Top Taiwan Hotels

Getting a rental car online was virtually impossible, so we ended up getting a car with a driver to take us over the North-Cross-Island Highway. Though the roads were treacherous and we only averaged about 35 kph the views and stops here and of the Taroko Gorge and our return up the East Coast Highway were amazing. Our stay at the very "grand" Grand Hotel helped make our stay in the surprisingly nice, interesting and diverse city of Taipei wonderful.

Getting a rental car online was virtually impossible, so we ended up getting a car with a driver to take us over the North-Cross-Island Highway. Though the roads were treacherous and we only averaged about 35 kph the views and stops here and of the Taroko Gorge and our return up the East Coast Highway were amazing.

The Shilin night market is probably the main attraction. Don''t forget to try the fried chicken there as it is the best ever.

The city of Taipei itself is not too large. In all frankness, I think Taipei can be toured in about 2 full days. The Taipei subway is a great way to travel around Taipei. It''s affordable, fast, and clean. It''s so much better than the NYC subway system that I take to commute daily. I was in Taipei for about two days. I visited the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall and two night markets. Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall is a noteworthy place to visit and it is beautiful. The night markets were fascinating and it was a mecca for exotic foods and drinks. But in all honesty, I think that if you''ve visited one night market, you''ve visited them all.

The Baiyang Waterfall trail is beautiful and easy (strollers can even make the journey) with wide trails and beautiful overlooks. The restaurant beside the post office is good for a quick meal and more predictable and fresh than some of the other restaurants. There is an ATM in the post office.

Ask for Thai restaurant (not takeout) just around the corner. If you can''t take Chinese food anymore, visit Pig&Whistle British Pub in downtown. however don''t order Mexican food in there. Indian Spice Shop is pretty good too. If you are looking for gifts, you must go to Handicraft Mart in Taipei. And don''t be afraid of trying food on the street, cheap, fresh and very good.

Taipei is a nice place to visit. Weather is good and people are certainly friendly when answering queries. Jiu Fen is a very nice place to visit where there are alot of things to buy and a lot of unique food to savour. The place is clean also. We thoroughly enjoy the place with it''s scenery. Would definitely visit Taipei all over again and perhaps would wander further south of Taipei to places like Alishan!

Arriving at the main International Airport (CKS) we boarded the service bus to Taipei Station (we are not backpackers and I am 64). This turned out to be the best choice as the last stop is around the corner (about 300 yards) from the Cosmos Hotel entrance. We tried a coach trip to the scenic north coast, a bit dissapointing, so we went independent! After that and boarded the excellent MRT to the end of the line at Danshui which seems to be a bit of a local holiday town. Very interesting. We spent an evening at the Shilin night market and surrounding area, where we enjoyed amongst other things the best food of our visit to Taipei. Once again the MRT provided our transport. We were in Taipei for only three nights and quite enjoyed it. we did not experience any problems.

I had one day. I visited the National Museum on a friend''s recommendation. It was very interesting and a worthwhile place to see. I also stopped by the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial. Climbing up the stairs to get to the top was reminiscent of a certain scene from Howl''s Moving Castle. I don''t want to give any spoilers here, so if you''ve seen the movie you''ll know! The food from the market areas was cheap. I didn''t find it to be all that delicious though.

I was on a business trip, and did not have much time for sight seeing, however I can recommend a visit to the Grand Palace Museum for an impressive collection of extremely ancient Buddhist artefacts. Also worth a visit is the Confucius Temple, and many other Buddhist temples, within walking distance of the hotel.

As non-escorted tourists to Taiwan we were something of a rarity. We did tours to the Wulai Aboriginal Village (half-day) and the Taroko Marble Gorge (full-day). Both were good and the scenery in the Taroko Gorge is beautiful. We booked both of these directly with Edison Travel Service via the internet which worked out much cheaper than booking through a travel agent at home. Taipei has one of only three alpine railways in the world and with my husband being a train enthusiast, this was a "must do" for us. Despite much searching on the internet we couldn''t find a tour that suited so we decided to do it on our own. The train goes from Chiayi to Alishan which is a small mountain village absolutely full of tourists at the weekends. The best hotel (a bit pricey but by far the best in the town) is Alishan House, we had a scenery suite which was decorated Japanese style, very upmarket. Everybody gets up at an unbelievably early hour to take yet another train up the mountain to watch the sunrise. It was freezing cold and not worth the effort for the sunrise we saw. Maybe some days if there is some cloud around it is prettier.<br> <br> Anyway, despite the disappointment of the sunrise the trip to Alishan was well worthwhile. It is a pretty place. I booked the accommodation by phone a couple of months in advance and then had the problem of booking train tickets from Taipei to Chiayi and Chiayi to Alishan. Most travel agents I contacted couldn''t help but Zion Travel Service in Taipei were most helpful. Our bookings were made by Lilia and she was fantastic. Spoke perfect English and gave us wonderful service. Our tickets were waiting for us at our hotel in Taipei, complete with a diagram showing us where to go at Chiayi railway station and an English interpretation of our tickets for the Taipei to Chiayi trip. On our last full day in Taipei we ventured up to Jouifen which is a small village north of Taipei and worth the trip. Lots and lots of shops selling souvenirs, food, etc. Very crowded but good. We took the train from Taipei to Ruifang, then a bus to Jouifen. On the return trip we took the bus all the way. We were very lucky at Taipei railway station to come across 2 local couples who had lived in the USA for 10 years and thus had perfect English. They also were on their way to Jouifen so we travelled along with them and their children. Like all Taiwanese, we found them very friendly and helpful.<br><br>In conclusion, we really enjoyed our time in Taiwan and would recommend it. Taxis in Taipei are plentiful and cheap. The reception staff at the Santos Hotel were extremely helpful in advising us how to travel around and on a couple of occasions we got them to write things in Chinese for us to show bus drivers, taxi drivers etc. As it turned out we didn''t need this most of the time - we could mostly find someone who spoke English. If you are considering a trip to Taiwan you may find as we did that the internet is the best place to get info. I am happy to answer questions that other travellers might have.

Staying in Taipei can be an interesting affair, you are often amazed by the many kinds of street food in those night markets! Don''t worry if there''s nothing to munch even at wee hours especially during the weekends! Nothing to do after midnight?? Check out the 24hr karaoke everyday! Every night! The most preferred karaoke hang out outlet is HOLIDAY KTV, cheapest price in town and buffet snacks 24hrs! What else can beat that??!?!!! Shopping I''ve yet to comment on dude...it''s a paradise man. So girls.. wear your most comfortable shoes... because you''ve tons of shops to visit and guys prepare yourself to carry those bags!! Getting around by taxi is easy...taxis everywhere!! Who cares about taking train?? Buses?? Save it!! Don''t worry it''s not expensive, it''s affordable. Range between 100-200TWD.

Highly recommend the Taipei zoo (on the MRT line). For someone coming from North America, it was fascinating to see the wildlife from this end of the world. We arrived at 9AM and found ourselves to be the only visitors to the zoo! Danshui is a great place to walk around. Indian Beerhouse is an interesting experience - kids would get a kick out of the hundreds of dinosaurs that decorate the place - kegs of beer and food''s not bad either.

Found Taipei easy to get around in using the MRT. Train stations very clean and lots of helpful people. Recommend visiting Taipei 101 and the Living Mall. Many good places to eat in the food courts.

We were only in Taipei for a layover and as such didn''t get to see much of the city. We wondered around the area close to the hotel and were very happy to find a restaurant called "Malibu West" right beside the hotel. The food was excellent and the staff very friendly. When we returned to Taipei two weeks later for another lay over there was no question about where we were going for dinner. It really was one of the best meals of our entire 2 1/2 week holiday. The night market that is very close to the hotel had some very interesting things for sale. There were also many variety stores nearby.

