Taiwan | assitanvibes

Hello and welcome to Taiwan!

I spent my 2024 summer vacation in Bali (photos coming soon :) and Taipei.

At first, I wanted to stay in Bali for three weeks, but since it would be my first time alone on an island (without any big cities), the city girl in me was a little afraid of getting bored lol. That's why I decided to spend only 2 weeks in Bali and then explore the city of Taipei and its surrounding area for a few days. I remember hesitating between Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, which was also closer, and Taiwan, but in the end, I was more excited to discover the country of bubble tea lol!

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That's how, after two weeks in Bali, I flew 5 hours to Taipei! But to be honest, I don't know if it was a good idea, and if I had to do it again, I think I would stay in Bali for another week to rest, enjoy the landscapes, and avoid being rushed. As I said, I was afraid to spend 3 weeks alone on an island with no big city, no urban transport... but in the end, I LOVED the experience and I am still missing Bali a bit haha (but I'll talk about it in the future dedicated album LOL).

So, when I arrived in Taipei, I was very tired, my brain was still in Bali, and I think this had a huge impact on my experience...There is also a big contrast between these two countries and between Balinese people who are sooo friendly, and the Taiwanese. I'm not saying that the Taiwanese are not nice, but it was much more complicated to communicate because of the language barrier, even for simple things (but thanks Google Translate lol). It required me a lot of effort (and I was already tired lol). The weather was also very hot, rainy, and humid in August. If I had to redo it, I would come to Taiwan at a different time...

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I have experienced a few other misadventures in Taiwan (I think I'll soon write an article about it, haha).

However, I have also seen many very positive and amazing things there! First of all, the green landscapes outside the city: I went on a day trip to the Northeast coast of Taiwan with a guide and other tourists from America and Japan (the Japanese family was sooo cute and OMG, I'm realizing that Taiwan is the ONLY country where I haven't met or heard any French people!) So, this tour was super great and I discovered 3 iconic spots of the country: Shifen, a beautiful place where you can admire the well-known Waterfall and take a walk to the Old Street to see people write wishes on Chinese lanterns, then release them into the sky. Jiufen, the emblematic village that inspired the Japanese director Miyazaki for his production "Le voyage de Chihiro", and Yehliu Geopark, a geological park famous for its rock in the shape of Nefertiti, the iconic Queen of Egypt.

Regarding the city of Taipei, there are also many places to visit, such as the lively Ximending district, which is, I think, quite similar to Myeongdong district in Seoul, South Korea. Of course, I tasted the original Bubble Tea at Xing Fu Tang: it's pretty much the same as the one I usually drink at Tiger Sugar in Paris, but the tapioca pearls are much bigger! In terms of history, I visited the Tchang Kaï-chek Memorial, dedicated to the former president of the Republic of China. It was an interesting place to visit, with a small art exhibition inside. I also wanted to visit the National Palace Museum, but unfortunately, I didn't have time. On my last day, I went to Taipei 101 Tower, where I could see a panoramic view of the city, and also saw some beautiful paintings made by talented artists... The Tower is located right next to a huge shopping center where you can also stroll around and have a meal.