Taiwan is one of the best places for expats to live, due to its high standard of living, friendly environment for western foreigners, convenience, great food, and amazing sites. In this blog, I will give you the top ten reasons why you should live in Taiwan.
Basic Taiwan Travel Tips:
- There is no need to tip in Taiwan. It is not part of the culture here.
- Taiwan uses the New Taiwan Dollar, and many transactions such as for street food still require cash. For more information, check out our guide to the New Taiwan Dollar here.
- Get yourself a SIM card or portable WiFi such as from Gigago hereso you can stay connected and don’t get lost in the city.
- If you are from a country that does not have a 90-day visa-free program with Taiwan, consider getting your visa sorted with Ivisa.com. You can also check out our immigration FAQ here.
- Get travel insurance in case of unforeseen events. You can compare prices on Insubuy here.
- The electrical voltage is 110V.
- Get yourself an Easy Card, so you can travel easily on the MRT, Train, HSR, Youbike, and even shop at convenience stores. You can also book a Taiwan travel pass on Klook here.
- For more travel tips, check out our foreigner survival guide here.
Hotels in Taiwan:
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
Tours in Taiwan:
There are many tour itineraries that you can enjoy in Taipei that will take you to multiple destinations and arrange transportation. For more information, you can check out Tripadvisor here, KKday here or Klook here, which are both great tour websites that can connect you with the right tour and tour guide for you.
Here are some of the most popular tours of Taiwan on TripAdvisor:
- Yehliu, Jiufen & Pingxi Day Tour from Taipei
- The 10 Tastings of Taipei With Locals: Private Street Food Tour
- Full-Day Private Northern Taiwan Tour from Taipei with Pickup
- Full-Day Private Custom Taipei City Tour
- Beitou and Yangmingshan Day Tour from Taipei
- Half-Day Muslim Friendly Tour in Taipei City
- Private Taipei Tour for Families
How to get around in Taiwan:
Taiwan’s transportation system is convenient and safe. There are many options you can consider to get around in Taipei below:
By Train:
Gets you to the city center of all major cities in Taiwan. It is about 800NT to get from Taipei to Kaohsiung. Roughly half the price of the HSR. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.
By HSR:
(High-Speed Rail) – Gets you quickly from north to south. Besides Taipei and Kaohsiung, most of the stations are far from city centers. It costs about 1500NT to get from Taipei to Kaohsiung. You can book tickets to the high-speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here.
By MRT: (Mass Rapid Transit, Metro train, subway) – Easily gets you around Taipei and Kaohsiung. You can purchase a discount easy card to use on the MRT from Klook here or KKday here. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here.
By Bus:
Buses can be tricky. Long-range buses such as Ubus and King Bus are easier to understand and cheaper than the local train. They can take you to the city center of every city throughout Taiwan and to remote tourist destinations such as sun moon lake. A long-range bus from Taipei to Kaohsiung is about 500 NT. You can also book tickets to travel to Shifen via inter-city bus on Klook here. You can also book a Taipei Sightseeing: Hop On, Hop Off Open Top Bus on TripAdvisor here.
By Taxi: You can take short rides for about 150 NT, or hire a Taxi for a day for around 150 USD.
By Car:
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Scooter:
Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
By Bicycle:
Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan’s many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. ​You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here.
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here.
Okay, now let’s get this list started!
Let’s get started.
1. Nice People 人友善
Taiwanese people are some of the most friendly people in the world to foreigners and strangers. This has to do with Chinese cultural values of saving face, as well as the love of other cultures that Taiwan has. This is not to say that they are friendly to all foreigners, but to the typical westerner, they show interest because of you are from a rich country, you know English, and culturally there is not discrimination.