We bought a pass for the MRT and then each day it was quick and easy to catch a train to explore (a 2 or 3 minute walk to catch a train.) We had a small map of the mrt system (both english/chinese) and found the signage for the stations very user friendly for english speakers.<br> <br> There were 2 small supermarkets near the hotel (one in the railway mall) and diagonally across the road was a department store. 2 stations away (on the blue line to Kunyang, alight at Zhongxaio Xinsheng), or about a 20 minute walk down the road running past the hotel was an IT region, with lots of computer shops. 5 stations away, (on the red line to Danshui, alight at Jiantan) was the Shilin night market (VERY crowded, but lots of food stalls).

Shih Lin night market is a fantastic place to visit, particularly if you are staying at the Grand Hotel. For ladies who are shoe fanatics, you will enjoy the wide range of shoes you get at the market with each pair going for only NT$390 at various stores.

We purchased 3 different tours such as -- 1/2 day city tour which covered main tour points which is must, National Palace Museum houses many acheological items over 4,000 years old and many more art work; folk craft tour covered one of oldest temple with beautiful carvings, pottery place Ingee, old town and shopping; Pitou, rock formation and Jifun, town on the peak of the mountain which apperes in many movies and pass by the abandoned gold mine. We took MRT to cental city visited few more temple, night market, department store but seeing worthy is Taipei 101, world''s tallest building standing on the land known with most frequent severe typhoon and earth quake. City center is very hi-tech and modern. We visited one end of MRT station Dunsui. Nice town with Red Castle turned into college and cathedral, mall like shop street, beautiful waterfront walk paved and many shops along the walking park.<br> <br> People were very helpful and many spoke English so well. Taxi ride is very reasonable but most of the driver did not understand English. Many restaurants we tried were on the guide book and they were better than hotel restaurants. Any type of wraps filled with various ingredients, soup, noodle dish, meat & seafood dishes both Taiwan and Shanghai style are everywhere and good. Coffee shops are very nice both atmosphere and what they serve.

It was not a relaxing 4-day-stopover, but the food was excellent, the people are friendly, and there are some top-notch sights. You can visit the National Palace Museum and it''s worth visiting the Huashi Night Market to see snake handlers playing with live cobras, to sample snake soup or a cup of snake bile, or to pick up an aphrodisiac made from powdered cobra''s gall bladder. The Taipei 101 (the highest building in the world) is good to make some photos. There are also a lot of very big and cheap department stores for computer and computer-accessories.

Hsinchu isn’t called the “windy city” without reason. A windbreaker and maybe more are required any time. I suggest women leave the billowing skirts for another destination, unless they are prepared for the rise.

Formosa Aboriginal Museum (right near National Palace museum) is HIGHLY recommended, and covers Taiwan''s pre-chinese arrival history as a tribal nation of the Polynesian group of Islands.

Taxis are probabley the best and easiest way to get around but for value, the MRT is excellent. Many temples to visit and parks are in abundance. I never realised the city was so advanced. If you are into buildings, Taipei 101 is a must. Check out the basement HYPERMARKET.

Taipei 101 is pretty impressive, although it''s not possible to get to the top yet. Most of the centre of Taipei is rather dreary, so it''s worth taking the train to Danshui and stopping at the Shilin night market on the way back.

TPE is a relatively a more expensive city amongst Asian cities. It is a very convenient city if you are able to converse in Mandarin or have your destinations written down in Mandarin for you. Despite being a Metropolitan, we find the people friendly and warm. We went to an alfresco night food market near the hotel and the stall operators even insisted that we bring back leftovers of a dish we barely touched. I am an avid traveller and past experience is normally that they would be glad if you vacate your seat as soon as you finished your food! The Shilin Night Market is a good experience and Yangming Shan was a breathe of fresh air. Transportation around TPE is conveniently served by its good MRT coverage and efficient bus services. Even the bus company staff are extremely helpful to travellers. I am a Mandarin-speaking person but I would suggest that all carry your hotel names and addresses in chinese as the names are very different in chinese (not direct translation from English).

I recommend chiang kai shek''s memorial monument and martyr''s shrine and the museum and another temple near one of the night markets which was open at night ( cool atmosphere in the evening! ). Also, the grand hotel is worth a short visit. There is a place about 45 minutes NE of taipei which is famous for tea shops etc (lots of movies are filmed there). It''s called chufen or chofen. I enjoyed a half-day there. Use the metro, it''s excellent and cheap. but if you''re tired, just hop in a cab -- they are very cheap ( never more than $5 ). For food, there is a street with a bunch of steamed dumpling restaurants ( your guide book should have it ). we ate some great food here! For a nice dining experience I recommend the more expensive Kiki''s for szechuan food -- very tasty! for massage there is a place near the north end of shinrin night market which was reasonable and quite good.

As the location of the hotel is good - there isn''t any problem to take a taxi to any places. My wife and I, had travelled to Antung Hot Spring and Chincheng Flower Mountain, and other scenic locations as well.

Aug-Sep is not a good month to go to Taiwan as the air is extremely muggy. Taxi drivers are generally outspoken, some to the point of being tactless and insensitive such as criticising the passenger''s country.

We found the Taiwanese extremely friendly and helpful. One young woman whom we met at one of the temples sent us an e-mail saying she would be pleased to show us round, and we had a day''s outing with her father, brother and herself, in which they insisted on paying for meals, transport and everything - so we feel very much in their debt.<br> <br> When having to fend for oneself, taxis are always plentiful and cheap. Another Taiwanese woman introduced us to the subway and showed us how to get a season ticket - most useful! So transport was easy. If the taxi driver speaks no English, showing him (or her) the Grand Hotel''s card gets you back with no problems.<br> <br> For eating outside the hotel, we were particularly attracted to Hai Liu - a vegetarian resturant at 9 Lane 31, Yungkang Street. It was not easy to find, but well worth a visit. After leaving Taipei we had an excellent week at Tainan. We thoroughly recommend the Tayih Landis Hotel - helpful staff and excellent facilities.

I saw a lot of Kaohsiung (and its nearby cities) that I was not able to do so previously. I went to Dong Gong (East Harbor) for seafood, swam in Xie Tze Wan, and visited Chee Jing. Overall, I had a great time.

My student''s father took us around, and we had some great times. Went to Dragon City to watch a movie, and then ate at a Mongolian restaraunt. Now that was an experience! There was a restaurant called Jogoya. That must have been the largest and delicious buffet I''ve ever been to!! And I''m from the U.S.!

Only had a weekend in Taipei but liked what I saw. Definitely recommend the Longshan temple and surrounding night market for an impression of "traditional" life. Took the MRT and bus out to the National Palace Museum which is most impressive and free if you can show you are a foreigner. That may be a special promotion. For a view of new Taipei went over to Taipei 101, the new very tall building and associated shopping centre. One thing to be aware of is that English is not widely spoken even in the places that look like clones of American outlets. The signs may all look familiar but don''t assume people speak English. Wish I''d worked harder on my Mandarin!

There are not so many tourist attractions in Taipei. If you came for business and don’t know Chinese a taxi is just a way to move in the city. The business located mostly in the East. It is full of modern offices and you definitely find lots of familiar names on it (of course if you ever used computer:)). Go to the South city to see colors of traditional Taipei. Necessarily visit Chai Kan Shi mausoleum. Not far from there is presidential palace.<br> <br> Constructed in 2003 skyscraper “Taipei 101” is third biggest in the world (ignoring antennas in Kuala-Lumpur building). The second tallest skyscraper in Taipei called “Shinkong Observatory” is open for visit. At down floors there is huge trade center. Local prices: Taxi from Airport to Taipei 1300 TWD. Good dinner 150 – 200 TWD. Cheapest mobile phone 960 TWD (BENQ). Trip to the last floor of Shinkong Observatory (twice as big skyscraper in Taipei) – 150 TWD.

