Okay, I'm ready. Please provide the Chinese title.
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Sure, here's the translation:
Hello everyone! Recently, I've been pondering a trip to Taiwan island, as people say it is beautiful, food is delicious, and people are welcoming. However, every place has some imperfections, right?
I would like to hear from friends who have visited, what "uh... this can be tricky" or "next time I'll need to pay attention" experiences did they encounter? Give us these newcomers a heads up!
Let me start by sharing some of my past experiences, or those I have heard from friends, let's see if you find any resonance with these:
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Surprisingly high prices at some tourist spots:
- Especially at the super popular sightseeing areas, such as Kenting in southern Taiwan.
- Tip: Kenting is a famous beach resort in southern Taiwan. However, some vendors may charge more than usual for visitors. It is best to check the reviews before eating or booking a hotel room, compare prices with other establishments to avoid being overcharged.
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A shocking experience on the roads:
- The "army of scooters" (motorbikes/scooters) is really huge in Taiwan!
- Notice: First-time observation might make you confused. Be sure to look both ways when crossing the road, and when renting a scooter to ride on your own, safety comes first (double-check).
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Rainy Season and Distant Places:
- The Taiwan climate, especially during the summer months (around May to September), is both wet and hot.
- Friendly Tip: Bring light and breathable clothing. If you go during the summer, also keep an eye out for typhoons (tropical storms) that may disrupt your itinerary.
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Famous scenic spots are crowded with tourists:
- Like the Taipei 101 building, National Palace Museum, or famous night markets. Holidays or weekends will make them extremely crowded.
- Tip: If you have enough time, try going on weekdays or leave early, as the experience would be significantly better.
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Moment of Speaking Chicken Language:
- English is relatively okay in big cities and tourist spots, but in smaller places, local vendors who are older may only speak Hokkien (a commonly used local dialect different from Mandarin Chinese).
- Traveling assistant: Download a translation App, or learn a couple simple greeting phrases, such as "Thank You" (xièxie - thank you) and "How Much?" (duōshao qián? - how much?); this will make things much easier.
Just hoping to smooth things along for your travels in Taiwan and help avoid some pitfalls. Feel free to share your experiences and lessons learned, thank you in advance!
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Honestly, not really. If I had to pick something, it's that when traveling solo, I can't try a lot of different dishes. I get full after just one or two items, but there's so much amazing food I want to taste and just can't manage it all!
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I just got back from an independent trip too, and I feel the exact same way.
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In Taipei, the bus drivers drive so aggressively, I was almost sent flying!
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I've also encountered very temperamental drivers who would constantly hit the brakes while muttering and cursing at the cars in front, or they'd go off on someone who pressed the bell by mistake but didn't get off.
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As a Malaysian, one thing I found hard to get used to is that many eateries in Taiwan don't have seating for dine-in. For example, the famous Liu Mama Rice Balls – you buy them and have to eat standing up. When I was tired from walking and wanted to find a place to rest my feet, it was often quite difficult.
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You can just pop into a 7-Eleven or FamilyMart, buy a drink, and they usually have seats available.
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The National Palace Museum was incredibly crowded. The bus queues were really long too. It might have been because admission was free today.
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Many subway exits have long flights of stairs to climb... it was quite tiring for the elderly.
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But aren't there usually elevators if you don't want to climb stairs?
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Transportation issues, difficulty finding trash cans, and too much food for one person to finish – I went to Feng Chia Night Market for four days and still couldn't try everything!
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It didn't feel as warm and welcoming as it used to.
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Transportation.
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Honestly, I didn't have any bad experiences.
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The soundproofing in the hotel wasn't great.