Taipei
4D3N: Although I was born in Taiwan, I did not grow up in Taipei. So I make a point to visit Taipei and the surroundings whenever I am back in the motherland. Taoyuan airport (TPE, 35 mins away from Taipei) is a major airport in Asia and it is also the connecting point onto many cities in Southeast Asia. A friend of mine has once referred to Taiwan as the mini Japan..it retained many of the culture from the Japanese colonial era but at a much lower cost of living. You can continue to explore Taiwan by taking High-Speed Rail (HSR) to visit Central Taiwan, Southern Taiwan, and Eastern part of Taiwan such as Hualien and Yilan.
*Highly Recommended
Day 1
Early morning arrival in TPE
Airport MRT to Taipei Main Station (35 mins on the express train)
Check-in @ CityInn Hotel Taipei Station III* or Chaiin Hotel - Dongmen*
Metro to Ximending
Foot massage @ Royal Paris & Bali Ximending*
Lunch @ Sufood* (yummy vegetarian food)
Walk to 2-28 Peace Park / Presidential Palace (photo only)
Walk to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Dinner @ Addiction Aquatic Development*
Day 2
Visit Jiufen (九份) & Shifen (十分) (suggested duration 8 hrs)
MRT Muzha station ---> bus 795 towards Shifen (takes about 100 mins; NT45 one-way)
Get off at Jingtong 菁桐坑: old rail station and railway museum
Train to Shifen (runs every hour; ~20 mins; NT15)
Visit the waterfall (free)
Release sky lantern on an active train track (~NT200 for 4 colors)
Train to Jiufen (Shifen ---> train 4727 to Ruifang ---> Houtong Station 侯硐車站)
Walk around Cat Village Houtong
Train back to Ruifang and take Keelung transit bus to Jiufen
Visit Juifen old street
Bus to Ruifang ---> switch train to Taipei Main Station ---> MRT to hotel
Dinner @ James Kitchen*
Mango ice cream @ Smoothie House*
Day 3
Brunch @ Din Tai Fung* (Inside SOGO, B2F)
MRT to Tamsui
Fort San Domingo 紅毛城
Must try food - “A-Gei” 阿给 (fried bean curd stuffed with glass noodles) & Fishball soup
MRT to Jiantan for Shihlin Night Market
Cab to Fishes the Shrimp Field (http://city543.com/taipei/2012/04/22/gotta-catch-em-all-shrimping-at-shilin/)
Day 4
Soybean breakfast @ Fuhang soy milk阜杭豆漿* (lines go by fast)
Visit Qidong St. Japanese Houses:
Qi Dong Poetry Salon 齊東詩舍 (No. 25 & No. 27)
Taipei Qin Hall 中華古琴學會-臺北琴道舘
Take the cable car to Maokong Mountain
KTV @ New CB Party (NT419/person; comes with buffet food; ~3hr)
Take Taiwan Railways to Songshan stop for Raohe Street Night Market
Massage @ Thousand-mile massage center* (Free shuttle for 3+ people)
Other points of interest & food
Lunch @ Kao Chi YongKang Main Restaurant 高記, Tim Ho Wan
Dinner @ Kanpai
Drink @ AQ Casa, Li Tun, That Fucking Place
Dessert @ Hello Kitty Kitchen & Dining
Tips
Find your everyday beauty needs and pharmaceutical needs @ Watson’s or Cosmed
7-11 is like the super deli in Taiwan, and you can pay for bills, parking fees, pick up HSR tickets, and fulfill your midnight snack! Definitely visit whenever you need to pick up something cold for the road.
For any electronic needs, stop by Guanghwa Digital Plaza and Snytrend Center.
Don't forget to grab some bubble tea (a Taiwanese specialty drink)
You can buy HSR tickets 30 days ahead online
Apply for TPE-Free/iTaiwan wifi at the information booth (near the Taipei Main MRT)