From the Airport, you can actually take the Air-Bus (B) service to Howard Plaza hotel which will cost you NT$140 compare to about NT$1000 plus via Taxi. Not far from the Hotel, there are many restaurants near SOGO shopping malls where you can try out some Taiwan delicacy. The MRT Train station is nearby where you can go to Shaoling Temple station to visit temple, night market, XiMengTing & many shops nearby. You can also take the train to Taipei city station and hv the opportunities to see many shopping malls like World Trade centre, 101 building, XinQuanSanYe etc.

Taipei is just another big city -- but you must see the History Museum and CKS Memorial. Before going, I read on a number of web suites that a speacial MRT subway ticket gave you a free bus trip if used within one hour of your subway trip. But, could find no reference to it at the stations and the station staff appeared ignorant of the deal. A dearth of tourist information offices, so make sure you get all the information you think you will need from the tourist desk at the CKS International Airport.<br> <br> The whole country appears to have blindly followed the US and Australia down the politically correct path and there''s no smoking in most cafes, all restaurants and on trains and buses. Took the train down to Tainan (5hrs south) which was a refreshing break from the noise and polution of Taipei. Tainan is equivalent to the "Kyoto" of Taiwan -- it was the original capital under the Dutch and has over two hundred temples, or so they say...I didn''t bother counting. Hotel prices dropped away dramatically once outside Taipei and I found Tainan to be a lot more relaxing and pleasant in its general ambience. Even the local food stalls seemed cheaper and offered better quality and value for money.<br> <br> Alternatively, if you want to get out of Taipei but not travel so far, then I suggest Taichung which is about halfway down the west coast. Busier than Tainan and more modern, but makes a good base for day trips into the mountains. My first trip to Taiwan, and will certainly visit again, if only to see the east coast, which apparently has wonderful scenery.

Domestic air travel at reasonable prices is very easy from Songshan Airport in Taipei city; traveled to Tainan and Kaoshiung. The one non-business day my wife and I had was spent at Yingko, the ceramics and pottery center of Taiwan, less than an hour''s drive from Taipei. There is an interesting Ceramics Museum worth visiting, and the "Old Pottery Street" features many shops.

Visit the new Page One bookstore in Taiwan 101 Tower - Taipei''s new, monstrous landmark. The bookstore offers a great selection, perhaps one of the best I''ve seen in Asia.

Taxis are cheap, Hotel has Chinese list of sights to show to the driver. Taipei needs moving around and walking to see the sights but is well worth the effort. Ca. 2/3 of National Palace Hotel currently closed for renovation.

Near the hotel there is Shin-Kong building (46 stories) with an observatory at top. Nice view from there.

Taipei is a clean modern city with enough english signage to make it an interesting destination for westerners. It is easy to get around the city on the metro and bus system.

I took the NE coast tour to Chiufen Village and Two Colors Bay and the N. Coast tour to Keelung Harbor and Yehliu peninsula with Edison Travel. If you like coastal scenery, both are very worthwhile and nice, quick breaks from the city. Also, upon arrival at the airport go directly to the tourist information desk, in front of you as you exit immigration, and ask for the voucher for free entrance to the National Palace Museum.

Taiwanese are very friendly and helpful. National Palace Museum was great. Lots of lively activity at temples. Taroko Gorge worth the time, in part to get out of Taipei.

The 101 (highest building of the world) is almost already. Nobody can go inside. No lightning is showing this big bang. The shopping centers around the 101 are expensive. The staff in shops are most unfriendly. The most of the goods are only plastic. And the nightmarkets are boring.

Go to Chiufen which is a town situated on a mountain. The view is fantastic and the village life is beautiful and charming. Also, go to Yeliou which is along the northern coast. The rocks and ocean scenery is breathtaking.

I suggest to go to the place where there is the new Skyscraper "TAIPEI 101", it''s a nice place for shopping!

Taipei is a great city except that it can be difficult to get around when you don''t speak or write Mandarin. I would advise that travellers get the destinations written down in Chinese first so as not to waste time. For Moslem travellers, there are many choices of food palaces to choose from. Be prepared to do some reseach on where to dine for Moslem food before you visit.

Hotel shuttle to the MRT station was very convenient, running every 20 minutes. The MRT subway system is very easy to use, fast, and inexpensive. Taxis are also convenient and modest in price. We particularly enjoyed the National Palace Museum and the Lung Shan Temple, both in Taipei. Almost everyone spoke some English, and signs are all in English and Chinese, so communication was not difficult.

Watch out when you arrive in Shenzen via the railway station. There was three of us with luggage & we were just swarmed by people offering us taxis for 100RMB ( it was only 13 RMB when we eventually took a legit taxi) & people insisting on carrying our bags. They would just not take no for an answer. We could not find the taxi line so they harrassed us for about 20 minutes as we maneuvered around. We felt like rabbits being chased down by a pack of dogs. Really a traumatic experience but I am told that if we had reached into our pockets & offered them some money we would have been really swarmed by many others...

I visited Taipei to see my old friend after 21 years, so did not visit so many places this time, but Mt. Youmei was a nice area to hike where you can take a deep breath to refresh. I did not know there was such a calm and clean area in Taipei. I''d recommend to take a walk in the park, and you can enjoy the birds talking, small animals and fresh greenery.

Taichung, like all Taiwanese cities other than Taipei and Kaoshiung, is difficult to navigate if you can''t read Chinese signs. All road signs are in Chinese characters only (which is fair enough, you don''t see any Chinese signs in US or UK cities..but you need to be aware of this, or be prepared to get lost). Make sure you take a card from hotel with you, with hotel name and address in Chinese, so that, when you do lose your way (as you will) you can get a cab to take you back!

Chang Kai Shek Terminal 1 is very run down and were comparable to some of the more unpleasant airports I''ve gone through. It is also considered not as safe as it could be by many pilots (q.v. Google newsgroup search). United Airlines fly out of the more modern (1989) Terminal 2. However, despite the run down external appearance, processing was very efficient -we had our luggage and were on our way less than 15 minutes after leaving the plane.

Taipei was great! Going up to Tamshui is definitely worth it even if you have little time. Take the boat to the huge bridge thing. Such a nice break from the crazy city stuff and things. On the way back to the city, check out the Kuandu temple. When you get to Kuandu station, ask which bus takes you there, the walk is a ways so I was told. The CSK memorial hall is also really beautiful. Visit chickennugget.org/adventure. Just click on taiwan for my full story.

First time in Taiwan for me. I enjoyed it a lot. Taiwan is a very diversified and beautiful country. People are friendly, taking proactive contact and generally helpful. Subways and trains are excellent standard, cheap and numerous. Only regret I have is that I spent most of my time in Taipei. Should have had more time to literally make a round tour. That will have to be for next time...

Vistited most of the places in Taipei. SYS & CKS memorial, LongSan Temple, Seemun shopping area, Shilin night market, Shintien Piltan, Wulai, Yang Ming San and Hell Valley.

Taipei is best visited with a Chinese-speaking friend or guide. There is not a great deal to see, but the food in Taipei is far superior to what is in China. The street life and Toroko Gorge ( outside the city) are two things not to miss.

I got around by taxi and the subway, the subway is inexpensive and easy to use, all signs are bilingual and folks are friendly. I didn''t do any tourism on this trip, but I always like to visit the Palace Museum which is one of the few nice spots in this otherwise somewhat drab and dirty city.

