Hit Me Taipei One More Time: Exploring Taipei in 48 Hours

I can still remember the moment when I first arrived here - the sleek airport terminal, the way the cold and crisp February wind caressed my face, and the vast network of highways.

Taipei. Large, flat, bold, full of life, and often forgotten. Taipei is a city that rarely comes up in any relevant top ten travel list. The city is usually seen as a not-so-Chinese island hiding behind the shadow of its step brother, Hong Kong. Armed with only one camera and sheer determination, we set foot to Asia’s underrated city to disprove these rumors circulating around this capital city.

So it's official: Taiwan is Visa-Free for Filipinos!

Starting June 1, 2017, Filipinos can now visit Taiwan visa-free! According to the Taiwan Embassy's website, the visa-free access for Filipinos is only a trial period valid for one year. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the embassy will extend the trial period just like what they did to Brunei and Thailand passport holders. I am hoping that my fellow Pinoy travelers won't abuse this new immigration law of Taiwan.

Now, here are some of my favorite photos during my first and second visit in Taiwan.

Taiwan it that way!

Taipei Diaries: Elephant Mountain Trail

If there's anything that I don't like about traveling, it's definitely hiking. Don't get me wrong, I have scaled two mountains ever since I started exploring places - from traversing the lahar landscapes of Mount Pinatubo, to Osmeña Peak, the highest point of Cebu Province. Eventually, I turned down a lot of invites from my friends. Most of them have already conquered several peaks in the country like Pulag, Apo (the country's highest peak), and other mountains of the southern Luzon region.

During my recent trip to Taipei, I did not expect that we'd be hiking another hill. This time, however, was totally different. In a bad way.

The Sun Moon Lake Day Adventure

Hidden in the deep verdant jungles and towering limestone hills of Central Taiwan is a paradise literally shaped like a celestial body. Sun Moon Lake, with its varied landscapes, and rich cultural diversity has always been a favorite holiday destination for both local and international tourists.

PHOTO DIARY: Taiwan It That Way

Taiwan is not that difficult to love. Despite being a fairly small country, Taiwan boasts a LOT of activities and sceneries. On our first day, we traveled north and visited some tourist attractions such as National Palace Museum and Yangmingshan National Park. While roaming, we chanced upon a few cherry blossom trees and instantly became the highlight of our first day. Later in the afternoon, we went exploring Yehliu Geopark and Jiufen which were all familiar to me. A wave of nostalgia hit me as I walked the familiar path of Yehliu and Jiufen.

As they always say, love is lovelier the second time around.

Camera: Canon EOS M10 (kit lens 15-45mm)

PHOTO DIARY: If I Was You, Taiwan Be Me Too

I fell in love with Taiwan last year and made myself a promise to explore more of this underrated country in my next visit. Fast forward to October last year, we scored a low fare to Taipei. I never thought I'd enjoy Taiwan again, most especially if I am with eleven millennials who are a million times crazier than me.

Taiwan, you never fail to amaze me.

Thank You, Twenty Sixteen

The year 2016 was a roller coaster ride. I have gained a lot of new experiences mostly in life but lost a few that were dear to me. This so-called adventure doesn't teach us to dwell and linger with our past, especially the bad ones, but to always to keep our steady pace as we gear towards the future. No matter how we carefully plan our paths, life will always give us surprises along the way.

Last Day in Taipei, Taiwan

Our last day in Taipei was indeed bittersweet. We were scheduled to leave Taipei at around midnight so we still had 12 hours to make the most out of it. Haha! We're talking about last minute shopping at Ximending and Shilin Markets, a quick tour in one of the capital's contemporary museums, and digging ourselves with their best xiao long baos and pork buns.

The Old Town named Jiufen

Sleepy mountain.

Yehliu Geopark was quite a disappointment for us. There were too many tourists, most of them from mainland whose middle names are either 'I-Don't-Follow-Rules' or 'Who-Cares'. After our hearty lunch at Family Mart, we made our way near a convenience store. According to some reliable travel blogs, buses occasionally stop here and pick up passengers bound for Jiufen.

The weather was still cold and overcast, but it didn't dampen our spirits.

Carved by Nature: Yehliu Geopark

We woke up earlier and braved the cold breeze of the capital city. It was past eight in the morning when we got out of the hotel. We planned to take a bus to the town of Wanli and visit Yehliu Geopark, one of Taiwan's famous attractions.

But before everything else, FOOD!

Exploring Taichung City

On our second day, we decided to travel at our own pace. Well, these are the things you realize when you're getting old. LOL #TitoProblems. We set an alarm at around 7:30AM but no one bothered to get up no matter how annoying Toney's alarm was. I can't blame our lethargic behavior that morning because it was just really cold.

At 10AM, we were all set for our trip. We bought our train tickets to Taichung City at Taipei Main Station and we're scheduled to leave at exactly 11:10AM. Little did we know, we would encounter something along the road.

A Day in Taipei

Day 1 in Taipei, Taiwan

Let me tell you a secret: Taiwan is an underrated travel destination.

I never thought I'd enjoy this country. Honestly, it wasn't part of my 2016 bucket list. Filipinos are required to have an approved visa from their embassy before traveling to Taiwan. A lot get easily intimidated by their visa requirements and that includes me.

One thing that I know about Taiwan is the plethora of TV series and boy bands which were aired in Philippine TV back in the early 2000s. But, these weren't enough to convince me to visit Taiwan. Unlike Japan, Korea, or even China, the country wasn't charming at all at first glimpse. I once thought that it was just a typical industrialized country filled with towering skyscrapers and factories. I kept my expectations low.

As always, I was wrong.