Ximending

Taiwan has been on my travel checklist for a while now and last June, I was finally able to tick it off. It resembles Tokyo in a way, which got me excited to explore. Flight in was pretty manageable, we set foot at Taoyuan International Airport before lunch time, and we reached our "home district” for five days just a little past 12.

Smart girl suggested not to avail a pocket wi-fi thinking the connection the hotel and establishments provide would suffice. Sure they did, but there were instances we regretted it.

Scenario 1 — After the airport bus dropped us at Zhonghua Road, all we had was the city map we got from the airport and the hotel address, which marked the first of the many many rounds of walking we had to do in Taipei. We didn’t see that as a sign l o l. After about half an hour, we finally reached our hotel and its lovely aesthetics made us forget that we carried our luggages in the street.

Hotel Papa Whale

So thankful we pushed through with staying in this hotel because we were at the brink of cancelling our booking due to a complaint on bed bugs that went viral. We’re not really meticulous (in-betweens actually, yes but no types) so we just risked it and decision was right!

Finally, it was time to go around and start the food trip! Our location was so convenient, we loved it so much!

First boba!

Aaaahh, their street food’s the bomb!! Everything we tasted in this stretch of Ximending were so good, some we ordered twice! Not to mention the relatively affordable price!

The area’s very alive at night, and what better way to spend one than food trip! It’s the best spot to book accommodations too, in my opinion. Lots of boutique hostels are in this intersection and while we loved Papa Whale, this exact location is a real one to consider!