Kaohsiung is a big city, but it always feels small and friendly and inviting, when I visit. Mount Shou, Chi-jin Island, and Chengching Lake are areas not to be missed. Less than an hour outside Kaohsiung is Meinung, with its Hakka Museum. Keep going north to Tainan to see the temples and forts built on top of 17th Century Dutch forts.

Mt. Yang Mei (?) is good. There are some hot springs and many restaurants.

I informed at airport direction to the hotel.

Avoided crowded areas due to SARS. Stayed at the hotel most of the time.

Taipei remains the biggest parking lot on earth.

If you speak Chinese, Taiwan has the best Chinese food in the world and is a very enjoyable place. If you don''t it must be bewildering. As a Chinese speaking foreigner I love the place.

Purely an in and out business trip, not much time for activities. The restaraunts in the hotel were very good.

Palace museum in Taipei was, of course, very interested.

Hotel centrally located for quick access to the airport and business area.

Needs 5-10 mins walk to the train station.

Kaohsiung is good place for shoppingDMy department store is Hanshin DepartmentD

I visited many Japanese DepartmentsDMy recomendation is Hanshin DepartmentD Sightseeing site is scattered so I think visiting many sites by oneself in a short time is difficult.

The relatively new MRT subway has definitely revolutionised the way to sightseeing around Taipei. I only had to take a bus once, but even then it wasn''t a bad experience. I could almost go everywhere using the subway and a bit of walking. There are good internet maps of attractions around each station on the official Taipei MRT website. Whereas restaurants, there are good ones everywhere, and plenty of chances to try "local food" at night-markets... just let your nose and tastebuds be the guide!

Restaurants: the bistro and the 1930 are amongst the best in town.

I had meetings in the Science Park. Recommended sights to see are all in downtown Hsinchu, where I did not get to go this time.

Very nice. Would go again.

Kaoshiung was, for the period we were there, extremely smoggy. Unfortunately our business commitments meant little time was available for sightseeing etc. Shopping in Sogo etc was good - customer service exceptional.

I stayed in the Hsinchu area and eat at the Hotel. The food there is reasonable.

Do not miss the Shilin Night Market - it is a place where you can get local goods like clothes and costume jewellery at a fraction of the price that you would have to pay in USA or Europe. Forget about the Huashi Night Market (Snake Market). All that they have are a few stalls selling snake soup, snake blood and snake meat and a few other shops. <BR><BR> For the young and trendy, go to Hsimenting - the Harajuku of Taipei where you can get trendy and funky clothes at a song.

Beautiful flowers at Yangmingshan in Spring...

If you love Chinese street food....you will love Taipei. The night markets are awesome.

The restaurant downstairs is wonderful, Taiwan''s Best Thai Resturant (read that somewhere). There is also a cafe/restaurant adj. from the Thai Restaurant for breakfast and lunch. Had the pleasure of having a great meal. There is an Italian Rest. translated as "Bird''s Nest" or sim. Really nice! Wonderful atmosp. and many things to eat/drink/see.

Taipei was a good place for Japanese who partly share the same cultural backgrounds. It would be better for taxi drivers to be trained to speak Japanese.

Kaohsiung is a great place to visit. The people are warm and gracious hosts. The food is excellent. Within an hour of the city, there are numerous cultural and commercial attractions to see and visit.

Great destination! Lots of night markets, delicious food, friendly people make Taipei a must go. The hot springs at Yangmingshan are excellent, and be sure to visit the awe-inspiring Chang Kai Shek Memorial Hall.

Get onto the metro mass transit system and out of traffic. The system is very intuitive and well laid out. Fares and destinations are easily discerned due to very logical graphical displays. If you''ve ever ridden the Washington DC or Bangkok metro systems you will feel right at home.

Italian restaurant Papa'' Giovanni and Bellini are very good, even for italian people tired of Chinese food!

Interesting town with good facilities. Must visit night market and do down town areas.

Feel like a King, stay at the Grand Hotel.

Taipei is a city of lights. With 3.5 million people and no suburbs this city comes alive at night like no other. Parks, museums, concerts, it has everything a metropolitan city can offer. Everything in the city is within a $5.00 taxi ride so there is never a reason to feel lost. English is spoken everywhere so it''s easy to get around and the people are helpful and friendly.

We had just 24h for the city. So I can only say that we liked Taipei.

I discovered a Hooter''s in Taipei. I was not expecting to be "impressed" if you know what I mean (consider the name of the restaurant); but the staff were so charming and full of sparkling vitality it was a very enjoyable evening. :-)

Go to Tapei - if you like nightclubs you will not be dissappointed!

I am on a business trip. Airport transportation to and from the hotel OK. Otherwise I was hosted by local Taiwanese companies.

Taipei is nice, surprising clean, people are courteous. Places recommended - Chiufen, Yehliu, Shilin night market, Danshiu, Yingke.

We only had two days to explore, but definitely worth going back.

I have been in Taiwan many times. The recent stay was due to the flight stopover from Auckland. You can easily get around Taipei by subway. Taxi is also not expensive. <BR><BR> In Taipei, you must visit their night market. The most famous one is Shilin night market (can be reached by subway). Another is the hot spring. You can go to Peitou very easily by subway and there are many spa and hot springs resort. The one we tried called Spring Resort - very nice. A bit expensive but worth trying.

Cheap food and transportation. Good night market and shopping everywhere until late.

The hot springs area in Beitou is definitely worth a visit... quaint hilly area with lots of cosy eateries and bathing houses. Go to the hot springs museum first, before heading to "Asia Hot Springs" (quite deep in, so be prepared to walk quite a bit). Lovely ambience to enjoy a nice hot springs bath... this must be the nicest bath house - the rest really look tacky in comparison.

Taipei, recommend: CKS Memorial Hall, Palace Museum, Snake Market, Lung Shan Temple, Lin An Tai Ancient Home, Grand Hotel, Hualien Taroko etc.

The Grand hotel has free shuttle bus to the nearest MRT (Rail) station, and thus even though the location is not in the downtown, it is still good location to stay in specifically people who prefer more green rather than noisy centre of Taipei.

Taiwan: almost as expensive as Hong Kong, but less value for the money; also, the food and shopping are not as good as HK. However, the National Museum is superb.

The place is on mountain side, and a little far from the center of the city, however, it was good as closer to the night market and complimentary coach services to the nearest MRT station in 10-30 minutes interval.

MRT is great. Chinese palaces and museums of limited interest. People very friendly. Will return to Fortuna, Taipei and Taiwan.

Had some cold and uncooked dim sum from a roadside stall. Felt sick for a few days and avoided roadside stall foods like the plague now.

If you like museums the National Palace Museum is a must see. It has the world''s largest collection of Chinese art spanning China''s 5000-year history. I also visited the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. Both made for very interesting and enjoyable afternoons. <BR><BR> For getting around I used a combination of the MRT subway system, taxis, and walking. Before leaving for the National Palace Museum I had the hotel clerk write down on a file card my destination in Chinese characters. That trip proved to be very easy. <BR><BR> Some of my other trips proved to be a bit more of an adventure. I am a vegetarian and I had a list of vegetarian restaurants I wanted to check out. Unfortunately directions were either non-existent or sparse. But I did have phone numbers, which I found saved the day for me. Even though most taxi drivers cannot speak English, almost all of them have cell phones. They were very willing to call the restaurants and get directions. <BR><BR> One particular incident was rather humorous. After searching up and down the length of one long road for a particular restaurant I gave up and asked a taxi driver for help. He used his cell phone, got directions, and with a big smile on his face asked if I wanted him to take me there. I said yes and agreed to a $70 price. He drove me half a block and said "we here". We both started laughing. It would have been faster to walk. <BR><BR> The vegetarian restaurant I ate at was: Tang Tang Vegetarian Foods - near Liuchang Li MRT, 2 Lo Li Road, Lane 42, tel: 2732-1243, 2378-4358. Excellent food, moderately priced. <BR><BR> The subway system is outstanding. Very easy to figure out.

