Life ‘Stuck’ in Taiwan during the coronavirus pandemic (April’s edition)

What is life like ‘stuck’ in Taiwan during the coronavirus pandemic? Strange but wonderful! It feels strange because while most of the world was on pause in April, Taiwan has been moving forward and operating as usual. We dine at restaurants, get on crowded subway rides, explore tourist sites, see students going to school, and workers going to work. We feel guilty at times for leading such free lives after we completed our home self-quarantine. If we were back in the US or France, we would be unable to move around freely and would be constantly worried about possibly spreading the virus to our loved ones so we are very grateful for the freedom we have in Taiwan. Thank you Taiwan!

(If you are new to the blog, we decided to shelter ourselves in Taiwan during the pandemic. This has been – in retrospect – the best decision we could have made at the time since Taiwan is free of COVID-19 which gives us security and freedom to explore without worries).

In April, we were able to explore a lot around Taipei which is the capital of Taiwan. We were able to check out a lot of great restaurants, a night market, and do our usual grocery shopping. In addition to the conveniences of a very efficient city, Taipei is also surrounded by beautiful mountains with lots of hiking trails. We’ve really prioritized time in nature during this pandemic and are making the most of getting outdoors whenever we can. As you will see from our list of activities, we have been having a wonderful time in Taipei and are just scratching the surface. I am going to split this post into multiple parts. For this first post, we are going to cover the month of April that we spent in Taipei. Are you ready to discover what Taiwan has to offer, even during this pandemic?

Notes:

• Unless specified otherwise, prices in USD have been converted from the local currency (NT$ or New Taiwan Dollar) to USD using a 1:30 ratio. (so 1 NT$ = 0.033 USD). 
• Since we share a lot of recommendations, we use this notation [⭐️⭐️⭐️] to indicates what is the best of the best (la creme de la creme as you would say it in French). If you have a limited amount of time, try to focus on them first.

Pro-tip: If you are interested to easily locate and access all the places we are mentioning in this article, fill out the form below and we will send you a copy of our own Google Maps we created during our stay in Taiwan. (We uses this map directly from our phone when we explore, which make it super handy to find places).

Our Favorite Sights/Activities

Here are the places we recommend to check out in Taipei:

• Junjianyan Trail hike – This easy hike starts from Taipei and takes you into the mountains so you get nice views.
  Cost: FREE, besides public transportation cost.

• Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall – We liked this place because when we went it was totally empty which made it even bigger as it might look like when full of tourists. That being said, it remains a top attraction in Taiwan.
  Cost: FREE.

Here are the places we recommend to check out outside of Taipei:

• [⭐️⭐️⭐️] Huangdidian East to West peaks hikes – A wonderful 4-5 hrs hike near Taipei. It’s a pretty difficult one as you need to use rope in some sections to climb up/down. You need to make sure you have a pair of gloves on hold on these ropes. The views at each peak are super rewarding though.
  Cost: FREE, besides public transportation cost from Taipei. (60 TWD 1-way per person from Ximen).

• [⭐️⭐️⭐️] Ba Yan Ye River Hot Spring – This was our first wild spring and we loved it. We managed to go from hot spring to cold plunge. We went with a local we met on a previous hike and did not know until we reached the entrance that access is actually forbidden. When we made it there we weren’t the only ones there and luckily did not get fined. It looks like a very popular local spot.
  Cost: FREE (but keep in mind it’s forbidden so venture at your own risk).

• Beitou Thermal Valley + Longfong Valley Liouhuang Valley Recreation Area hike – Beitou is a popular hot spring stop in Taipei with many fancy hot spring hotels. We took a walk from the Beitou Thermal Valley (very impressive steam rising from it) to the Longfong Valley (a former sulfur mining site) which offers a nice view and also lets you learn a lot about the sulfur industry in this area. 

Our Favorite Restaurants

• Ooh Cha Cha (Da’an) – The first place we visited after our quarantine was over as it was close to where we lived. It is a plant-based restaurant and they have multiple locations. They have a nutritious, delicious, and creative menu so you won’t be disappointed if plant-based food is your thing.
  Cost: 250 TWD (~8.33 USD) on average per main.

• Rakumenya (Ximen) – We went to the Ximen location of this chain where you can order Ramen using iPads which is convenient when you don’t speak the local language. The ramen is a bit on the pricey side but keep in mind that you can get as much as 4x ramen refill and since this was a craving of mine, I did not mind. This place also features other Japanese food (mostly appetizer sized).
  Cost: 260 TWD (~8.66 USD) for a bowl of ramen.

