkable?
considering going here for a week for my vacation but is this doable as "first time in asia only speak english american"?';

'Went to pay another night at my hotel in Keelung, and the lady tried to charge me NT$1500 instead of the NT$850 I paid her yesterday. I replied via translator "my room costs 850, right?" whereupon the price was immediately corrected. It's only a Thursday, goddammit.
>>2640110
I strongly recommend getting a data plan and a translator app, especially if you like to go off the beaten path, eat from street stalls, etc.
IME, many Taiwanese are reluctant to speak English; they know a few words, but they are afraid of embarrassing themselves. Those who are comfortable speaking English are surprisingly fluent.
Taipei has a great metro system and is very walkable. NT$150 to get from the airport to Taipei Main Station. The riverfront has a lovely fitness path. Every intersection has a pedestrian signal. Every bus stop has a digital sign indicating the bus routes it serves and the estimated arrival times. Fares are NT$15 for the local buses, but the stops are not announced in English.';

'Taiwan earthquake
9 dead, 1,038 injured, 93 trapped and 52 lost.

Live streaming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wwvvibt7Qo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUezXmjasU8';

'>>2638232
You have to go back anon and you have to stay there forever';

'Taiwan will be a hidden gem for a long time because it requires just a little bit of effort to enjoy. It’s a little too hot, a little too rainy, a little too Chinese, a little too tropical, a little dirty, a little too political, so it keeps the normies away who just want a Regular Good Vacation. But once you put that little bit of effort in the country opens up for you. I love Taiwan so much bros it’s unreal.';

'I'm impressed with how Taiwanese have developed their rugged landscapes for maximum livability. Promenade along a lovely mountainous stretch of coast about 6 km from downtown Keelung. Cool and gray today...Keelung is one of the cloudiest cities in the world, after all. It's a pleasure to take long walks here, with the top-notch ped infrastructure.
>oh no not the upload ban again';

'>>2640514
You and me both bro. Spent a lot of 2020 there and every day want to go back.';

'>>2640099
Best bet is weird expats, try hanging around the comedy club on English night and make some bros.
>>2640110
Yes it's walkable but it's a huge city. They have a simple city bike system too and good bike paths everywhere if you don't want to take the ez as fuck metro and bus system. It's pretty kino to just ride a city bike aimlessly late at night when no one's out.';

'>>2640503
Hualien was on the top of my destination list. It sucks. Both the highway from the north and the highway from the west are closed indefinitely. Remarkably, Taiwan Railways indicates that rail service along the east coast is fully operational. Still, I'd hesitate to travel to an active disaster zone...it just seems inappropriate.
>>2640514
>too hot
If anything, the cool gray weather is what dissuades your average sun-seeking leisure traveler from visiting Taiwan. There's only about two and a half months a year on average where the Taipei swelter rivals anywhere in Asia.
>too dirty
TW is much cleaner than Southeast Asia. Some food stalls do still flush their washwater into the storm drains, which is unacceptable in the West. Overall, the natural environment surrounding human habitation is cared for here, not trashed and neglected like in poor countries. Littering is no more common here than in America, and public trash-dumping is severely frowned upon.
>too Chinese
This is absolutely true. Chinese in general have zero interest in speaking English, worshipping Western culture or catering to tourist needs. Hell, the PPP-adjusted GDP per capita of Taiwan is virtually equal to that of the United States as of 2023. Taiwanese are hospitable out of human decency, not because they want your money. Hell, a soup lady across from my hotel saw me looking hungry and confused outside her door and gave me a free bowl of wonton soup with my $1 bowl of noodles. The wontons were some of the tastiest I've had yet.
It's hard to believe that the southernmost point of Taiwan is closer to Luzon than it is to Keelung. The two countries are so very different.';

'undefined';

'I think I will visit Taiwan and scout it as a location for crypto-neetdom.

Currently doing that in PH but this country and its thirdy bullshit is grating on me.

