I took the family to Taiwan for the kids’ spring break. The weather this time of year is great.
In general, Taiwanese people are friendly and a good portion of them can speak enough English to be helpful. Public transportation is the way to go - the subway system is awesome, the busses not so much, but you can take them to places the subway won’t reach. Get a transit card while you’re there, you can use it for subways, busses, and some stores will take it as a form of payment. Credit cards are generally accepted, but some places only take cash.
Food and groceries are generally CHEAP! We ate like kings for probably 1/3 to 1/2 of what you’d pay in the US. We had combo meals with entree, soup, veggies, etc. for $5. Breakfast for 4 for less than $8.
The architecture is something… some designs are WTF, some have great designs, but ruined by people installing bars on their balconies, different kinds of A/C units, and dirty because they don’t clean the facades.
My parents live in Tamsui. I don’t think it’s all that, but I went on a weekday, so maybe not all the vendors / entertainers were out. It’s along the Tamsui river and has a great sunset. It’s the last stop on the red line.
We went to Shihlin night market for nostalgic reasons. There are hole-in-the-wall restaurants, food stalls and food carts that had tasty street food. Also good shopping with cheap clothing, gifts and other baubles.
We also went Jiufen. It’s similar to the Nishiki Market in Kyoto with a narrow pedestrian street and lots of restaurants, food vendors, shops, etc. Lots of international tourists. If you have time, the ladies can rent traditional Qipao to take photos at the market and some famous tea houses. My wife and daughter rented the dresses to do a mommy daughter photo shoot.
I’d also hit the Taipe XIngyi district. It’s the financial hub with great shopping. The Taipei 101 tower is there. You can go up to the 86th floor coffee / lunch spot as long as you spend 300 NTD per adult which comes to <$10. There is GREAT shopping on the lower levels if you have $$$. Lots of very high end watch, clothing and jewelry stores. There’s also a food court at the bottom level which has great options for not much money.
Enjoy your trip in Taiwan. If you have any questions, I’m sure Sam Lin, YChang and I would be willing to help.