• Ji Yuan Vegetarian Eatery (Wanhua) – A local spot for sure, where people come to get a bowl of noodles, rice, or soup with veggies. Super affordable and really good. We will come back.
  Cost: 110 TWD (~3.66 USD) on average per main.

• Mianto (Da’An) – We met a nomadic couple and went out at this vegan restaurant they wanted to check out. Since the city was still taking a lot of precautions with COVID-19, they were putting a divider between each table which made things a bit awkward but was clever. We ended up being the only customer of this place anyways since the business was slow. An option to consider if you are vegan, especially as they have vegan pizzas! (We did not try them but we really enjoyed the food we ordered).
  Cost: 300 TWD (~10 USD) on average per main.
• [⭐️⭐️⭐️] Yang Shin Vegetarian Restaurant (Zhongshan) – Another high-end place that specializes in traditional vegetarian food. We went there for lunch and ordered their lunch set which came with many dishes. We actually had to take some back home but really enjoyed everything. A great way to sample local vegetarian cuisine. We had the roast mushroom with curry sauce, stir-fried bearded tooth mushroom with SanBei sauce, steamed rice noodle with healthy herbs, lotus leaf sticky rice roll, eight delicacies & taro rice, black sesame paste, taro tapioca pudding & jasmine tea (w/ free refill)
  Cost: 1000 TWD (~33 USD) to share a lunch set for two people. 
• Pure Veggie house (Xinyi) – Another higher-end vegan restaurant in Taipei, in the Taipei 101 district. We really enjoyed the food and if you are looking for a date night, this is a good option.
  Cost: 250-500 TWD (~8.33-16.66 USD) on average per main.

Our Favorite Sweets Spots

• [⭐️⭐️⭐️] Shilin Night market – This was the second-night market we tried and we really enjoyed it. You get a lot of Taiwanese street food options (like stinky tofu, oyster omelet, pork buns, small sausage in large rice sausage, pig’s blood rice cakes…). We haven’t tried everything yet but our favorites have been the sweet potato balls, peanut mochi, and the black pepper bun.
  Cost: 15-90 TWD (~0.50-3.00 USD) per street food item.

Our Favorite Grocery Stores & Farmers Markets

Here are our top recommendations:

• Carrefour – Carrefour is a French supermarket I grew up with (so I might be a bit subjective in my opinion :D). This place makes for a one-stop-shop for everything food-related we needed to cook. The store even offers kitchen appliances, clothes, games, and more. My favorite section of the store is probably the fresh baked goods section (approved as a French). Staff speaks English which can be convenient if you need assistance.
  Pro-tip: When going shopping to Carrefour try to go there past 8 pm as some items that the store doesn’t want to resell the next day will be heavily discounted!  

• Wellcome – A more local & smaller supermarket that is widespread in Taipei. We had one close to our Airbnb that we mostly used for a few fruits and vegetables that were noticeably more affordable than Carrefour. The staff doesn’t speak much English.
• Local farmers market – You will find plenty of local farmers’ markets in Taipei. The best ones are obviously the local ones IMHO. I don’t really have a strong recommendation as they all look the same and they are easy to find. Just go for the one closest to your location.

• [⭐️⭐️⭐️] Since we do share a lot of recommendations, this indicates what is the best of the best in our opinion. If you have a limited amount of time, try to focus on them first. Taipei Expo Farmer’s market – If you are looking more for a higher-end farmers market, with an artisanal feel, this is a great option. It is part of a big park that is surrounded by cute shops and a park close by.

Those were our highlights for April in Taipei! We definitely made the most of our freedom here to enjoy what the island has to offer during a less busy time. We are so thankful that Taiwan has taken the appropriate measures to make the island safe from COVID-19 and allow visitors like us to stay in the country for the time being. As nature-lovers and foodies, we definitely won’t run out of things to do in Taiwan for months.

We have new places to share with you for the coming weeks and months, so be sure to sign-up for our newsletter (link below) so you can get notified when we publish these upcoming posts.

Are you surprised by what life is like in Taiwan during the pandemic? Did you know there were so many activities to do? Would you be interested to come visit Taiwan (& Taipei)? Feel free to share your experience and ask questions by leaving a comment below.