Tips for finding apartments?';

'Last pic one of the beautiful bike trails in Ruifang.
This is the Keelung coast.
Such luxuriant and extensive natural beauty so close to bustling town centers with cheap food. Better than overpriced Boulder or the California coast.';

'NT$80 (2.50 USD) for seafood egg noodle soup. Two cockles hidden. Sure is nicer to eat hot soup in 23 C weather than 36 C weather';

'Yes, buildings here are ugly utilitarian blocks looking really dingy from the constant dampness. Development is very dense in the small areas of flat land, and western residential neighborhood aesthetics are absent. Not sure what kind of availability, square footage, or rents we are looking at...or how challenging it would be to get your own monthly place as a non-Chinese speaking foreigner here without a residency visa.
For now I'm poorfagging a couple nights in a well-kept $16/night hostel in Ruifang. Hostels never offer me a towel here...';

'>>2638165
Was it a bigger sized spider? You probably saw this >>2638479. Otherwise you don't need to worry about spiders.';

'>>2641064
Spiders, hell. What about ass noodles? Do you dare?';

'>Okay, enjoy your colorectal noodles, but do not be mistaken. This is NOT A DESIGNATED SHITTING STREET
Ruifang cracks me up';

'One week in Taiwan complete...
How does it compare to my first-week spend in SEA countries?
>Total: $289 USD
$195 Bangkok, $189 Bangkok again, $217 Metro Manila, $234 Kuala Lumpur
>Lodging: $151
$104 Metro Manila, $104 Bangkok, $84 Bangkok again, $112 Kuala Lumpur
>Food: $69
$46 Metro Manila, $48 Bangkok, $53 Bangkok again, $62 KL
>Cell plan: $34 (unl'd data)
$8 Metro Manila (6 GB data), $6 Bangkok (30 GB), $8 KL (worthless piece of shit SIM & plan, data didn't work at all)';

'>>2641023
Gold Card means you pay 30% income tax on your required salary of $70k. you get a year or 2 discount at 15% but it means you are paying at least 20kUSD income tax to be there. as a british passport i can be there for 180 days no tax in a year but i can't see how the tax requirement is good value.';

'>>2639511
>bedroom communities
dormitory community is the proper term.';

'I shouldn't have broken up with my Taiwanese gf, it's a really nice country
Tight pussies too';

'>>2639025
Taiwans night markets were probably more wowing 20-30 years ago. Now they just seem like a relic of the past getting swept away I assume.';

'>>2638030
It'll be fine it's a pretty comfy place. I particularly like Beitou, Tainan and Kaohsiung. Taichung and Sun-Moon Lake are worth skipping imo. Also be sure to check out the East-Coast.';

'>>2641294
Meh I liked Sun Moon. You're right about Tainan though, just wish they had a metro.';

'Taiwan in NYE, is it a good idea?
I want to go there to do Taiwan cycle route in December and spend the new year in Taipei meeting local qts and go clubbing.
also in which area should I stay?';

'>>2640031
my taiwanese friend said all the claw machine shops popped up in covid when a lot of other places were locked down, since theyre a passive earner for landlords';

'>>2638479
Why, God?';

'>>2641186
>>2641048
>>2638102
>>2638030
>>2638049
Some questions for you anons that have visited, or are currently visiting.

I am considering working remotely from Taiwan, and my time spent awake would span from 6pm to 10am, Taiwan time. In your opinion, would living in Taiwan be difficult as a night worker? Would I be missing out on anything that's only available during the day?

How is your internet speed in Taipei, and other bigger cities? Can your hostel, apartment, and hotel WiFi be used for making video calls to America without dropping?

What are apartment rates like? Is it easy to find flexible days i.e. April 21 to May 28?';

'>>2641215
What kind of rights and privileges do you get as a taxpaying resident here?
>>2641216
Speaking of dormitories, a foreigner in my hostel room just let forth one of the worst silent death putrefying shit farts I've ever smelled. That's it, I'm fucking done with hostels. If I have to pay $40/night for my own room, I'm gonna fucking pay it.

