Roxanne TamayoIn November 2016, I travelled to Taipei, Taiwan for a four-day, three-night solo trip on a budget of less than US$200. Everything was DIY, and I didn’t have a strict itinerary at first. I simply made a list of possible things to do.
My flight was on November 8, 2016, departing at 9:45 PM and arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 1 at 12:25 AM. This flight schedule wasn’t ideal for everyone, so I ended up sleeping at the airport on the first day. The things you do as a budget traveller, am I right?
Regardless, here’s a quick summary of how I made the trip happen for that amount of money.
Also read: How I Travelled 3 Days in Taipei for Only PHP 9,620 (All-In)
Initial expenses
- AT (Airport Tax) – ₱1,620
- TF (Terminal Fee) – ₱750
- AFT (Airfare Ticket) – ₱1,020.80 from Cebu Pacific
- Visa-free with ROC travel authorization certificate, although Taiwan visa is expensive
- ₱10,000 converted to US$200 – US$1 was around ₱46
- US$200 converted to NTWD or New Taiwan Dollar which is NT$6,199 (minus charge of NT$30 from NT $6,229)
Purpose of this trip
Solo travel to Taiwan on my birthday week — it’s a first-time experience. I should be travelling with a friend, but due to unforeseen circumstances, she had to cancel.
2 Easy ways to reach Taipei Main Station
- From the airport, there is a bus bound to Taipei Main Station
- To experience the HSR, take a bus to HSR Taoyuan Station, purchase a ticket going to Taipei Main Station
Where to stay in Taipei?
I stayed at Main Inn Taipei which I booked through Hostelworld.
4 Days 3 Nights Taipei – Budget & Itinerary
Day 1 – 9 Nov 2016
- Sleeping at the airport; arrival at 12:25am
- EasyCard – Top up with NT$200 (Easy Card borrowed from Jeremy, a friend, who had been to Taiwan)
- Taking a bus to HSR Taoyuan Station in the morning – swipe with EasyCard
- Taking the High-Speed Rail from Taoyuan Station to Taipei Main Station for NT$155
- Arrival at Main Inn Taipei – paid NT$1581 for 3 nights
- Meet up with Janice – we got acquainted through a travel forum and met in person at last in Taipei to show me around
- Beef noodles for NT$140, Bubble Tea Milk for NT$40, water for NT$20 c/o by Janice
- Taking the MRT going to XianXiang for Elephant Mountain
- Elephant Mountain with no cost
- Family Mart lunch or snack c/o Janice
- Taipei 101 Building
- Chiang Kai Shek Hall at night (best to go in broad daylight)
- Dinner at Ximending Night Market c/o Janice
- Back to hostel at Main Inn Taipei
- Drinking beer during my birthday eve c/o Yoshi from Japan until midnight
Day 2 – November 10, 2016
- Hey shawty, it’s my birthday!
- EasyCard top up for NT$100
- Woke up late because of tired legs from hiking
- Sushi breakfast for NT$60
- Conversation with Tony from the US talking about the Philippines and US politics
- Meet up with Kohei from Japan in the afternoon
- Beef Ramen – Late lunch at Taipei City Mall for NT$59
- Sun Yat Sen Hall at night (best to go there in broad daylight)
- Taipei 101 Observatory at night for NT$600 c/o Kohei as a birthday present
- Food hopping at Shilin Night Market
- $50 chao fan plus drink (Chao fan is $90 c/o Kohei / drink is $30)
- $40 Fresh Fruit juice
- $90 (2 bubble tea milk), as you can see Kohei paid for almost everything
- $60 potato fries ($120 per serving)
- Back to hostel
Day 3 – November 11, 2016
- $60 sushi for breakfast
- Easy Card top up for $100 (should have top up $200 or more)
- $40 bus ($90 bus to Jiufen – use Easy Card or pay the exact amount of cash on the bus as there is no change)
- $400 souvenirs in Jiufen
- $800 to $1000 Jioufen Tea House
- $100 bus back to Taipei
- Dinner at Din Tai Fung c/o Kohei
- Back to hostel
Day 4 – November 12, 2016
- $100 sushi for breakfast
- Meet up with Ghing and Princess
- MRT to Taipei Zoo
- $120 Maokong Gondola
- $60 Taipei Zoo entrance
- McDonald’s late lunch c/o Ghing
- Meetup with Kohei and friends
- Ice cream waffles c/o Kohei
- $1300 taxi going to the airport due to unnecessary circumstances
- $40 locker because I accidentally brought Kohei’s pocket wifi and earphones 😂
- Fortunately, I was able to catch my flight at 1am the next day
Personal budget in Taipei
- Accommodation for three nights – NT$1581
- Daily food budget right for three meals multiplied for four days – NT$500 x 4 days = NT$2,000
- Daily MRT fare multiplied for four days – NT$200 x 4 days = NT$800
- The rest would be miscellaneous for shopping and souvenirs
Conclusion
Four days in Taipei is not enough. I missed visiting some places because of the rain; I preferred staying in bed while waiting for the rain to stop.
Travelling on a budget in Taipei is possible. Taipei 101 Observatory, High-Speed Rail and Dinner at Din Tai Fung are optional. You might want to consider doing the FREE activities instead.
Also read: Travel Cheat Sheet: 10 FREE Things to Do in Taipei for Budget Travellers
I thank my friends for the birthday treat: Jeremy for the Easy Card, Janice for meeting me and showing me around, Yoshi for the beer, Kohei for the reunion meet-up from Cebu, Ghing and Princess for the fun at Maokong Gondola and Taipei Zoo.
Contributed by I Travel Rox
