TW
Taipei
The Night Market Capital
The Night Market Capital
Taipei 101 Observatory (from TWD 600; daily 9am–10pm; the best 508m supertower Level 89 Observation Deck; the finest 360-degree Taipei basin, Yangmingshan, and coastal mountain panorama; the 730-tonne wind damper gallery (Level 88); buy online at taipei-101.com.tw) is the best skyscraper experience in East Asia.
Taipei 101 Observatory (from TWD 600; daily 9am–10pm; book online (taipei-101.com.tw); the finest 508m Level 89 Observation Deck; the finest 360-degree Taipei basin, Yangmingshan, and coastal mountain panorama; the 730-tonne wind damper gallery (Level 88)).
Penang Tourism →
Shilin Night Market (free to enter; Jiantan MRT exit 1; daily 4pm–midnight; the finest 500-stall night market in any accessible Taiwanese capital city; oyster omelette from TWD 50, stinky tofu from TWD 50, scallion pancake from TWD 40, papaya milk from TWD 60) is the best night market experience in East Asia.
Shilin Night Market (free; Jiantan MRT exit 1; daily 4pm–midnight; the finest 500-stall night market in any accessible Taiwanese capital city; oyster omelette TWD 50, stinky tofu TWD 50, scallion pancake TWD 40, papaya milk TWD 60).
National Palace Museum (from TWD 350; Tue–Sun 9am–5pm; Fri–Sat 9am–9pm; Shilin District; the finest Chinese imperial jade, bronze, and painting collection in the world; the Jadeite Cabbage and the Mao Gong Ding bronze cauldron) is the best imperial art museum experience in the world.
National Palace Museum (from TWD 350; Tue–Sun 9am–5pm; Fri–Sat 9am–9pm; Shilin District; the finest Chinese imperial jade, bronze, and painting collection in the world; the Jadeite Cabbage and the Mao Gong Ding bronze cauldron).
Elephant Mountain (free; Xiangshan MRT exit 2; the finest 20-min hike to the Taipei 101 backdrop photograph from the 183m observation rocks; the finest Taipei 101 sunset silhouette at 7pm) and Ximending (free; the finest Taipei youth pedestrian mall and street food precinct) are the finest urban hiking and food experiences in Taipei.
Elephant Mountain (free; Xiangshan MRT exit 2; the finest 20-min hike to the Taipei 101 backdrop photograph at the 183m rock formation; the finest Taipei 101 sunset silhouette at 7pm) and Ximending (free; the finest Taipei youth pedestrian mall and street food precinct).
Taipei dining centres on the night market tradition and Taiwanese comfort food: the oyster omelette (the best fried oyster with egg, sweet potato starch, and spring onion in a savoury sauce in any accessible Taipei night market (from TWD 50 at any Shilin or Raohe Night Market seafood stall)); the beef noodle soup (the best Taiwanese braised beef shank in spicy broth with hand-pulled noodles in any accessible Taipei noodle restaurant; from TWD 120 per bowl at any Zhongzheng or Zhongshan noodle shop); the scallion pancake (cong you bing; from TWD 40 at any Taipei street cart or night market); and the Taiwanese bubble tea (zhenzhu naicha; the best boba milk tea with tapioca pearls; from TWD 55 at any Gong Cha, Tiger Sugar, or Chun Shui Tang Taipei location).
The EasyCard (NT$100 deposit; all MRT stations; reloadable) covers Taipei MRT, buses, and YouBike bicycle rentals. Load NT$500 for 3–4 days of transport.
Taipei 101 Observatory (NT$600; opens 9am; buy online at taipei-101.com.tw) is best at 9am on a clear Tuesday–Thursday morning before haze builds over the Taipei Basin.
Shilin Night Market (MRT Jiantan; from 5pm; peak crowd 7–9pm) is easiest to navigate before 6pm when stalls are serving but the crowd hasn’t arrived.
Bus 1062 from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT (NT$96; 90 min) goes directly to Jiufen Old Street. The tourist shuttle from Ruifang costs more and takes longer. Leave Jiufen by 4pm.
Taipei 101 Observatory (from TWD 600; 9am–10pm; the finest Level 89 360-degree Taipei panorama; buy online). Ximending pedestrian mall (free; the finest Taipei youth street food; scallion pancake TWD 40, bubble tea TWD 55; nightly pedestrian scene). Shilin Night Market (free; Jiantan MRT exit 1; 4pm–midnight; oyster omelette TWD 50, stinky tofu TWD 50, papaya milk TWD 60).
The Taipei 101 sunset visit (the best skyscraper experience in East Asia; book online at taipei-101.com.tw (from TWD 600; daily 9am–10pm; the best advance online booking to skip the Taipei 101 ticket queue)); visit at 5pm (the best Taipei 101 Level 89 Observation Deck golden-hour Taipei basin panorama at 5pm; the best 730-tonne wind damper on Level 88; the best Taipei 101 sunset silhouette from the observation window at 7pm in June–September).
National Palace Museum (from TWD 350; Tue–Sun 9am–5pm; Fri–Sat 9am–9pm; Shilin District; the finest Chinese imperial jade collection; the Jadeite Cabbage). Elephant Mountain (free; Xiangshan MRT exit 2; 20-min hike; the finest Taipei 101 backdrop photograph at the 183m rocks; sunset silhouette at 7pm). Taipei beef noodle soup dinner at any Zhongzheng noodle shop (from TWD 120 per bowl).
The Elephant Mountain sunrise (the best Taipei 101 city skyline hiking viewpoint in any accessible Taipei urban hiking trail; free; Xiangshan MRT (exit 2)): the best 5:30am pre-dawn departure from Xiangshan MRT exit 2 for the finest 6am Taipei 101 sunrise silhouette from the Elephant Mountain 183m rock formation (the finest single East Asian city sunrise photograph from any accessible Taipei hillside viewpoint); the 20-min uphill hike reaches the finest third and fourth rock formation positions for the finest Taipei 101 backdrop photograph.
Penang is the most affordable single Malaysian UNESCO heritage destination: the Georgetown street art (free), the hawker meal.
The Georgetown street art + Penang Hill funicular (MYR 30) + Kek Lok Si (free) + full hawker circuit.
The Eastern & Oriental Hotel (10 Lebuh Farquhar; the 1885-founding single Penang heritage hotel: the Raffles-equivalent single Penang colonial hotel; the Noel-Coward-and-Rudyard-Kipling single literary-guest Penang hotel; MYR 350–1,200/night)
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