Taiwan: What Surprised Me, What Went Wrong, and Why I'll Go Back

🛬 How It All Started

Taiwan wasn't the main destination — just a fortunate layover that stretched into five days. Taipei 101, Longshan Temple, Shilin night market — the list looked predictable. But the island immediately made it clear that it had no intention of following someone else's script.

I arrived at Taoyuan Airport late in the evening. I exchanged dollars for Taiwanese dollars right at the customs exit — the rate turned out to be fair, without hidden commissions. About 3000 Taiwanese dollars cost around 8,000 rubles. The subway to central Taipei — just under 160 rubles, and by midnight I was already standing at my hostel in the Daan district.

⚡ An Unexpected Turn

On the third day I went to the east coast — to Hualien. A high-speed train ticket cost around 670 rubles, the views from the window were postcard-perfect. But on the way back, the train stopped in a mountain tunnel for forty minutes without explanation. The air conditioning was working, the lights were on, the conductor was smiling and explained nothing in English.

«My neighbor pulled out a thermos with oolong tea, silently poured some into the cap for me and nodded — like, it happens. It was the best tea of my life, drunk in complete darkness of a mountain tunnel.»

Later it turned out: there was a small landslide ahead after the rains. The delay — an hour and a half. No panic, no shouting. We just waited.

💡 What Remained in Memory

Taiwan surprises you not with attractions, but with the pace. People here don't rush to get angry. Night markets operate until two in the morning, and a plate of fried tofu with sauce costs around 90 rubles. The city is clean, the subway is punctual, and a random neighbor on the train treats you to tea — simply because that's how it's done here.

• Money: Mir cards are not accepted in Taiwan. Exchange cash rubles for dollars in advance at home, and at Taoyuan Airport — for Taiwanese dollars (TWD). The rate at the arrival counters is quite market-based.
• Transport: the EasyCard (about 445 rubles deposit) works in the subway, buses and even in some cafes — get it right at the airport.
• Communication: an eSIM for Taiwan is conveniently purchased before departure at e7m.ru — from 580 rubles, payment by card of any Russian bank, activates immediately upon arrival.
• Food: don't go to restaurants near the main attractions — prices are three times higher. Look for places with a queue of locals: a plate of noodle soup there costs around 180 rubles and will be ten times more delicious.