I don't think it's crowded enough here that workers have to bunk up with each other. Wages are pretty good in Taipei.
>>2641293
The Keelung night market is on point. So crowded it took like 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other. I had a stuffed oyster, deep-fried scallops, quail eggs, and a rather lame roast duck burrito. Raifang has an indoor air-conditioned food court that is busy all day long.
>>2641294
Climate sure is nicer down there in the cooler months. Sunny and 31 C every day in Kaohsuing, versus cool and wet most days here in the north. Everyone carries an umbrella here. The mist swirling around the mountains is pretty kino.
>>2641445
First few places I stayed in had shit WiFi. This hostel is in a small mountain town, but has ultra-fast WiFi. 3 MB pics upload to 4chan in a flash. You can use your unlimited data plan hotspot as a backup.';

'>>2641594
>What kind of rights and privileges do you get as a taxpaying resident here?
residency all year for multiple years. maybe some healthcare bullshit too.';

'Will I regret not visiting Taiwan before poohbear invades and crushes this island of free, pre-communist chinese culture? Or is it pretty meh and I'm not missing much? Thinking about going this year';

'>>2641594
>>2641186
>>2641048
>>2641026
>>2640053
Looks so pretty there in the rain~
You should get some hot coffee and post a photo of it in the foreground of some pretty landscape~
I want to book my flight there now~';

'>>2641316
NYE isn't a big holiday in Taiwan, only Chinese New Year is.

>>2641445
Yeah it'd be pretty hard. It's not a 24/7 city like Tokyo. Internet speed is fine. Apartments are expensive.

>>2641710
Yes, and he's not going to invade. It's pure cope.';

'>>2640031
Try and find one with a pepe, i saw a few back in sept/oct. Spent way too much money to get a pepe stressball (the owner eventually just opened the machine to give me it kek)';

'>>2641934
I've heard the claws always drop whatever you're trying to pick up.
>>2641710
It's not a place to be a degenerate, that's for sure.
Perhaps nowhere else in the world is nature so accessible without a car. The proximity of pristine nature to populated areas, especially in the north and east, is Taiwan's strongest point IMO. You have people like the reddit faggot call Taiwan disappointing because they don't get validation from the locals from visiting.
For all the talk about how unfriendly Thailand has gotten, it still is a much more service-oriented culture when it comes to foreign visitors. Some Taiwanese like foreigners, but most couldn't care less that you are here. Also, cheap food here is all about serving customers as fast as possible using a familiar routine, not giving each customer personalized attention like the norm in Thailand. Westerners used to being a valued customer might feel slighted and unappreciated.';

'a new highway carries all the traffic out of Ruifang through tunnels far below, leaving the old route thru the hills peaceful and deserted';

'the train following the Keelung River near Sandioling, which is basically a trailhead station. trains are fast and modern here...many cooler vistas passed by before I could snap a photo. it costs between 15 and 34 TWD for a 15-30 km ride, so day hikes are hyper affordable. there are two spur routes to Jingtong and Badouzi, both with all sorts of hiking options.
get used to wet feet if you walk around much here...or bring waterproof shoes.';

'700 TWD for one bunk in this windowless room near Fulong Beach. Oh, and the WiFi is down due to "earthquake damage"...more likely, the owner forgot to pay the bill. The beach looks really cool, but you have to pay 60 TWD to access it. Otherwise, Fulong is a neat little coastal village along a busy highway, boring in this unbeachy weather. Tomorrow I go to Toucheng and get a private room for 690 TWD, cheaper than this dump.';

'>>2641972
>I've heard the claws always drop whatever you're trying to pick up.
yeah i read after that the machines in taiwan are set to just drop everything and only carry it after x amount of plays';

'>>2641926
>Yeah it'd be pretty hard.
That's unfortunate, I guess I'll wait and take a 3 week vacation there, rather than digital nomading. I'm not subject to a lot of bad feeling, but I could see myself wanting to have a normal experience, in the daytime';

