Travel stories from Taiwan

Well, my travel through Asian cities this year has eventually brought me to the capital city of Taiwan: Taipei!

Before arriving in Taipei, I have done quite some research about the city, what to do and what to eat. Yet once I arrived there, there were many things I experienced that I did not expect before.

Let me share few of those experiences here with you, which I am sure would be helpful for you to get to know the city even better, especially if you plan to visit Taipei in the near future.

#1 – Taiwanese people are extremely generous
This is perhaps an understatement. As long as I have been traveling, I have never met people as generous as in Taipei. At the airport, I got my bus ride paid by a lovely lady. And on another occasion, I met a young man, who cordially invited me to a picnic with his friends.

#2 - Baseball is a big thing in Taiwan
Baseball is apparently a very popular sport in Taiwan. In Taipei, you can see baseball played everywhere at school’s playground, parks and of course in the ballparks.
And if you happen to go to sport cafés, it’s very likely that you will see a baseball game on TV, rather than any other sports.

#3 - Cash is king
For a city as advanced as Taipei, I am surprised that cash payment is still highly used. Even in a renowned restaurant like Din Tai Fung, payment is only possible with cash.
Credit cards are unfortunately only accepted in major shopping malls and selected numbers of restaurants. So if you plan to visit Taipei, I would recommend always having some cash with you.

#4 - Biking is a big thing
In Taipei, people love biking.
Taipei even has an excellent and very affordable public bike rental system called Youbike, which you can pay using Easycard (public transport card) or credit card.
Streets in Taipei also have been equipped with a dedicated bike line.

Learn more about surprising things I experienced in Taipei on my blog: eattravelgreet.com