Taipei at night is a fascinating sensory experience, from dazzling lights, mouthwatering street food, the buzzing crowds, to the midnight urban calm.
“Taiwan is open again? How strict are the borders?” Asked many of our friends when I posted photos of our trip during the first few days of our Taiwan sojourn last January.
On one hand, the queries made sense—in the past few years, the island country garnered praise for its exceptional handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which included strict border controls.
On the other hand, the volume of questions signaled that not everyone (in the Philippines, or among our friends, at least) has gotten word of the 14-day visa-free travel schemes for incoming Filipino tourists. More details may be found on the website of Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, but here’s the gist: we’re free to roam Taiwan for two weeks—up until July 31, 2024, at least.
Admittedly, we were there on a personal vacation, and I’m still relishing the memories (read: I haven’t sat down and reflected on the possible stories from the trip—trust me, there are a lot!). However, if there’s one thing that I want to put out there immediately, it’s that Taipei is a city that, for all its busyness during the day, gains so much more life and character at night.
Check out these photos below:
Pictured above is a restaurant (台南意麵水餃) serving classic dumplings and noodle dishes. The leek dumplings and duck noodles fill a drunken man’s stomach to immense satisfaction. (In this context, I was the drunken man for a few days.)
Pictured above is Café Dalida, one of the premier safe spaces of LGBTQIA+-folk in Taipei. Their cocktails are some of the best ones we had while we were in the city.
Pictured above is the entrance to the Taipei Tianhou Temple, a 270-year-old structure dedicated to Mazu the sea goddess. If the exterior already got your attention, wait ’till you see the expansive temple hall and imposing statues inside.
We’ve barely scratched the surface of the sights and sceneries that this Asian Tiger has to offer. I promise you: we’ll be back with more photos and stories of Taipei—or, how about you book that flight now and experience what this city has to offer?