'>>2641972
>It's not a place to be a degenerate, that's for sure
Perhaps the best place in SE/East Asia to find an actual partner, though.';

'comfy little seaside garden in Fulong (Gongliao District)
creek meets river meets ocean
seeing a bit of sun for the first time in five days';

'Water is warm enough for swimming, not too dirty looking. Beach has a trash problem...';

'NT$100 for a squid breakfast. The sauce was bomb.';

'Most of Taiwan's north and east coast looks like this.';

'Toucheng feels like I am back in Southeast Asia. No sidewalks here, but it's a small city, so traffic isn't too bad. Lots of small budget eateries along the streets, their empty tables comfier for me than trying to deal with the fast pace and brusque mannerisms of the food courts in more prosperous cities. My room costs NT$690 or $21.50 USD a night in a spotless guesthouse a 10 minute walk from the train station. Toucheng Homestay, it's called. Each floor has a spacious kitchen and living room. My third floor room has a kickass mountain view, TWO windows, a desk, and a large hot-water bathroom with yet another window. If you want to go hiking or strolling by the crashing waves in a neat little coastal village, a 50 cent train ticket is all you need.

This is the Taiwan I came here for.';

'Amazingly tender and delicious chunks of braised beef with chewy egg noodles...NT$120 or 3.75 USD';

'>>2642406
are you the creepy asian guy who would photograph white girls in Chiang Mai as an opener for conversation and have now gone to Taiwan? you have the same writing style and banality.';

'>>2642527
Happy to bore you. Taiwan filters attention-deficit tards.';

'>>2642594
you should marry a local farm hand for funsies tomorrow';

'>>2639064
James Smith & Sons has had an umbrella shop on Oxford Street in London for 150+ years';

'My room in Toucheng is only 5 or so minutes' walk from the ocean on peaceful back roads, with beautiful seaside forest walking trails. It's amazing how easy it is to find natural solitude here so close to town.';

'There's two shops right next door to each other in Toucheng, owned by two competing cat ladies who charge the lowest beer & cig prices around. NT$80 for a pack, NT$38 for a 500 mL Taiwan Beer. Never bought a pack of ciggies before, but the air is too clean here, my lungs are craving some smoke.';

'My translator app has been set on simplified Chinese for the past 12 days in Taiwan. Whoopsie, that's a major cultural faux pas. Taiwanese fucking hate the communist language, but were too polite to enlighten me on the difference.
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2022/05/05/2003777727';

'>>2643268
kek';

'>>2643268
i bought a magnet for taipei which used the simplified characters because i thought it was kinda funny that it did, but then i saw on my train ticket it also used the simplified "tai" (probably because the traditional character looks like such a fucking mess) and it just seems to be a simplified character they actually use quite a bit';

'>>2642872
keep posting! I am enjoying the gentle lighting from these rural nature photos~';

'>>2638049
I wouldn't advise showing up in winter without a jacket. Dampness, cloudiness and no indoor heating makes low teens still pretty chilly. I just had sweaters and a light rain jacket and did not enjoy that.
Also tons of big spiders hanging out on webs just above trails at Taroko.';

'>>2638030
>-is it going to be too hot and rainy in late may - early june
That's already past the comfiest time, but it won't be as bad as July at least.

>-are there giant spiders
Yes, seriously, unironically.

>>2638049
>No giant spiders
LOL you've never even been there, have you.

