Unexpected Adventures in Taiwan: From Ruifang to Taipei and Beyond

My trip to Taiwan was spontaneously planned by my best friend, whom I met while living in Japan. She shared that she and her husband would be going to the country and invited me to come with them. She planned everything from the different places we visited and even provided me with some homework before we went. I will explain more about that later. One thing I will never be upset about is when someone pulls a plan together and knows what they are doing.

Throughout the trip, we visited many cities, including Ruifang District, Jiufen, Taipei, and Keelung. Taiwan has become one of my favorite places that I visited while overseas. It was a surprise hit because I hadn’t expected it since I had never planned to go to Taiwan. I stopped at the airport before going to Singapore but never thought much of it.

Random Travel Tip #1: Take a minute to learn about every place you land in. You might be surprised by what they have to offer.

Our time in Taiwan was filled with exploring every park, restaurant, and attraction that we passed by. We stumbled upon farmer’s markets and pop-up activations, including one surrounding Cartoon Network shows like Adventure Time, The Powerpuff Girls, and so much more. 

It was most fascinating because we planned so much, but the country is so lively that there is so much more to do than just the national parks and dining venues we had on the schedule. Here are some of the fun we experienced while in Taiwan.

Where we stayed

During our time in Taiwan, we stayed at three different places. We stayed at two really nice Airbnb apartments. One of them had a disco shower head, which is vital information to me. The Ruifan apartment was situated in an alley that felt picturesque and very urban. I really enjoyed the environment there. 

We also stayed at the Space Inn hostel in Taipei. It was an exciting experience because I hadn’t stayed at a hostel before. Of course, it was space-themed and had a common space for visitors to mix, mingle, and play games. My bestie and I played table shuffleboard, and I was horrible at it. 

Our adventures

Taiwan offers a variety of experiences you must do! It’s a country with the most delicious food I’ve indulged in overseas, amazing landscapes and adventures for everyone. Here are some highlights from our time there.

Jiufen Old Street

Jiufen Old Street is mostly well known because it is always said that Ghibli Studio’s movie Spirited Away was based in this part of Taiwan. Remember the homework I mentioned before? Well, my best friend made me watch the film before this trip! It is a surreal place to visit because of the lanterns and the crowds. The best part is the variety of stores surrounding you while ascending the stairs. There were so many great products, and the food was terrific. It’s a beautiful and intriguing place to visit while in Taiwan. 

Amei Tea House

This beautiful tea house in Jiufen was a nice stop during the trip. We followed the red lanterns and the curvy roads (and got a little lost along the way) until we found Amei Tea House. Decorated with masks and beautiful lanterns, it was inviting as you walked toward the teahouse. When we arrived, we were welcomed and escorted to a table. We were the only guests at the time of our arrival. We watched as the ladies showed us how to make the tea. It was so delicious and was a reasonably straightforward process after the first time.

They also served sesame seed crackers and tea cakes to complement the tea. The green tea cake was my favorite; I honestly crave it sometimes to this day. Though rainy and gloomy, it felt like the perfect day to enjoy the tea house. 

Chiang Kai–Shek Memorial Hall

When we arrived in Taiwan, this was our first stop. I learned it is a famous national monument, landmark, and tourist attraction erected in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the former President of the Republic of China.

It is a scenic attraction with many structures for photos. There were also a lot of beautiful flowers around the buildings. We explored the surrounding areas and had some fun with all the different statues they had near the attraction. Many people were in town for the Lunar New Year, so the space was pretty busy, but it was an excellent opportunity to learn more about the culture. I would recommend that anyone visiting come see the Memorial Hall.

Heping Island GeoPark

During our time in Keelung, the day was pretty gloomy as we made our way to Heping Island GeoPark. This coastal park has a large tourist draw because of its various rock formations near the ocean. It is a perfect place for visitors interested in exciting rock formations and photography, and that was a huge pull for me.

We explored the area for a while and found this overlook that allowed us to capture many photos. It’s a niche item for a Taiwan visit, but if you are interested in it, definitely include it on your itinerary.

Longshan Temple

Longshan Temple sat in the middle of the block, and we were walking down, but the crowd of people made us realize we were at our destination. It has been bustling since we visited around the Chinese New Year. The temple has this amazing pond with fish swimming all around it. The fountain also had a beautiful dragon statue sprouting water. 

There was a prayer line that wound around a couple times. Luckily, we could enter the temple around the line, and candles were lit. It was a fascinating, unexpected experience.

The temple began to clear out a tad, and we could explore it without stepping over people. We took the time to take pictures and admire the details of the temple. It is a must-see when visiting Taiwan. 

Zhongzheng Park

In Keelung, we visited Zhongzheng Park. From the entrance, we found little to indicate what we would experience. However, once we hiked a little, we saw beautiful monuments, scenic spots, and incredible sculptures. There were so many photo-worthy areas, and we took as many photos while exploring.

The statues there were magnificent! Zhongzheng Park houses a white statue of Guanyin Buddha, which can be seen at the highest point and is a representative landmark of Keelung. There were also these sculptures of angry-looking warriors that I absolutely loved. They seemed to be looking at you. It was a beautiful sightseeing spot in Keelung.  

Central Park – Friends Café

As huge Friends fans, we found this place to visit. When we walked into the cafe, it was perfect. It looked just like Central Perk! Orange couch and all. Unfortunately, a group had taken over the sofa, and we couldn’t get photos of it, but we enjoyed the experience overall. 

We ordered coffee made in cups as big as my head! It was delicious, and we ordered some goodies with the coffee. I would go back just for the coffee, but they also had the addition of running a marathon of episodes, which really engulfed us into the mood. 

They had excellent accent decor that referenced moments from friends. They also had a guitar so that you could pretend that you were Phobe. I definitely sang Smelly Cat and My Stink Shoes. It was an unbelievable experience to jump into one of my favorite sitcoms. 

2/28 Peace Park

We stumbled upon the 2/28 Peace Park as we explored Taiwan at night near the Space Inn hostel one night. Since we had some time before our departing flight, we spent the day exploring the park. It is a picturesque park where you can relax. Connected to the Taipei 228 Memorial Museum, which we didn’t visit, there were also vibrant structures to admire. 

There was a guy who had trained birds to fly around the park. It was so peculiar but exciting to watch that we were in a daze. What you see when sightseeing is fantastic. 

Have you visited Taiwan? Share your favorite adventure below!