Hotel staff is very helpful in arranging local tours. English in not generally spoken and poses a problem. North shore area and the National Park are worth visiting. I recommend the hot springs bath. Very enjoyable. The distance between the airport and downtown Taipei is quite long and the taxis cost nearly fifty dollars. The best alternative is to take the AirBus from the airport to the train station in downtown and take a taxi from there to hotel. This works very economical - less than ten dollars.

My best experience was a relaxing time at a water-side cafe in Tamsui. If you walk from Tamsui station, go along the water-side path passing by busy shopping streets, and at the very end of the path there are 3 cozy cafes. You can feel the breeze from brackish water under the shade in a tranquil and peaceful air. 40 min. from the city center to Tamsui by MRT.

Don''t miss the Palace Museum - absolutely fantastic. You need to show taxi drivers destinations in Chinese. The hotel staff are very obliging in this respect.

Being by the Taipei Main Station made getting around very easy.

Great place for shopping and food. Many shopping areas and night markets to visit. Most convenient means of transport is the MRT.

MRT is an excellent transportation system.

The museum in Taipei is great.

Taipei is not a very big city and it is a relatively easy city to travel around. Public transport is also developed. But if you do not speak Chinese, it will still be a challenge in getting around.

I was on business so I didn''t tour or go to any special restaurants. I did benefit from visiting the NOVA computer shopping center next to the Mitsukoshi Dept. Store across from Taipei Station. It''s about a 20 minute walk from the hotel or a minimum fare taxi ride. <BR><BR> I speak Chinese Mandarin so that was a big help in getting around. For non-Chinese speakers I must agree that Taipei is not as tourist-ready as other cities.

I go to Taipei for business and it is a very business-oriented city. The fun is in the night markets, snake alley for the first time visitor and be sure to check out the larger temples to make your experience complete. Make an effort to use basic Chinese phrases and the Taiwanese people are most embracing.

Hotel has a pretty good location, easy to get around whether you are taking a walk or a taxi etc. Hotel parking downstairs helps you to receive visits by friends as parking is really difficult otherwise.

Taipei is not the most tourist friendly city in the world. Some street signs are in English; however, the Chinese to English translation can be spelled 3 different ways. Literally, 2 street signs on opposite ends of the same street can be spelled differently, and the map your looking at may spell it a third way! English is not widely spoken.

Yung Ho was 10 minutes by MRT from Taipei main station - a great area not full of tourist and nobody hassled me at all. MRT is easy and efficient, the day pass for $150 (Taiwan) was great value and allowed me to go everywhere without any assistance other than the map given to me by the hotel. Nearest station only 5 easy minutes away. Perfectly safe to travel night and day (I was alone). People and staff very helpful and friendly but little English spoken. Actions spoke louder than words anyway. <BR><BR> Lots of little restaurants near K Hotel with too much variety but no English (but the point and smile system worked just fine!). A good night market one minute from the hotel which had good food/drinks and clothing etc. Shilin night market (the largest in Taipei) definitely worth a trip but very, very crowded on Saturday nights! <BR><BR> The National Palace Museum is a must see - at least once! Tansui was an interesting place to visit - just to get away from it all on a Sunday (along with all of Taipei!) - but it was nice to see how little was required to make a happy family Sunday outing. <BR><BR> I had only 2 days but managed to do a lot with my train passes and encountered nothing but friendly, happy people. I will definitely be going back as soon as I can. It was certainly a lovely weekend.

We spent a total of 11 days in Taiwan and will definitely be returning. Taking the train to most destinations we found everyone very helpful. Finding English speaking staff was sometimes difficult but on the whole we were able to communicate in some way. <BR><BR> Visited most of the popular tourist destinations and did one tour to Toroko Gauge which was excellent. All hotels were booked online and were of a very high standard. <BR><BR> Would certainly recommend Taiwan as a destination.

We never met such friendly and helpful people before.

Resturants: Breakfast, Royal, Genghis Khan Resturant (Bar-B-Q), Ruth''s Chris Steak House<BR><BR> Tours: Half day tour to Keelung <BR><BR> Business: International Trade Center <BR><BR> Sight seeing: Night Market, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial

Good location Tapei II. Close to shopping, we recommend the suite.

1 min. walk from MRT Taipei Station EXIT 3. There''s an Internet cafe next door 2nd floor. No bakery but Circle K is next door and good bakery (cheap) is near as well.

If you''re a tourist Taroko Gorge is definitely worth it.

Taxi fare from airport to Taipei is just too pricy.

I spent 5 days in Ilan county - in fine weather the drive over the mountains to Taipei is quite beautiful. Seafood is excellent in Ilan and quite reasonable due large number of fish farms. Taiwan people are friendly as always.

Taxis are relatively cheap for moving around the city. Place to visit is the national palace museum, entry fee 100 NT$. It is worth to go out of Taipei for a very scenic drive along the east cost.

I spent 3 days, my first time in Taipei, and the furthest I got outside is the 1-hour bus ride to Yangmingshan mountains. <br><br> The city itself is old & rather ugly. The memorial to CKS is amazing, and they clearly revere him as much as the mainland Chinese revere Mao :-) Taxi & bus drivers speak no English. <br><br> The locals are extremely friendly if you approach them. I went to "NYNY Milonga" for the Argentine tango night (do a search on the web) and the regulars there made me feel very welcome once I approached them.<br><br> Carnegies (v. famous, it''s on the tourist map) is recommended if you want to go drinking and dancing until the wee hours with young people out having a good time. If you can dance well, jump onto the bar with the rest of them!<br><br> Final tip: the street numbers reset between sections, so "123 X Street West, Section 2" is not the same as "123 X Street West, Section 3".

near to shopping complex and the mrt station.

My visit was business related. The only issue that I has was that the bus trip from the airport did not stop at the Gloria Prince. To save time, take the bus to the edge of the city, then taxi for the balance of the journey.

It was a business trip and I did not do any sight-seeing. It was disappointing to see that there is little city planning outside the Hsinchu Science Park.

The city is not tourist friendly. The help desk at the airport is open limited hours making it difficult for the visitors who arrive or leave early in the morning. English language assistance is very poor in all places including airport. Hard to find currency exchange places even in busy areas. If you need to change currrency outside of scheduled banking hours, God help you. Taiwan needs to spend more resources on becoming more tourist friendly.

I went to Taipei for business purpose.So,I could not go any where.But Tandoor restaurent is the one place where we can all the indian foods and vegetarian food also.

Visited all the memorial halls, Pei tou springs and city areas. Ate at local restaurants around the area (mostly Japanese food). Easy to travel via the subway (MRT). Just carry a map. K hotel supplies you with one anyway.

Taipei is Baltimore with funny signs. Kind of blue-collar concrete and brick with not a lot to do. Walking around isn''t as interesting as Tokyo. Taxis are cheap but the drivers don''t speak English, so have your destination written down in Kanji. Great massages cheap.

We went to just about every place that is in a traveller''s book on Taipei!! From the National Museum to Shih-Lin Night Market. It was all very fun and interesting!! We were lucky to have a car and driver to get us around, so we were able to go all over the place. <br><br>The strangest and funniest thing that happened to us in Taipei was actually at the Internation Airport: When we arrived a couple of local children started to say hello. They were very happy and excited to speak to a foreigner. The next thing you know, about 20 - 25 little kids are all huddled around asking questions; "How tall are you?, What country do you come from?, Can I take a picture with you?" I guess we were there for about twenty minutes...it was a good chance for those little guys to practice their English and to get to know a "foreigner" a little, and it was a good chance for us to see how welcoming and friendly Taiwanese are.

good location. joined day trip which recommended by the hotel. visited 8 places within a day, worth for the price.