I spent most of the last 20 years in Taiwan. It's FULL of giant spiders. In fact my very first evening there, walking to my then-girlfriend's apartment after I'd just gotten in from the airport, we passed one on the sidewalk. I thought it was going to start talking to me it was so fucking huge.';

'>>2638030
>-are there giant spiders
my roommate went there a few years ago and he saw a spider bigger than his head but it was in a cave';

'Jiaoxi is an aesthetic hot spring village at the base of the mountains, prettier than working-class Toucheng. Picrel is the hot spring park, full of lovely little cascades and pools. Based on hotel rates it gets really busy (and pricey) on weekends, but during the week, things are relaxed and cheap rooms are available. My NT$700 (22 USD) room has a stone bathtub that can be filled with hot spring water. It also has an escape sling kit in case you want to leave via the third floor window for whatever reason.';

'In Toucheng you can walk from the coastal park through the city center and be on a mountain hiking trail overlooking the city in about half an hour's walking. So peaceful too. I've yet to encounter a single trail or nature spot here that even comes close to being "overrun". Even when you do cross paths with people, they are quiet and respectful of your desire for solitude.';

'As another anon noted, the damp can get a bit chilly even in April, let alone winter. A couple days ago the temps didn't top 20 C. The sea was looking awful angry that day too, sullen breakers lashing the beach before the skies opened up once again. Wet shoes and clothes do not dry out in the high humidity and get to smelling bad after a couple days. Most room A/C units do have a dehumidifer function, which helps greatly. Of course, this is the northeast; southwest Taiwan is much drier, sunnier and warmer.';

'There are so many quiet little lanes like this here, many too narrow for cars. Sometimes they lead to trails, other times they merely connect outlying homesteads to town. It often feels like stepping back in time, even when there is a complex of luxury high-rise condos just half a km away.';

'>>2644174
>>2644177
beautiful posts anon! Thank you!!';

'The figures are in for two weeks' expenses in Taiwan. Traveling here is surprisingly affordable, especially if you seek out destinations with competitive hotel rates. Hualien has the widest selection of cheap lodging in the country - structural integrity optional.
>Destinations visited: 7
For better or worse, I picked the green and wet northeast region.
>Total expenses: $529 ($37.80/day)
31% more expensive than Southeast Asia
>Lodging: $295 ($21.10/day)
9 out of 14 nights in private rooms
>Food: $138 ($9.85/day)
You can stuff your face for dirt cheap here, but even mid-range options are often disappointing in flavor & quality of ingredients.
>Beer: $47
I drink alone, with nobody else
>Transport: $10.50
Taiwanese trains are the best. I've never had to wait more than half an hour for the right train to pass through.
>Miscellaneous: $39';

'>>2644282
Have you been to south? I want to spend one month in Taiwan working remotely. I dont like big cities but i don't want to live in rural areas as well. I prefer to stay in city that 100-300k people.';

'>>2644282
jeez dude, your budget breakdowns are crazy.
Did it feel like you were slumming it?
How many calories do you eat per day? (I assume you know this too)
Were other westerner staying at your hotels, or only chinks?
Did you meet anyone there?
Do you know Mandarin or Cantonese?';

'>>2644422
The west coast is far more populated and sprawling, from what I see. Haven't been. The distinction between big and small city is blurred here. Due to the density of development, even a city like Jiaoxi with 35K population feels cosmopolitan, with a better-looking skyline and more downtown commercial bustle than the typical American midsize city. Of course, tourism plays a major role here.';

'>>2644466
Only in the crappy overpriced hostels. My rooms were all great. Taxis are unnecessary, as train stations are right in the middle of town.
I don't speak or read word one of Chinese, which makes the food scene a challenge. This morning I found a Vietnamese place with picture menu and Chinese captions, which I could compare to the words on the order form. I don't track calories, but local people's meals are typically $2 to $3. Even $10/day leaves enough for fresh juice or dessert.
IME, Taiwanese friendliness toward foreigners is exaggerated, though a few people are happy to go out of their way to help you. Taiwanese here are not used to communicating with people who don't speak Chinese, so there is a lot of awkwardness. The only obvious foreigners I've seen for the past week are a scattering of young solo white males and some migrant laborers from PH and Indo. It's surprisingly undiscovered.';

'>>2644514
Rhanks for answering all my questions. You seem like a really solid gentleman. I hope you're enjoying your trip!';

'All airbnbs in hualien are cheap as fuck because of the recent earthquakes. I was asking mostly about cities in the south bot not Taipei or Kaohsiung';

