First impressions of Taipei for budget slow travel in early retirement

Shorter days and cooler weather sent us further south in Asia from Seoul to Taiwan. I welcomed the season change and the respite from hot and humid Asian air, but dipping down to freezing our last few nights in South Korea was a bit extreme after nine-plus years of global wandering in mostly hot and humid air.

So, hello Taiwan!

First impressions of Taipei for budget slow travel in early retirement

Americans can arrive visa-free and stay up to 90 days. Taipei is our first stop. It’s the largest city on the island of Taiwan, which considers itself its own country — separate from mainland China.

At the immigration counter my passport was stamped “Republic of China,” and that is the first confirmation that something’s off.

Taiwan-China tensions

The “People’s Republic of China” — the communist mainland — claims Taiwan as one of its provinces. China has a policy of “one country, two systems” for the time being, with hope of a peaceful reunification. Taiwan doesn’t hope for that at all. Taiwan is a democracy and does not want to be a part of China.

A casual visitor like me can sense concern over a possible invasion by China to formally reclaim Taiwan. The fallout shelter signs are big clues, along with local and international news, and talking with people who live here.

For now, things seem peaceful. However, that might not last beyond 2024. I suggest you “do your research” on where things stand before you commit to a months-long visit.

Cool things about Taipei

Taipei is a lively city with night markets and temples in practically every neighborhood. Stay in Taipei long enough, and some Taoist or Buddhist deity will have a special day that sends processions weaving through many streets, using fireworks to ward off evil spirits.

Some cultural tourist attractions are free, like the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial and Museum. Start here to get your bearings on Taiwan’s struggle for democracy. And get the free audio guide in the museum under the main statue – it’s so worth it because many displays are in Chinese.

Another cool spot: Fort San Domingo, which gives an overview of former foreign rule. The fort is near a fun waterfront promenade. The fort and waterfront both offer good views.

IThere are several shopping districts, such as Zhongshan for trendy young people and Ximending Walking District for locals and tourists like us.

A riverfront park goes for miles, and there are other parks within the city to enjoy, too.

Yangmingshan National Park just north of the city offers many hikes, including easy walks on cobblestones that circle wild grazing water buffalo. It’s also a popular spot for newlywed photo shoots.

The ‘bus’ to Yangmingshan is an extra large van that doesn’t that many people. Go early, so there’s not a really long queue for the ride back down to the city.

Public transportation within the city is cheap! Think: 30 cents a ride, or thereabouts, to go a couple of miles. Longer rides cost a little more.

Cheap eats

Vegetarian fare is far easier to find here than in the last two stops. In fact, 13 percent of the population is vegetarian.

Street food is the cheapest, and it’s everywhere in Taipei. On the other end of the spectrum, there are Michelin restaurants for those who require fine dining – including a vegetarian one.

I like the small eateries. These are not street carts in a night market, so they have running water, the food isn’t as greasy, yet they’re incredibly affordable and tasty.

Quick price examples from small eateries:

• two large bowls of vegetarian noodles (no fish sauce) with vegetables and a side of braised tofu, $7.75
• stinky (fermented) tofu with rice and almond milk with oatmeal, $4.50
• cappuccino in a swanky cafe, $4.50
• coffee with milk and a small lemon tart or croissant in an average cafe, $4.50
• Hunan chicken dish with rice and vegetables, large size: $4.30
• ramen with pork intestines: $2.50 to $4 depending on the size

Groceries are always one of our biggest expenses. In Taipei, we look for markdowns just like we would if we were in the U.S. PX Mart seems to have lower prices than Carrefour.

Quick price examples from supermarkets:

• liter of milk: $2.60 (sometimes the containers are only 900ml; and beware – the cheapest options are not milk – they’re water with milk solids or something)
• Greek yogurt, 500 grams: $3
• 200 grams of Starbucks ground coffee: $7.50
• 200 grams of Nescafe instant coffee: $6.11
• 290 grams of peanut butter: $5
• 10 eggs: $1.50 to $2.15 depending on the store.

Produce is nowhere near as cheap as other places such as Mother India or the Philippines. Produce prices are comparable to South Korea and Japan. To be honest, I don’t even pay attention to produce that’s not marked down.

Quick examples of crap shoot bargains:

• 4 apples for a dollar each (!) marked down to 75 cents each
• 3 medium green peppers for $1.10 each (!) marked down to 76 cents each

Go in the late afternoon before the evening rush to get the best markdowns on produce, milk, and bread.

Housing

Housing is always our biggest expense. Theo has once again scored a good deal in a good location. Our monthly Airbnb rental is upstairs from the Ningxia Night Market, a 15-minute walk from the Zhongshan subway station.

Theo will do a Kortn’s Crib to fill you in on the details, including the price. I’ll just say it might be one of the best values available in Taipei.

The only thing that’s not so cool: earthquakes. We have felt a few of them in the apartment. It’s an older building built on the type of soil that might liquefy if the Big One hits this “Ring of Fire” city. The quakes we felt were all under 4.6, but the swaying made me nauseous.

The weather

It’s been a joy to have temperatures mostly in the low 70s during our November visit. Temperature highs are in the 60s in winter, and 80s and humid in summers. It’s rained several days during our stay partly due to remnants of several typhoons that slammed into the Philippines (thanks, Global North). But people who live here tell me it usually rains a bit anyway this time of year. Wet season is usually May through September.

As the world tour continues, I wondered where might there be a year-round daily average of 75 degrees and sunny — like my brief home back in San Diego? ChapGPT tells me Haifa, Israel, and Beirut, Lebanon are the closest matches in all of Asia. There are no perfect matches in East Asia.

I’ll enjoy the rest of our Taipei visit – we still have more to discover. Then we’ll head to other places on the island. Life is Now.

Thanks for reading, “Taipei first impressions.”