Taipei is a bustling city and quite exciting. IN my walk around the city I felt safe at all times and people were friendly. A nice place to visit.

When I visited Taipei, the temperature went over 30/C. It''s very hot and humid. It''s better to avoid to visit Taipei in June.

Go for a swim in the Love River next to the hotel...it''s great ;)

The hotel is in between two stations, namely Taipei Main station and Zhongshan station, within walking distance for about 10 minutes. Around Zhongshan station has two major shopping complex, in fact an excellent place for those who are there for shopping and wanted somewhere central.

Taipei is business city. People don''t speak too much english, but they are helpful.

Try having lunch at the Italian restaurant in The Sherwood (The Toscana) and afternoon tea at Le Petit Sherwood. If you like Starbucks and all the imitations, there are plenty in Taipei.

Room 18 (Jin Hua Cheng 11th floor) and Twins are some rocking clubs.

Taxi is the best way around the city. Take a morning tour to see Taipei.

Very convenient location for Taipei Main Station.

If you are interested in Chinese culture, the National Palace Museum (www.npm.gov.tw) is simply a must. They also have relatively good prices for reprints of paintings and such. Very recommendable are the Lin Family Mansion and garden. You can reach them by taxi from Hsinpu station on the Blue Line. When the Blue line goes to Panchiao, it is even nearer.

Location is pretty good, Min Chuan West MRT (subway) is round the hotel, (about 5-8 mins walk behind the hotel) AirBus transport is opposite this MRT station, only NT100 much cheaper than Hotel own Airport Transport at NT250 each person. A market in between Min Chuan West and ShuangLian stations are worth-visiting places, don''t miss it. A nearby temple "Hsin Tien Gong", is a attractive place of interest too, this is where u can sense Taiwanese folks Heart of Kindness ... ... :)

MRT was almost used for movement of this travel. MRT -- almost -- 20 dollars -- a TAIPEI in the city -- it arranges anywhere.

The location of hotel is not strategic. Anyway, it is within walking distance to find food easily nearby.

Taiwan is definitely worth a visit. Taipei kept us busy for all but 5 days of our 2 week vacation. The MRT (subway)is excellent, new, clean, and speedy. Signs and announcements at stops are in English. You can go almost anywhere and where you can''t a cab will take you for a low fare and no tip. Taipei is a very safe city. Culture - there are the many temples, museums, and memorials, notably the Chang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the Martyrs Shrine. <br><br>Shopping - there are the day markets (a good one at the Gloria Prince MRT stop) and night markets on the streets, wholesale spice markets, small shops and huge department stores. Food - all the markets sell food; noodles, seafood, dumplings and things unknown to me. Everywhere there are food carts. We got fresh pineapple (the best ever) from a cart across from the hotel each night to put in the refrigerator for breakfast. Restaurants from every region in China can be found and if you need a bite from home the fastfood giants are there too. <br><br>In order to see the island in a no-hassle way, we booked a 5-day tour with Edison Travel (a Taiwan company) before we left. You can book various tours through your hotel too. The tour was great (reasonably priced), no more than 8 people, nice hotels, interesting food, and great views. We went by van, train and airplane and saw the west, south and east. The highlight was the Taroka Gorge on the east coast. I would have liked to drive the east coast road that hugs the mountains and just hangs over the sea. Well, next time. <br><br>If you enjoy photography you will find alot to take. The country is an interesting mix of old and new. A growing economy has resulted in building projects of very innovative and pleasing architecture. The twist is that in many places rice paddies abut the new buildings. If you only visit Taipei, you can get a very good impression of the whole island by taking the MRT to the end of the lines, the very north and the ocean or the very south and getting a cab to explore the tea plantations. <br><br> I found the Insight Guide Taiwan (most home book stores) very helpful and if your hotel has the Taipei Tourist Guide published by the City Bureau of Transportation and American Express its great and you need it. Have a happy trip. We will be enjoying Taiwan as we down load and edit our 980 and photos (it beat Paris). Have fun!

The best way to get around is MRT (subway) system. Clearly marked and easy to find your way. It stops at most of the City attractions. Another very good transportation mean is taxi - very easy to get it on the street and cheap, but no driver speaks English so it is a must to have a map with English - Chinese names on it. Do not forget to get it at the airport, where people speak English and it is easier to communicate otherwise you may not find it anywhere else.

Relatively close to shopping and areas on interest etc, as taxis are quite well priced in Taiwan, we took most excursions by cab, although the bus terminal was only 5 minutes walk down the road.

taiwain is a beatiful country to visit. The people are so nice, and go out of their way to help you.

The best place to visit in that country is away from the big cities. Taiwain is a beautiful country and there is so much to see and do (Taroko gorge - a marble gorge is my favorite) Taipei is a tough city to navigate and to find good things to do.

Unfortunately, my stay was very short so I was unable to experience much of what Taiwan has to offer. I was picked up at the hotel each day, so I do not know how the taxis service or bus service worked or cost. However, I was able to visit the National Palace Museum. I was only able to spend 1 1/2 hours there, but it is definitely worth the visit. I recommend anyone having time to visit this museum, but make sure you have at least 4 hours to fully enjoy this very large museum on the culture and history of China/Taiwan.

Hotel is very close to the Rem Her Jai Vegetarian Restaurant (on Mingsheng East Rd toward the subway) which is a popular family style restaurant serving Chinese (Beijing style mostly) vegetarian food.

we were visiting relatives. The side trip to Kinmen Island was a good way to get away from the air polution of Taipei. The National Palace Museum is well worth the long MRT trip. The Taiwan Handicraft Center is a must for those people on your "gift" list. I was able to purchase all gifts there. The Brother Hotel has several GREAT restaurants. The Greek restaurant "Mykonos" and Italian "Giorgios" were a nice break from all the delicious Chinese food

Taipei is primarily a city for business , not for pleasure. Remember to have all your destination addresses written by someone in Chinese, very little english spoken. A rather expensive city. For those with a GSM phone, pick up a sim card in the airport, reasonable price.<br><br> If there is time to do only one thing, visit the national museum. I am told that more than 75% of all priceless chinese works of art are in the museum, not in the mainland.

Two to three days is enough for Taipei. The National Palace Museum was wonderful and I recommend the English lnaguage tours to get a feel for the place and to assist in appreciating what is seen. There is even a post office right outside the entrance, making it easy to send cards, etc. from the gift shop.<br><br> The half day tour to Chiufen is not much - you are only allowed to walk down an alley filled with trinkets shops and there is no opportunity to explore the village which looked like it would have been interesting to do so.

Been there several times before, so there were no surprises. Taipei is a typical Asian city, cars and motorscooters everywhere. Motorscooters drive on the sidewalks. Went on a couple of bus tours, Wullei village and a old gold mining town. It was nice to get out of the city once in a while.

Taxis are cheap, but if you''re travelling in the rush hour, use the MRT as much as possible. Rush hour is 7-9am and 5-7pm but the Taiwanese don''t generally work on Saturday. There is also an excellent airport bus for NT 100 as opposed to the NT 1100 - 2000 it costs you in a taxi. Worth considering. Try as many of the snacks in the night markets as you can force down.

Enjoyed the zoo, palace museum and the sunday flower and jade market. Taxi drivers are courteous.

We were in Taipei for one night on the way home to Nagoya from Bangkok. It was almost a perfect halfway house! There was a lot of Japanese around, even a Nagoya cafe near the hotel!!

