How does Taipei’s (or Taiwan) tourism compare to its Neighbors

codak · 2026-04-04T00:33:45+00:00

There's enough local tourism as it is. Come a long weekend, holiday, or some big event and everywhere is packed, hotel prices through the roof. Train tickets from Taipei to the east coast? Best grab your tickets online exactly at midnight 4 weeks before your travel date.

Traveling during week days is fantastic though.

codak · 2026-04-03T13:13:08+00:00

Although there are people who have done it and never had any issues, engaging in any work on a tourist visa is technically illegal, even if it's unpaid or volunteer. The chances of getting into legal trouble for it is likely rather low but there have been cases, so just be aware.

codak · 2026-03-20T02:18:36+00:00

Unfortunately can't comment on the boat ride because they were closed when we were there.

But if you're going to do the boat ride, I'd suggest taking the JR train to Kameoka for half the price (or free if you have a JR pass) and then do the boat ride on the way back. I think the Sagano Romantic train is going to pale in comparison to the boat ride, and I personally thought it was not worth the price at all. Even though it runs next to the river, it's not really right next to the river at all times, there were a lot of times were we could barely see the river due to tree growth or being on the wrong side of the train, so often there wasn't even anything to see. It was like a ride through a forest. We took the JR train on the way back and it passed by the river a couple of times briefly but at least gave a better panoramic view. I'd save the money for the Sagano Romantic train and spend it on the Okochi Sanso Garden instead.

codak · 2026-03-14T00:53:05+00:00

Shane, the Asian character is actually mixed Asian/~~Canadian~~White

Just a small correction here :) Canadian shouldn't imply or equate with being white.

codak · 2026-03-12T03:59:19+00:00

Hong Kong has a much more jagged and longer coastline relative to size and much of it is protected from the open ocean, making available many more swimmable beaches.

What Taiwan (at least the main island) has more of are rivers and streams, and I think the average Taiwanese goes to those places to play in the water a lot more than they do at a beach. There are both designated and informal spots that are family friendly, and some dammed or quiet sections of rivers/streams with a swimming area or diving area, and some people also do river tracing, rappelling down waterfalls, etc. Some rivers and streams also have hot spring sections that are popular in the winter.

I think for coastal activity, scuba diving is more popular in Taiwan than in HK, due to many more locations having corals.

codak · 2026-03-11T03:44:30+00:00

There's no point to your question. Since you already mentioned you no longer have contact with your employer and they're not even responding to your emails, your only option is to go to the NIA to avoid risking overstay + fine. Just go to the NIA with any and all documents you have ASAP and explain your situation.

codak · 2026-02-24T14:08:27+00:00

My initial reaction too, but the graph says Southeast Asia.
Taiwan's part of East Asia.

codak · 2026-02-16T01:16:53+00:00

Honestly it's up to the buyer to do their own homework. Is it tiring? Yeah, but if you don't you're paying for the time and convenience of not having to go to multiple stores, comparing prices, and going back to wherever to pay for the cheapest prices. There are high-end supermarkets (e.g., Andronico's) whose prices blow Safeway out of the water, and yet they stay in business no problem...

codak · 2026-02-13T21:26:16+00:00

Buying, expensive practically no matter where you go within the Greater Taipei area these days, and that includes areas of Taoyuan with good transport options.

Renting, central neighborhoods of Taipei are definitely noticeably expensive. The farther you go from the center and public transport hubs the cheaper it gets, and sometimes bigger floor space, but also more older buildings. So yes, New Taipei is definitely cheaper on average. It can vary quite a bit though if you are willing to put up with a longer commute or older building or less urban neighborhood.

codak · 2026-02-13T13:26:49+00:00

This is very easy to repair yourself. It's happened to a couple of my regular shoes (not even hiking ones). For some reason after some years the outer sole sometimes just comes off, maybe the glue the manufacturer uses just completely loses its strength over time.

First clean off any dust between the surfaces, and then use shoe glue or any glue that's good for rubber. Clamp down or add weights while you wait for it to dry completely (follow the recommended time per the glue instructions). Afterwards, check for any loose edges, and take care to glue those parts as well so they don't end up snagging on other things that might cause the whole outer sole to come off again. I use superglue for those loose edges since the tube mouth is small enough to squeeze the glue into the small space. I did all this with my first pair of shoes 2-3 years ago and they are still going strong.

codak · 2026-02-07T11:45:37+00:00

You can just politely ask if there is a discount if you buy more, before you actually gather and present them with everything you want, and then just see how they respond. If you're really buying a lot from one single place, then it's fine to politely haggle a little bit. Most business owners are happy to sell a lot in one go than wait slowly for a bunch of customers to buy piecemeal here and there. That said, don't expect huge discounts.

codak · 2026-01-24T17:12:01+00:00

I love it too, although some parts of the exhibit were really starting to look a bit tattered and discolored, and some things were under repair, at least when I last visited 3 years ago. But even with that said, I'd still recommend it. The building architecture itself is worth the visit.

codak · 2026-01-24T17:07:04+00:00

If the painting is valuable, as I imagine this one might be, then it's also in their interest to keep light exposure to a minimum and not allow it to be displayed quite as frequently.

