Why Taipei?
The Taiwanese capital, and Taiwan in general, has a somewhat bland image, but it’s entirely unjustified. A sprawling city that seems larger than its population of 2.6 million, Taipei is dramatically situated with a river on one side and mountains on the other, and travellers come away from a visit feeling they’ve experienced not just one city but several different countries.
There’s plenty to explore, from Dihua Street, the oldest part of the city – which, with its small local restaurants, Chinese shophouses, old temples and preponderance of motorbikes, feels like Malaysia’s Penang – to the Taipei 101 district. The latter is a modern precinct of shopping, hotels and the startling eponymous structure, built to look like a bamboo pole and still one of the world’s tallest buildings at 509 metres (it was the tallest until the Burj Khalifa opened in 2010).
The country’s 20th-century history gives it an interesting appeal, but its openness to foreigners doesn’t seem to have diluted the culture. With good food and shopping, it’s much cheaper and less formal than Japan, and the people are down to earth and humorous. It’s clean and safe, and travellers should have no problems getting around, by taxi, which is cheap, or metro, which is even cheaper. Best of all, you see few other tourists.
A comfortable bed
The central district of Zhongshan is a great base, and I like the luxurious Regent Taipei (www.regenthotels.com; 00886 2 2523 8000), across the road from the Spot Taipei Film House and an old Japanese-style neighbourhood full of arty cafes, shops and cultural venues. Double rooms cost from 6,627 Taiwan dollars (Dh782) per night, including taxes.
For the best view of the city and the Taipei 101, check in to Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel (www.shangri-la.com; 00886 2 2378 8888) in the business district – it's the tallest hotel in the city. Rooms cost from 8,778 dollars [Dh1,036] per night, including taxes.
If you fancy something with more Asian flavour, the Amba Taipei Ximending (www.amba-hotels.com; 00886 2 2375 5111) is the city's first design hotel. The cheapest rooms are very small and lacking natural light, but it's clean and secure, and there's a cool, enormous, communal open-plan bar/restaurant/relaxation/work area downstairs. Rooms cost from 2,963 dollars per night (Dh350), including taxes.
Find your feet
Start at the Taipei 101, because you’ll want to get a close-up look even if you don’t want to go up to the viewing deck (which is pointless in cloudy weather). To the north-west of this area and within walking distance, things get more interesting at the Songshan Cultural Park, a huge complex of old factory buildings that now house some of the city’s most creative spaces. There are art galleries, small shops, cafes, the Taiwan Design Museum and Red Dot Design Museum. Once an old Japanese cigarette factory, the buildings and attractive lake are worth lingering around. Next door is the new Eslite Spectrum Songyan Store. Take a taxi or the No 5 metro line west to Dihua Street, and wander in and out of Chinese medicine stores, traditional street cafes and new coffee bars.
Meet the locals
Taipei’s food scene comes alive at night, with night markets on almost every block. They can be extremely crowded, and those not designated “tourist night markets” have few signs or menus in English, but it’s fun to see what other people are eating and make your choice based on sight. Pull up a chair at a table in a side street and be prepared to share. Frequent festivals are affairs for the whole family, but foreigners are welcomed.
Book a table
You won't get better or cheaper dumplings, steamed buns or noodle soups in a cleaner environment than at the Taiwanese chain Din Tai Fung (www.dintaifung.com.tw). The dumplings have earned Michelin stars and are now sold around the world. The Taipei 101 branch often has a queue outside, but it's worth it. Prices start from 70 dollars (Dh8) for its signature beansprout salad in vinegar dressing, to 200 dollars (Dh24) for the braised beef soup. For a more one-off experience, go to the retro-looking Hawji at 77-83 Jilin road in Zhongshan, where you can point to the fresh foods on display at the front of the shop and have them cooked for you. Think mapo tofu and rich chicken claypots. Prices start from 250 dollars (Dh30).
Shopper’s paradise
Taiwan is known for its design, and you'll find good value, innovative products at the Songshan Cultural Park, the Eslite Spectrum store and in concepts stores such as one of the three locations of Frogcafe (www.cafe.frogfree.com).
What to avoid
Pork fat is used in a variety of foods, so Muslim visitors should use a local English-speaking friend or guide, or stick to established restaurants/ hotels. There are a number of vegetarian and halal Indian restaurants. For more information, visit eng.taiwan.net.tw.
Don’t miss
The National Palace Museum (www.npm.gov.tw) in Shilin is huge and a bit of a chore to visit (allow at least a whole day), but it houses one of the world's most important collections of ancient Chinese art and artefacts. A new wing due to open by the end of the year will showcase more items from the vast collection.
Go there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies direct from Dubai to Taipei in eight hours, with returns from Dh3,655 return, including taxes.
rbehan@thenational.ae
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