Easy to walk or take MRT from this hotel!

Kaohsiung is more a business destination than a tourist one.

It is at an old community. Quite far from the railway. Far from downtown or sceneries that visitors commonly go.

Public transportation is quite advanced in Taipei. So getting around is easy. One has choices such as the rail road, buses, and subway. If you are used to other big cities such New York, or Paris, walking is a cinch also. Taipei is really quite small compared to others. This is probably one of the cities in the world that''s easiest to get around.<br><br> Food wise, one will be hard pressed to find a city that places more emphasis on eating. One can find cuisines from all corners of the world. I especially recommend trying out the street vendors. This is where one may find the authentic Taiwanese flavors.

The right or wrong that Chinese history can be learned had better go to the reason ''KOKYU'' museum.

Peaceful locatation.

I used the airport bus from CKS to the city. About a 20 minute walk to the hotel (map needed). I walked everywhere. Plenty of restaurants and fast food outlets all over town.

Noisy, overcrowed city, suffers from air pollution, excellent for many different styles of food.

Near transportation stations.

The MRT(rapid transit system), even though some stations and parts were still closed, was very efficient and easy to use. There is an english Tourist guide to the MRT which provides a map with tourist sites and the MRT routes ; this was extremely useful. With the help of an english bus guide I was also able to use the bus system. Two excellent daytrips I took were to Tamsui(the MRT takes you there) and Yehliu National Park (I took the train to Keelung then a bus to the park).

There was a lot to learn in Taiwan. Nice friendly and energetic atmosphere.

Taipei is an OK city.

Very few taxi drivers appear to know where they are going. Taipei makes Sydney look impressive!

The food in Taiwan was terrible! The tour we took South East Travel was great. The guide was very fluent and knowledgeable. I highly recommend the Day Tour.

THE TAXI FROM THE AIRPORT WAS NT$1150, ABOUT $35 U.S.

The underground subway is only 4 or 5 blocks away, taxis are not expensive, however always have your destination written in chinese as most drivers do not read or speak english. If you enjoy walking you can walk to several tourist attractions.

I used the hotel purely for business purposes but I found the taxis inexpensive and easy to use.

Taipei is a nice place to be. A lot of small shops to discover.

Good place for nite life.

Taipai is a bid bustling city with a few sights worth seeing--sort of oldish, and not a high tech looking city. Pleasant people. For those you have been to Beijing, Taipai will seem not very impressive. The Modern Art Museum, however, is excellent, temple visiting rather minimal (although the Tao and Confucian temples are small pearls in a busy city). Worth 3 days max. "Special" buses from airport to the larger hotels (and areas of other smaller hotels) are the way to go since Taxis are expensive from the airport. Another note-meals (even at street eat places) are high in Taipai by Asia standards--about 70-80% of Big City U.S. costs. Don''t be surprised and chech prices FIRST. English can still be a problem in all but the larger restaurants and hotels but sometimes there IS a English menu, food pictures, other diners whose choices you can point to or a helpful English speaker nearby.

Taipei is very easy to get around. They have excellent subway system. Museum loveres may allocate two dyas for the Palace Museum visit. It is enourmous, and there is so much to see.

Ding Tai Fung was excellent close hour for restaurants were little bit too early MTR was so convinient, clean and incomplicate for the tourists

I have stayed in Taiwan for 7 days.If you don''t have special interest around the Taiwan,you can enjoy only three days in Taipei,and around.

Some tours were available via reception to night markets and around the city generally. There were also tours available to rural areas which made a nice contrast to the city. Taipei is an interesting city and although not a major tourist oriented city it has much to offer if only one looks.

I must admit that I had planned, through Cathay Pacific Airlines and the All-Asia Pass, to visit a number of cities in Asia. I was first trying to go to Seoul, Korea but they weren''t able to get me in or out of the city. So Taipei was really a 3rd to 4th choice, plus I wasn''t really looking forward to visiting Taipei or the country. As it turned out, I was able to peform a service for one of my students in need. I must admit that the ride from the Taipei Airport definitely did not show off the city or the country of Taiwan. They really should clean up the area around the airport!!!! I arrived at the end of a typhoon so the rain, wind, and weather was pretty intense. Luckily by the next morning the sun was out and the city was hopping. I was really impressed with Taipei and for some of the sights it had to offer. I particularly enjoyed the following: 1- Taipei National Museum, Great Collection! Plus the area around it had the National Garden and across the street is an Indigenous People Museum. 2- The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial area with the National Theater and Concert Hall was one of the most impressive areas I have ever seen. I have done quite a bit of traveling and I have lots of other experiences and areas to compare it to. 3- Shopping Area by Taipei Main Railroad Station was wild and it was filled with shops and people having fun. All in all, I have a really nice time in Taiwan and I would recommend the city and country to associates and friends.

Small "night market" over 1 street & down 2.

10-15minutes walk from nearest metro station (main station). Central location in the centre of Taipei. Taxi ride to the nearest shopping area, nightlife etc just USD3 away.

great food and great shoping

Taipie is a good and clean city with development in all fields at a very rapid speed.There are many ggod non - veg resturants and fast food joints but no vegetarian resturants.Buses are cheap and a good transportation to be around city

Taipei is always a very chaotic city to me. However, it is full of life and vibrancy. It is a city worth visiting, but not for living.

Business trip, therefore did not have time to see the city. What I did see appeared interesting !

TAIPEI IS WITHOUT DOUBT THE BEST CAPITAL CITY THAT I HAVE EVER VISITED. EVERYONE THAT I HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH WAS MOST FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL. THERE IS A VERY MODERN UNDERGROUND TRANSIT SYSTEM WHICH IS SPOTLESS, SMOOTH AND EFFICIENT. THE LOCAL PEOPLE SEEM TO BE PROUD OF IT TO THE EXTENT THAT EVEN IF SOMEONE DROPS ASH FROM A CIGARETTE, THIS IS FROWNED UPON -- WHICH IS EXACTLY AS IT SHOULD BE. EVERY TIME THAT I LOOKED AT A SIGN TO FIND MY WAY AROUND, SOMEONE ALWAYS STOPPED TO HELP ME. I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER TAIPEI AND HOPE THAT THEY NEVER CHANGE IT. THIS IS REALLY SAYING SOMETHING FROM SOMEONE WHO COMES FROM A RURAL BACKGROUND AND HATES CITIES.

The vaunted National Palace Museum is best left alone alone unless you are up on your History of Chinese Art. It is recommended to stay up late, hungry and sober, to take advantage of the endless food stalls and courts, with cold Taiwanese beer and scrumptious Chinese food. The chopsticks they provide are so easy to use, a beginner need not be shy.

I was on a business trip and so didn't have time to look around much, but I found the Taiwanese a friendly and smiling people

Taiwan is too expensive, in comparison to other Asian destinations. $40.00 US for a taxi downtown from the airport. $5.00 cup of coffee at the Sheraton Lai-Lai gives me a negative impression of Taipei. I will keep searching for reasonable prices in Taipei, as I must travel there on business.

GREAT PLACE FOR A FUN NIGHT OUT. CAB DRIVERS, RESTAURANTEURS, BAR STAFF, EVERYONE AIMS TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME. THE CITY IS ALSO NICE TO STROLL AROUND ON THE MORNING AFTER !

I would definitely recommend a lovely japanese restaurant very moderately priced a 10 minute taxi ride from the hotel.The quality of the sushi/sashimi is excellent but beware of the sushi because they tend to overdose on the wasabi...Sorry but I only have the telephone number as I cannot read the chinese card: 2531-7786

Taiwan good place for business, not such a great place to vacation.

