Solo Trip to Taiwan: Brace Yourselves for the Rant Post!

[Theodore Wiza]

Hello everyone! I have just returned from Taiwan, and there are some experiences that I would like to share with you all, both good and bad!

From the travel incidents experienced in the past couple of days, there were some situations that made me want to roll my eyes. However, at lunch in Tainan this morning, I met an extremely enthusiastic uncle who shared his table with me (this is a common practice when restaurants are busy where strangers will sit together). He also shared his food with me and allowed me to taste several delicious dishes! The kind uncle introduced me to many great local cafes and inexpensive youth hostels and guesthouses. I felt like I had unloaded all the unhappiness for this year, and next year will be another fresh start!

However, there were still some unpleasant experiences:

• My first ‘travel companion’ (meaning a friend who travels together with you) was a total disaster! We had agreed to share a hotel room and sign up for a day tour together, but the other person ended up backing out at the last minute (meaning someone who didn’t show up after promising to come).

  • Travel reminder: Be careful about choosing travel companions! Some people are extremely irresponsible and change their minds instantly. It’s best to invite reliable friends that you already know, or if they back out you have the confidence to enjoy traveling alone as well.

• In the first picture there was a pancake shop where everyone who bought foods inside must buy drinks too (this is a common practice in some coffee shops and pastry stores in Taiwan called “minimum spending”). A few local girls standing behind me said that they would take the food to go.

  • However, they then sat next to me. After taking pictures of my pancakes myself, I noticed one of the girls secretly taking photos of them without my permission! I gave her a cold glare twice, but she faked ignorance and continued. It wasn’t until I gave her a third stare that she finally put away her phone and dejectedly returned to sit with her friends. What a mystery!

• Some tourists (in this situation they were Korean tourists, but tourists from other countries tend to do this too) were really noisy! I went to a famous place in the Taiwanese TV drama ‘Let’s Meet’. Because of many filming locations, lots of people go there to take pictures (it’s a very popular Taiwanese drama. Many scenes have become tourist sites). The rain sounds can barely cover the noise they make.

  • Not only that, they took forever taking pictures and refused to let go of the good spots. If I wanted to take a photo without people in, I had to wait for three hours! I regretted not making fun of them in Korean (just kidding).
  • Photography tips for hot spots: If you want to take quality pictures at places which are extremely popular, particularly those made famous due to movies and TV shows, it’s best to either arrive early or wait patiently until others finish their shots.

• Tainan Public Transport wasn't great at all — especially on rainy days, walking around carrying a ton of stuff almost killed me .

  • Even worse is that somewhere along the way I lost my “Easy Card” (which can be used for buses, MRT and convenience stores). I am now inconvenienced and waiting to return to Taipei hoping to find the limited edition card I collect near Taipei 101 (the signature building in Taipei).

Important reminders:

If you want to travel around a lot of places in Tainan, it’s best to research transportation information earlier and consider renting a motorcycle (if you have an international license plate) or taking a taxi, which is much more convenient.

Always keep your Easy Card and valuables safe! I now can only bear with the inconvenience, waiting to go back to Taipei and seeing if I can find my card near Taipei 101.

[Mr. Otis Schaefer]

I'm sorry, that was so rude. You should have stepped in.

[Pamela Miller]

It's alright, it's over now. The shop was pretty crowded, and she was dressed quite nicely, so I wanted to give her a chance to stop on her own without making a scene.

[Robyn Reilly]

Koreans can be really loud.

[Jermaine Satterfield]

Seriously, it's like that wherever they go.

[Leon O'Keefe]

In Tainan, you can ride a YouBike; it wouldn't be so tiring.

[Franklin Weimann IV]

I know, it's just that my cycling skills aren't great, and then it started raining. Plus, the scooters on the road were going so fast, I didn't dare ride alongside them.

[Delia Jast]

As a Taiwanese person, I've always found the nickname 'Wan Wan' a bit uncomfortable.

[Christina Altenwerth]

Well, feel free to scroll on then.

[Zachary Hayes]

Oh, that's truly ridiculous . Sending you a virtual hug! I hope you don't run into that kind of situation again.

[Mr. Ryan Hermann]

Honestly, that's just speechless-making. I want to apologize on behalf of such rude people for spoiling your mood.

[Jeremiah Stamm-Carroll]

No worries, it's all good!

[Miss Alison Collier]

Korean tour groups are indeed very loud; I've experienced that too.

[Katrina Sporer]

Even Tainan locals find the buses inconvenient. Riding a bicycle or renting a scooter is much more convenient there.

[Abel Schulist MD]

That's just incredibly rude.

[Colin Cronin]

Tainan can be particularly tricky for non-locals, especially if you don't have a scooter.