'Where should I stay in taipei? Looking for something around $70 a night

-need good wifi
-want maximum people and energy
-hate corporate shit, office building type areas';

'>>2644755
to clarify, I mean both the accommodation type (are airbnbs good and fairly priced there vs. hotels?) and what neighborhood of taipei';

'The train ride to Hualien was impressive. You could see the fresh landslide scars in all the gorges. Even with the highways still closed, traincars were 3/4 empty. Weekend tourists nowhere to be seen here. My room comes in just under 18 USD per night.';

'There were some great deserted beaches along the coast, though at 140 km/h it is tough to get a good photo.';

'came across the famous leaning building of Hualien getting slowly demolished';

'This city has an oceanfront promenade and a riverwalk. There are some expats here...saw a black guy with his dark Asian wife and small kid in the park, then a boomer also with a wife and kid. A smattering of backpackers...cheap hostels are plentiful here.';

'This is an $18 "economy room" in Hualien, kek. Enough space for a harem, and it even has a balcony.';

'>>2644514
We're you in the countryside or something? Taiwanese speak English just fine. Better than the rest of Asia barrng Singapore and Malaysia';

'>>2644925
In my experience the further you go from Ximending station the less English you encounter in the country.';

'>>2644912
>posting about interracial couples you see
I am not surprised, trv';

'>>2644925
>Taiwanese speak English just fine
is this sarcastic? I spent a month in Taiwan last summer and outside Taipei. it was VERY strange to find someone with english skills or any reastaurant/menu/service in english.
Don't get me wrong, I loved it because my base was at Taipei and going outside the city was like traveling through mainland china again but without the passive agressive chinese racism.';

'>>2644923
Thank you for carrying this thread, it's so nice~
Did you speak to anyone on your solo trip yet? Like more than just a "hello"?';

'>>2638030
my poor soul stay in NTHU in 2007-2011
fangliao in 2012
rest stays New Taipei city
I am a labor bot';

'I've been in and out of Taipei a few times. People don't speak English. They know a couple phrases, but not enough to have a conversation. Maybe you got the wrong impression.';

'https://bacsuk.org.uk/funding-2/bacs-taiwan-studentships#:~:text=A%20monthly%20stipend%20of%20NT,2024%20at%2017%3A00%20BST.
Anyone here done the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship? I need to get out of my environment for a bit and seems like a good idea, too bad I missed the deadline by two weeks kek
>>2645310
even young people?';

'>>2645499
I want to do it next year.';

'Restaurants have such short hours here. 6 business hours is typical, with three hours' siesta in the afternoon. The place I wanted to patronize was already closed 10 minutes before their posted 8 PM closing time. Very different from Thailand, where eateries regularly stay open 12+ hours a day.';

'>>2645274
One lonely bakery shop owner in Taipei who had spent years overseas, giving him a traveller's perspective. His lemon cake was dry and very expensive.
>>2645310
It depends. Every now and then, people here surprise me with their English fluency, but it's nothing like Malaysia or the Philippines, where I could converse with most everyone I encountered.';

'>>2645635
hell yeah man
who knows, if we end up in the same class and you're not a polfag or incel maybe we'll end up being good friends';

'>>2638102
>Also, I'm 6'4" and manlets will never know how irritating it is to hike sometimes since other hikers clear out all the webs down below but the webs at my height just accumulate.
KEK, total lanklet death';

'>>2646005
I'd take a spider web to the face every few weeks for getting laid whenever I want
KEK manlets, when will they learn';

'>>2638030
Hey, anyone going to Hsinchu from September till January?
I'm gonna be going to NYCU';

'A retarded beggar tried to engage me while I was sitting outside a laundromat here in Hualien. When I told him no, he walked inside and picked up my duffel bag, which was sitting under a table. I grabbed it out of his hands, yelled at him, and slapped the table a couple times for good measure. He just stood there staring dumbly for a few seconds until I told him to fuck off or get his ass beat, then he walked away.
The neighborhood vegetarian restaurant is bomb, run by several friendly old ladies. Food platters are NT$170-220, and they use all sorts of delicious wild mushrooms instead of meat. It's so nice to eat healthy food for a change.';

'>>2646214
It's amazing reading about the dumb shit that took place on the other side of the world while I've been sleeping in my $700 queen sized bed.