Mainly the shan kan sheik plaza

It''s not difficult to get a taxi in Taipei and I recommend the ''Pig in Tien Mu'' on Tien Mu East Rd. as a great place to eat, drink, dance and speak English. Live bands every night from 9 o''clock at night and the the staff is exceptional!

The National Palace Museum is a "MUST VISITED" place if you are in Taipei.

One of the great secrets of the National Palace museum is its separate Buddhist rooms on the First Floor. Very accessible and magnificent 5th C buddhas. Our favorite place to hang out after a long biz day is Brown Sugar. Very casual and a cross between European/American environment. Always nice music. And, Taipei is one of the easiest cities to get around in Asia.

This was my first time to Taipei and I found it an interesting destination. Few people speak any English and communications are difficult at times, if one is not with someone who knows the language. I was with chinese friends much of the time and only when alone had some communication difficulties. The approximately 3 hr. city tour hits the "high" spots and is interesting as an orientation to Taipei. Taxicabs are pletiful, easy to hail on the streets and relatively cheap; only have addresses written or have the business or hotel card to show the driver or you may not get where you want without a lot of communication "work". The restaurants were all good and relatively inexpensive. The restaurants in the grand hotel have a great view, especially at night, and the food is good. For something unexpectedly good try Shintori at 68 Sect. 2 AN-HO Rd, phone 886-2-2702-5588. Although it advertises "cuisine Japonaise" it also had some of the best Taiwanise style food of the trip with excellent service and ambiance. <br><br> The restaurant is very minimalist modern, upscale and one even has to figure out how to get the doors open to get in. Hint: stick your hand in the top opening of the side garden sculpture. A trip to the mountains by taxi for an evening soak in sulphurous hot springs is well worth the trip. There are many hot springs baths. The one I was taken to was in a small "hotel", the name of which I unfortunately don't remember. Men and women have seperate sections and they appear to be very popular after work and weekends. Altough I was the only foreigner there, no one paid any attention and people were very warm (in addition to the hot baths) and friendly. Actually people were very friendly and helpful all over Taipei and many times tried to understand and communicate even when there was no language in common. A trip to the weekend extensive and maize-like jade and "flea" markets was fun and netted me a couple of nice jade gifts at about 1/2 what I would have had to pay in Chinatown in New York, where I live. Just remember to bargain (here I needed a chinese friend) and that one can probably get the final price down to at least 1/2 of the asking price. Good prices on software, camera and computer supplies and cameras. All in all the stopover in Taipei for 3 days was a lot of fun, at times great adventure and well worth it. I think Taipei is unfortunately overlooked as a tourist destination and is quite worth a visit.

Fortuna is two blocks away from taking the MTR which is the easiest, fastest, and cheapest transportation to get around the great Taipei area.

i recommend the italian restaurant the stinking rose if you like italian food and garlic.

Taipei airport does not cater for early arivals or departures well. Information and baggage services are shut and only one of the bank outlets are open. Taipei is a clean and busy asian city with historic and cultural places of interest.

Taipei is great. If you know a little Mandarin it makes your life easier. However, people are very very friendly and always there to help. Food is perfect. Also enjoyed the other places I went to in Taiwan (Hualien and Tainan). Train transportation is great. Will go back to Taiwan.

We took three tours, all arranged through the hotel. They were good.

Was working and therefore did not manage to do much sightseeing. But I avoided all the TGI Friday's and the usual fast food places and went for the dumplings, noodles and rice -- some of the best Sichuan style cooking I've tasted. If you're planning to visit the National Palace Museum, keep in mind it closes at 5 so it's better to make a move on it quick. If you have some more time, better yet, try visiting Peitou, northwest of Taipei and go to the Taiwan Folk Museum. Lots of interest artifacts about Taiwan even before the arrival of the Chinese.

If you take a bus from the Air Port, get out whereever you feel down town. Bus will not anounce the street name. Then you will take a taxi to get to this Hotel but showl him the phone number of this Hotel. As most taxi driver cannot understand English.

There are buses to and from this hotel. I was on business and my agent ferried me about, so I don't have much useful to say. Many 7-11's or equivalent in the area, so if you need bottled water or toiletries, these can be easily found. There were also many restaurants in the area including a new Starbucks, which I was surprised to see.

The location of the hotel is close to the major places for sightseeing and one of the biggest shopping streets of Taipei.

I did usual sighseeing in Taipei city like National Palace museum etc. But the best thing was the hot Spa in Shin Pei Tou about 30minutes from Taipei by MTR. I enjoyed hot spa for a couple of hours.(NT250) Taipei is very convenient using MTR. However one day pass is expensive. Each fair is very reasonable. Night market was fun.

Like Japanese food ? Just opposit is the very creative Mu-Lan Restaurant. Very expensive but worth to try. Or a rather domestic one? Try the famous DIN TAI FUNG for Dim Sum ...excellent.

National museum is a must. The CKS Memorial & Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial are also worthwhile.

Went around Taipei generally. It was a joy. Taipei is now very well connected with the MRT.

Location is very good. It takes aout 6 minutes on foot from Chuwan W.RD.station of M.R.T. By M.R.T.,you can go everywhere you would like to go.

I have been traveling to Taipei for 17 years. It is, first and foremost, a business city. There are a few sights (no one should miss the National Palace Musuem), but not enough for to make this a tourist destination by itself. The food is outstanding- up there with Hong Kong for the best Chinese food in the world. One cuisine that I particularly enjoy, that I have not found anywhere else, is Mongolian Barbeque. It is a simple, but very satisfying, do-it-yourself meal. You can forget public transportation if you do not understand Chinese. Taxis are plentiful and relatively cheap. Just make sure that you have your address written in Chinese. Best of all, most business contacts, even new ones, are more than willing to pick you up at your hotel or previous appointment. They will also gladly take you back to your hotel, or on to your next appointment. Traffic was a nightmare years ago, now it is no worse than any other large city.

Since I love to walk to stay in shape, I was averaging about 20 miles per day and seeing all the attractions that Taipei has to offer. I was very pleased and very impressed with the following sites: a) C.K.S. Memorial Hall b) Taipei Confucius Temple c) Grand Hotel d) Taipei World Trade Center e) Presidential Office f) Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall g) Lung-Shan Temple h) TopView (Tallest building in Taipei i) Art Museums & parks. After saving various post cards for my wife, she is dying to see these interesting sites for herself.

Location is good. On major street with access to buses and Taxis. The Grand Hotel is wonderful for meals---a bit pricey but excellent. Also the Charming Garden on E. Nanking Rd. is great for Hunan food. Taipei compared to Bangkok is expensive. It always has been.You get alot less for your money. I've been in and out of there for over 30 years.

Taipei has limited sights so a short stay is fine. Weather was overcast most of the time. Not a must see destination.

There are many tea houses serving various kind of Chinese tea, and they serve in a traditional way. Fascinating! Very elegant and delicate. It costs you around NT$1,000, but it is worth trying.

We found Taipei to be a wonderfully friendly city and would return. Particularily we enjoyed the night markets, department stores and just wandering about. The taxi drivers were first class and went out of their way to please. If you had a problem all you needed to do was stand on a corner and look confused. Within minutes someone would approach and offer to translate and/or give directions. We took a five day "Whole Island Tour" with Edison Travel. The service was mixed depending on which tour guide we were assigned to on a given day. Destinations like Sun Moon Lake, Kenting National Park and Taroko Gorge National Park were wonderful. We did not care for the stops at the various factories and the pressure tactics by tour guides to encourage us to buy expensive items.

Hotel has a good location, close to other hotels, shops, easy pick up for taxis. Taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced, but take your hotel name card and destination written in Chinese. The hotel has the only revolving retaurant in Taiwan - excellent views especially at night.