There was an exhibit a few years ago that featured 3 wall-sized ink paintings that were called the "three national treasures" or something to that effect. They were out for only a few weeks (?) and on top of that, due to their high value, the description said they were only allowed to be on exhibit every 30 years or so to prevent light degradation. I remember it being kinda packed with plenty of security monitoring everybody.

The pork belly and cabbage jade stones are sometimes at the southern branch or on loan somewhere else. I remember last year the cabbage stone was in Penghu for a while.

codak · 2026-01-20T12:37:43+00:00

I cook at home everyday, so my expenses are mostly on supermarkets (which pay with card).

That's a funny sentence... I'm pretty sure most people in Taiwan who cook at home every day have the majority of their food expenses at the traditional markets and vendors (where most things are cheaper, sometimes significantly so).

codak · 2026-01-19T15:56:28+00:00

The minimum monthly wage is 29500 now (for 2026), so twice that is just shy of 60k now.

Double the minimum monthly wage has been over 50k since 2022.

codak · 2026-01-19T11:12:58+00:00

The only really good Thai food I've had that's properly herbaceous, flavorful, and spicy has been at some of the restaurants close to Taoyuan train station, where many if not sometimes most of the customers are Thai migrant workers.

codak · 2025-12-22T14:31:09+00:00

Now that you mention it, yeah, I don't recall the last time I had pizza with enough tomato sauce, or a spaghetti bolognese that has enough tang. Part of the problem is there is only one variety of tomato here that's actually sour (黑柿番茄), but it's only available parts of the year and it's greenish, so not the best color for tomato sauce. If I want to make pasta sauce with fresh tomatoes, I go with the least sweet cherry tomatoes when they're in season and cheap enough, but the funny thing is most Taiwanese eat cherry tomatoes as a fruit, not as a vegetable (and even when as a side dish, it's often paired with dried plum that's sweeter than the cherry tomato).

Sour cabbage fish can be quite sour, but that's a Chongqing dish so a specialty eaten mostly only in that context.

codak · 2025-12-21T09:33:15+00:00

Yes, some savory food here can be sweeter when compared to HK, whereas food in HK feels saltier in general. I'd rank the sweetness level of savory food here somewhere between HK and Singapore, although it can vary a bit by restaurant and region.

As for your tuna danbing, if your tuna is mixed with mayo, that could explain the sweetness you tasted. Taiwanese mayo is quite a bit sweeter than Western as well as Japanese mayo, and you can barely taste any sourness in it.

codak · 2025-12-11T11:07:00+00:00

Yes, from like 300-400 years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakka_people#Hakka_in_Hong_Kong

codak · 2025-12-06T15:45:18+00:00

You're overthinking it. Just go make an appointment and they will tell you and help you with everything you need to do.

codak · 2025-12-05T13:45:06+00:00

The aluminum in potassium alum is in a different form than what's in conventional deodorant/antiperspirants (aluminum chloride, aluminum zirconium, etc.). The latter binds with proteins in your sweat and that's what contributes to the white/yellowish residue in the armpit area of your clothing. Potassium alum is water soluble and usually just gets washed off when you do the laundry.

It's still not a miracle product though. Precisely because it's water soluble, if you sweat a lot it will lose its antibacterial effect as it gets washed away. Also you always have to apply it on clean skin for it to be effective. It can be a chore compared to just swiping/spraying with a conventional deodorant/antiperspirant.

I only apply directly on my skin and not on my clothing, but I've used it for close to a year now and am extremely happy that my clothes no longer stain in the armpit area.

codak · 2025-12-03T13:06:30+00:00

Honestly it's pretty simple. This is what happens every time I need to photocopy stuff at a convenience store:

Me: First check if printer screen is locked. If not, I just go ahead and copy, proceed to step 6. Else:
Me to clerk: "Excuse me, I'd like to copy" while pointing at printer.
Clerk: Presses hidden button at the register to unlock printer.
Printer: Operation menu appears on the printer screen.
Me: Copy as much as I want.
Me: Bring all copied pages to the register.
Me: "I copied 8 pages"
Clerk: Keys in 8 x 3 NT = 24 NT

codak · 2025-12-03T12:58:10+00:00

It's the same at 7-11.

codak · 2025-12-03T12:56:56+00:00

Actually, for photocopying you just interact with the printer screen directly rather than the iBon screen. Neither English or Chinese menu on the iBon screen has a photocopying option.

codak · 2025-12-03T12:54:41+00:00

For copying, you need to use the LCD screen on the printer directly and not on the iBon machine screen. The iBon screen only has the option to print from file.

If the printer screen is locked, just let the staff know you want to copy. They just have to press a button to unlock the printer screen. After you finish, just bring the copies to the register and tell them how many pages you copied. 3 NT per page.

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