The table slapping was a good idea. I wish I was there to see it. Witnessing a real fight between a malnourished but cocky Asian man and a 6 foot white man outweighing him 2:1 would be fascinating.';

'>>2639621
>>2639402
>rebels of the neon god
it was pretty good but not wong kar wai/ HK level. any other recs though?';

'>>2646214
>vegeterian
I would smash your head as a weighlifter and boxer, you probably weight like 70kg just as average asian male haha';

'>>2646214
He did that because he knew you are malnourished vegeterian cuck that is just one punch obstacle just like other mutts.';

'>>2645940
>if we end up in the same class
I wanna go somewhere other than Taipei (for cost of living and also to not rely on English so much) so probably not but we can have a couple of pints if we're there at the same time
>and you're not a polfag or incel
I figure they'd hate Taiwan';

'>>2646445
Great way to end up in a foreign prison, fool.
Stay in your weight wiggling zone.';

'>>2646532
>bug person immediately threatens to get police involved

Lmao pussyboy';

'>>2646532
haha you will do shit cuck, even asians are disrespecting you';

'Taiwan anon, where are you?';

'the best thing about taiwan is the easy card';

'Hualien is the cheapest city in Taiwan, on par with Southeast Asian cities for cost while having superior outdoor recreation opportunities. My ledger for the week tallies NT$7096 in expenses, about $31.29/day. Rooms averaged $17.50 USD per night, and food expenses averaged $10.29 per day.
Foreign tourists haven't returned to Hualien since the quake closed Taroko Gorge; word is it may not reopen for a long time. The city's tourism promoter buttonholed me for a talk about the issue; I was the only foreigner he had seen all evening at the Dongdamen night market down by the sea. Lots of exquisite seafood dishes on offer, but only locals were feasting.';

'>>2646214
>eating fungus that grows out of shit and dead animals is healthy

Ok retard.';

'Any ideas on how to kill time in Taipei before check in? My flight lands at 6 am';

'>>2647618
i was staying in the yilan area when the earthquake hit. was meant to go down to and through hualien but sadly that did not come to pass. hopefully things open back up soon.';

'Train conductor tried to shake me down for triple the fare price in cash. There was no signage on the train or on the departure board indicating this reserved status, and the flyer he showed me only stated that passengers with no ticket must pay a surcharged fare. I insisted that it did not apply to me because I did have a valid ticket. He insisted that my ticket, which was "local", was not valid on the train. After a bit of impasse, I agreed to get off at the next stop, and he left me alone after that.';

'>>2638186
Maybe you were in Japan before the dollar pummeled the yen back to the 1990s. For your everyday places, Japan was dirt cheap, sometimes even cheaper than Taiwan.';

'>>2648002
Yeah yeah, I've seen similar claims that Japan is cheaper than Thailand. No numbers to back it up, of course. Last night I had a delicious beef noodle stir-fry for NT$80, or 2.45 USD. Bet you can't get a sit-down meal with quality meat for anything close to that price in Japan.
The Taiwan dollar has also been slumping this year, especially since the quake...the TWD has lost 5.9% against the US dollar since January 1st, compared to an 8.8% loss for the JPY.';

'>>2648770
Cheaper than Phuket in a '''5''' star resort or Western hotel chains MAYBE; Japan YEN has fucking bombed hard and everything is cheap since prices haven't adjusted for exchange rate inflation, you fucking mong use common sense';

'>>2646214
>>2647997
I'm starting to think that you are an asshole anon.';

