My Taiwan Solo Trip: To Be Honest, I Was a Bit Underwhelmed.
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Hey, the cover was drawn by my incredibly awesome friend! I was feeling a bit emo those days, but seeing her drawing instantly cheered me up and made me super happy!
Here are some simple shares on my four-day three-night trip to Taiwan:
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Day One: Landing in Kaohsiung, heading straight to Taitung
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I bought a train ticket from Kaohsiung International Airport to Taitung. When I arrived in Taitung, it didn’t quite match my expectations. It felt like a small county town, with buzzing motorcycles (which Taiwanese call “motorcycles”) all around and old, low-rise buildings along the side of the road.
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However, the hostel area where I stayed (called “bed & breakfast”, short for “hostel” in Chinese) was fairly lively and could be said to be downtown.
- The Hostel has six beds per room, but it was very clean, and there was an independent bathroom (It’s quite nice to stay in hostels in Taiwan!).
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After leaving my luggage behind, I went to watch a movie at a mall right next door; however, it turned out to be a terrible Korean film! I was so frustrated that I wanted to vent online, only to realize that I couldn’t find its Chinese or Korean title; I lost words.
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Day Two: Scuba Diving on Green Island, Motion Sickness Experience
- I planned to go scuba diving on Green Island (Lyudao) on this day.
- When taking a boat ride to Green Island, although the waves weren’t particularly high, I still became seasick … And after diving, that dizziness kept following me around.
- Motion Sickness Tip: If you are as easily prone to motion sickness as myself, remember to take anti-seasickness medicine ahead of time! In some cases, the boat ride can be quite windy and strong.
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Day Three: Unexpected Changes, Journey in Trouble
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This day could be regarded as “journey in trouble” for me! My original plan was to go from Taitung to Taipei, yet after checking, I realized that all the train tickets had been sold out that day!
- Important Notice!
- Train tickets should be purchased in advance! Especially during tourist seasons and weekends, popular routes like those along the eastern coast to Taipei sell out very quickly. It is best to book online as early as possible.
- Important Notice!
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As suggested by the train officer, I bought the ticket to Hualien (another city on the eastern side), and made plans from there. Fortunately, I eventually got a second chance and secured a ticket to northward Taipei at 9 PM.
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Accordingly, I had to spend six unexpected hours in Hualien and decided to kill time at Qixingtan, one of Hualien’s popular seaside spots not far from the station.
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On the spur of the moment, I rented an electric scooter (called “scooter” in Taiwanese) for the beach ride. But unexpectedly, after half an hour of driving, it started raining heavily … Indeed, my mood was just as cloudy.
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Back in the downtown at night, I searched for a bookstore hoping to buy a book. But there weren’t any I wanted in the secondhand bookstore. When I came out, it rained heavily, and the backpack dripping wet was so heavy. In the end, I decided to have dinner at Burger King.
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Finally, I arrived in Taipei at 11:30 PM; yet, it turned out that there was neither direct bus nor MRT to my hostel. I had no choice but to navigate on smartphone and wander aimlessly.
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Although there weren’t many people, I heard very loud motorcycle sounds on the streets.
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After finally getting onto a bus, the driver skipped two stations despite my audible notification to stop… Consequently, the distance I walked off the bus and on it turned out to be pretty much the same, bringing tears of sorrow.
- Riding Bus Tip: Don’t forget to say a loud "thank you, this is my stop!" or make sure the driver has heard your alarm bell before leaving the bus in Taiwan, especially at unfamiliar stops at night.
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A Few Complaints and Reflections
- To say the least, I had a little dissatisfaction with this trip, mostly because coming alone made me feel somewhat lonely and because the hasty schedule didn't allow me better experiences of the place and missed opportunities for deeper communication with locals (an introverted person like me really relies on energy derived from others…).
- Moreover, some town-style infrastructure (just feeling it is built a bit old and less modern) in some regions did a disservice to my expectations.
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There Were Many Great Moments Too!
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On the first night in Taitung, the cover band singer performed 'Lies Bridge' and 'Twilight' by Wu Bai and Zhou Chuanjun respectively (two famous Taiwanese singers with song), which was just so beautiful!
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While passing by a small live house, I discovered a combination performance concert of local indigenous folk songs and popular music. The elders were wearing ethnic costumes and laughing happily.
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The taxi drivers who picked me up were unusually humorous, and one joked, "It doesn’t matter that you felt seasick on the boat ride; you must be worth your money by experiencing fifty minutes of a pirate roller coaster ride!"
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In Green Island, someone would compliment me, saying "Girl scout, you're very brave, playing alone!" They would also remind me to, "Drive carefully!" (It was so exciting renting an electric bike on the island, blowing against the sea breeze while riding all day long!!)
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The uncle who rented me the electric scooter was also emotionally moved, saying, "We’re ordinary people like you, but together we form a family."
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For next time, definitely next time!
- Next time, I will stay longer in Taiwan and stay slowly in the country for seven or eight days 🥺. Hope it would be more pleasant next time than this trip!
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It doesn't have to be perfect. Life is inherently a mix of good and bad, and that's what keeps you thinking.
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You put it so well 🥺. Experiences are always a mixed bag, but that's just life. Either way, I'm already looking forward to my next adventure.
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Hahahaha! For me, when I got to Kaohsiung, it was like, 'Eh, nothing special.' But Tainan and Taitung? Ah, that was the vibe! So old-school, so authentically Taiwanese – absolutely loved it! (I mean, if I wanted to see skyscrapers, I'd just stay in Shanghai, right? Lol, just talking about my own preferences, you know, that's the vibe!) You might have gone to Green Island on the same day I was returning. I was fine on the boat ride there, but got super seasick on the way back. Definitely not a good idea to schedule diving on a boat day. This place is really meant for taking it slow. I stayed a full 15 days and still felt it wasn't enough.
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I originally planned to just stick to Taipei, hh, thinking for my first trip I'd hit the main city spots first and then explore the scenery. But diving was just too tempting, and suddenly my whole itinerary was built around it! Trying to do both just made everything super rushed. Your approach sounds so much better! Next time, I definitely want to travel like you – slowly, and experiencing more.
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Everyone's experience is so different! I personally love these less urbanized small towns... and I also enjoy just wandering around and discovering hidden gems. But hey, it's alright! A little regret just means I'll have to go back again. I've realized I'm not quite cut out for completely unplanned trips, so next time I'll definitely do a bit more research and planning~
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Thanks, sweetie! The main issue was that I'm an extrovert (an 'E' type) but I was traveling solo, and most of the places I visited were nature spots (often with hardly anyone else around). So, I ended up feeling really lonely and a bit down. Thanks for your advice, though! I'll definitely aim to have a fantastic time on my next trip!
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I'm actually really intrigued by your kind of travel – so spontaneous! The way you recount your memories makes me feel like your experience wasn't bad at all. Next time I go to Taiwan, I definitely want to try traveling like that.
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Thank you, I'm so glad you see it that way 🥺. No matter how things turn out, that's part of the charm of traveling, isn't it?
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Hehe, no worries! Having some regrets this time just means there's even more to look forward to next time.