Taipei is one of my favourite destinations and for good reasons. Great food, friendly people and excellent transport system make it easy to like this vibrant city. Having spent only a short time during my previous trip, it’s time to make that up! The only problem is that Taiwan’s biggest city has got so much to offer which makes it so tough to cherry pick the attractions. Coming up with the itinerary for 4D3N was tough especially on the ‘where to eat’ portion LOL. There are just way too many must-try foods to choose from. And I am happy to report that almost all are worth the calories…and cholesterol…oops!

Upon reaching Taoyuan International Airport, we bought tickets for Kuo-Kuang Bus no. 1819 which took us directly to Taipei Main Station. The journey took almost an hour before we made our way to CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch III. The news of direct train service from Airport to the city centre is near completion while I was typing this, cheers to that!

Elephant Mountain

After seeing an abundance of great-looking photos online taken at Elephant Mountain (象山), I wanted to see it for myself. But sadly, I am unable to reproduce anything like those amazing ones. So I just make do and enjoy the panoramic views of the city instead. Taipei 101 looks particularly stunning which makes the 15-20 minutes’ climb up the numerous stone steps worthwhile.

Elephant Mountain is one of the four mountains surrounding the city known as the Four Beasts (四獸山). I would love to visit the other three someday too.

Wu Fen Pu and Raohe Street Night Market

Thereafter it’s time to embrace Taiwanese culture of visiting the night market or 逛夜市. I missed out on Taipei night market scene during my last visit so there are some catch up to do. And it’s Raohe Street Night Market for the experience that evening. Rather near to Raohe is Wu Fen Pu, a popular wholesale clothing hunt for locals and tourists alike.

I am of course more interested in the food and wasted no time in grabbing a seat at Formosa Chang (鬍鬚張魯肉飯). As the name suggests, the signature dish is none other than Braised Pork Rice. It’s served in a small and simple bowl yet gives immense satisfaction. The sinful braised pork and the fragrant rice pair off wonderfully. But sadly, the same cannot be said about the other dishes we ordered…

The nom-nom continues over to Raohe and we were attracted by a queue at 福州世祖胡椒餅 selling the famous Black Pepper Buns. The crispy crust and peppery pork is one power combination. It tastes so good that it’s well worth the wait. But do wait a while before taking a bite, as the inside is hot and juicy.

Raohe Street Night Market is known more for its food than shopping which works well for me!

STAY: CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch III review

CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch III is well within walking distance from the main train station. CItyInn is part of Taipei Inn Group which runs other chains like Ambience Hotel, Dandy Hotel and Hotel 73. I particularly like the modern décor of its cheerful-looking lobby. There is a small pantry that serves free hot beverages and a microwave for the hotel guests to use. The super friendly staffs which we met throughout the stay were helpful and attentive. Kudos to that!

The simplistic design approach is extended to the room. Room size is kinda small like I have expected for a basic no-frill hotel. But still, it’s very comfortable and functional for quality rest. I wouldn’t mind staying here again for my stay at CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch III has proven to be value for money.

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What are your thoughts about Taipei or Raohe Street Night Market? Leave a comment and share it with me.

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