'>>2649544
Can't wait to fly back to America tomorrow. Get the hell out of all these goddamn cities.
Six months in Asia, including flights, cost me $7000 USD...half of my allotted budget.
26 days in Taiwan cost $948 ($36.50/day).
Rooms averaged $21.25/night, food $9.70/day.
Fuck paying rent. Sucks balls that half of my travel expenses went directly into landlords' pockets, but that's the cost of city slickin'.';

'>>2649838
So you really are a weirdo.. To think you were capable of appearing normal during your blog posting is frightening because if you befriend someone, then show your true colors, they might be in danger';

'>>2649838
typical vegeterian 60kg commie cuck, i hope you will get ran by some nog in LA.';

'I'm this guy >>2641316
what's a good price for NYE flights from Europe? prices floats around 7-800€ but still feels too much.
also are there guest houses like Japan or should I stick to hotels? Is camping popular?
I'm trying to squeeze 2 weeks end of year in a 2000€ ish budget but it feels impossible. I booked a hostel in Taipei for NYE for 60€/night and I'm pretty happy about it.';

'>>2638030
Dont go to taiwan
Its literally yakuza irl
Gangsters and rich politicians/businessmen control the country together
Yes gangsters
Gangster criminals
You cant escape them
Theyre embedded into the system
Taiwan is corrupt
Gangsters very prevalent in nightlife
They get mad when they see guys hitting on hot girls and try to fight you
Tiny dicked asian gangsters that are cowards and only fight in groups';

'>>2650802
Gangsters like to use their hookers set up gullible guys and force them to pay up unless they want to be accused of rape and tried for up
Also gambling dens and ktv, if you owe the gangsters money they will torture you and kill you';

'>>2640031
>So many of these freaking claw arcades in Taiwan, they must be a tax writeoff hustle or something. I walk half a km on one street near my hotel and pass six of them.
Money laundering scheme set up by taiwanese gangsters';

'>>2650805
Never get involved with drugs in taiwan
Gangsters will torture and kill you';

'With work and money, I think November is going to be the best time for me to visit Taiwan.
If I fly in to Taipei, what should I do with my two weeks?
I studied Mandarin at university many years ago and lived in Mainland China so the language barrier shouldn't be much of a problem (but reading might).
I'm up to anything, the big cities and the nature is all appealing to me.';

'>>2651062
I spent 5 months there in 2020 (Covid refugee who didn't want to leave). You could spend your whole time in Taipei and still find and do interesting stuff easily. It's simple enough to hop on a train and head to Tainan or Kaohsiung in that much time. After Taipei, Tainan is the most interesting, then Kaohsiung, then Taichung. East coast is cool, won't be as nice in November though. Taroko is worth it, maybe not after the earthquake though since it destroyed a lot of paths. I also liked Sun Moon Lake quite a bit.';

'>>2651065
Would you recommend spreading my time across multiple places?';

'>>2651065
>East coast is cool, won't be as nice in November though
how come? The weather will be chilly?';

'>>2650802
this is quite true. you don't have the benefit that exists on the mainland of the police being tough on anti-foreigner violence. on taiwan, you are largely free game for non-puncturing violence if someone is mad you are getting good pussy and they are not.';

'>>2650805
I fucked and fucked these hookers
those gang behind it should be gunned to death by myself becuz i belong to dang guo system and jungongjiao system
Fuck those parlors real fuck them
All hail those bitch test of Examination yuan
and 8 Gonggu banks';

'>>2651114
It will be cloudy, windy, and rainy most of the time. Summer is really the only time to go there and even then you kind of have to get lucky for it to be a sunny tropical day.
>>2651067
It's fast and easy enough to get around the country. I'd say spend your weekends in Taipei, weekday make day trips and a couple two night excursions elsewhere.';

'>>2651346
The police works with the gangsters lol';

'>>2646214
oh no';

'Never had ant gangster problems in Taiwan and I was balls deep in the nightlife.

I suspect if you spend money and actually enjoy what is offered as intended you will be left alone.';