Hey TFCians,
Recently, I completed a 5-night solo trip to Taipei City, Taiwan. It was a short but enjoyable trip—the city is beautiful, the people are very nice and welcoming, and they left a very positive impression on me in a short time.
Here, I'll share my entire experience, from visa procedures to flights, hotels, and the places I explored.
Since I had a Japan visa and had visited Japan last June, I applied for the ROC online and used it to enter Taiwan.
As per Taiwan's official website, applicants can apply for TAC (Taiwan Travel Authorization Certificate) if they possess any of the following documents issued by Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, any EU or Schengen country, the United Kingdom, or the United States:
Applicants using a visa issued by Japan or South Korea as their supporting document must also provide proof of entry into Japan or South Korea (Entry, Exit Stamps)
For more details about the ROC & Visa Waiver System, you can check: https://www.roc-taiwan.org/inmaa_en/post/7581.html
As a Platinum Elite member, I received free breakfast and lounge access. The lounge offered both breakfast and dinner, which saved me money on meals.They also upgraded my room category to executive deluxe room at check-in counter, without asking for it.
The hotel was just 700m from Taipei Main Station, making navigation very easy due to its prime location. As expected from a Marriott property, the overall experience was excellent.
View attachment WhatsApp Video 2025-03-18 at 8.11.27 PM.mp4
For calling, I used WhatsApp calls or, if necessary, my Jio India postpaid number. It cost me only ₹10 per minute to call any number in India or Taiwan (the current country) without needing an international roaming pack.
My flight was at 2 AM, and I landed in Bangkok (BKK) at 6 AM. I had a 7-hour layover at BKK, so I took a shower at the Royal Silk Lounge, relaxed for six hours, and then headed for my next flight.
For the first time, I flew EVA Air Business Class on a Boeing 777-300ER. The quality and service were excellent. However, I forgot to pre-order my meal, and since I don’t consume meat, my only available option was fruits. If you're traveling to East or Southeast Asian countries, I highly recommend pre-booking your meal to avoid such issues. EVA Air offers free onboard internet service for 30 minutes. If you need internet for a longer duration, you must purchase a plan from them. I managed to get 30 minutes of free internet on each of my two mobile devices, giving me a total of 1 hour of free internet.
Upon landing, the first thing I did was withdraw some cash and purchase an EasyCard (a transit card for rail and public transport). The card cost 200 NTD (100 NTD for the card itself + 100 NTD balance). I then reloaded another 300 NTD onto it.
From the airport, I took the MRT (high-speed rail) to Taipei Main Station, which cost 160 NTD. I arrived at Taipei Main Station at 7:30 PM, then took another train to Shandao Temple Station, which was just 100m from my hotel.
Finally, I reached my hotel at around 8 PM. It was drizzling, and the weather was pleasantly cool. After checking in, I visited the hotel lounge and had dinner. My room was on the 15th floor, while the lounge was on the 17th, making it very convenient to access anytime. The lounge officially closes at 8 PM, but thanks to some sweet-talking, they let me take away food even at 8:10 PM—a small win!
After freshening up, I headed to the lounge for breakfast. Without wasting any time, I set out for the Presidential Office Building, which was just 1.4 km from my hotel. Walking in Taipei was fun—the city was incredibly clean, the weather was cool, and there was occasional drizzle.
After exploring the Presidential Office Building, I walked 1.1 km to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. I spent some time admiring the architecture and history before continuing my journey to Daan Park, a 1.4 km walk from Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. The park was beautiful, but what I loved even more was the peaceful surroundings.
Next, I visited a nearby pen shop, TY Lee Pens, just 500 meters away. There, I purchased two TWISBI Diamond 580 extra-fine nib pens, which cost around ₹12,000 in India, but I got them for just ₹5,500 each!
From there, I started walking toward Taipei 101, which was about 2.6 km away. I spent a lot of time exploring the 101 Mall and then bought a ticket for the Taipei 101 Observatory (cost: 600 NTD). The view was absolutely worth the price!
At around 3:30 PM, I decided to hike Elephant Hill. Since I knew finding vegetarian food there would be difficult, I stopped by a nearby 7-Eleven and grabbed some packaged snacks, which I enjoyed while sitting at a nearby park.
As I started my hike up Elephant Hill, the drizzle turned into steady rain. The stone steps were small and slippery, making the hike quite challenging. Halfway up, I realized that my shoes weren’t providing enough grip due to the continuous rain. Reluctantly, I had to cancel my plan and head back down. However, I decided that I would return another day to reach the top.
From there, I walked to the nearest Red Line MRT station, Xiangshan Station, and took a train to Taipei Main Station. By the evening, I reached my hotel, had dinner at the lounge, and wrapped up my first day in Taipei.
After exploring the museum, I relaxed at a nearby park and also visited Bishanyan Kaizhang Shengwang Temple. The peaceful atmosphere made for a great break before continuing my journey.
Next, I headed toward Beitou Hot Springs. I first took a bus from the National Palace Museum to Shilin Station, then took the train to Beitou. At Beitou Station, I transferred to the Xinbeitou Line, which took me to Xinbeitou Station. From there, the Beitou Hot Springs was just a few minutes' walk away. This place was amazing, to say the least! I spent half my day there, enjoying the relaxing hot springs and the scenic surroundings.
In the afternoon, I made my way back to Taipei Main Station. From there, I took the Blue Line train to Lungshan Temple. The atmosphere at the temple was beautiful—though it was crowded, I still felt a sense of peace.
In the evening, I enjoyed some local performances, including flute playing, which was absolutely mesmerizing. The performers were truly talented!
After that, I walked to Ximending Night Market—the vibrant atmosphere instantly recharged my energy. I love exploring night markets, especially in the evening when the streets come alive.
While at Ximending, I stopped by Studio A and purchased an iPhone 16 Pro Max 512GB for one of my relatives. (I've also created a separate thread to share how I managed to get a tax refund on the iPhone in Taiwan.)
By the time I finished shopping, it was already late, so I decided to walk back to my hotel. Even though I arrived after 8 PM, a little sweet talk worked like magic—the lounge manager kindly allowed me to take away some food for dinner.
My train route:
In the early evening, I made my way to Raohe Street Night Market, spending about 1.5 hours exploring the vibrant market and trying out local street food.
I reached my hotel around 7:45 PM, visited the lounge, and took away some food for dinner.
I decided to walk around the city one last time and do some shopping. After breakfast, I headed to Houshanpi Stationfrom Shandao Temple. I visited Songshan Ci Hui Temple and some nearby parks, spending a good amount of timeenjoying the natural beauty and chatting with some solo travelers like myself.
Later, I walked around the city, visited a few stores, and purchased some souvenirs for friends and family.
In the late evening, I reached my hotel, booked a cab for the next morning to Taipei Taoyuan Airport (TPE) since the high-speed train operates only from 6 AM, and my flight was at 7:30 AM. After that, I headed to the lounge for dinner.
After dinner, I packed everything properly and got some rest for a few hours.
Upon reaching the airport, I found that EVA Air has a separate check-in counter for business class, priority passengers, elite status holders, and co-branded credit card holders for flights to all destinations.
After completing check-in, I headed to the tax refund counter—(check out my iPhone tax refund thread for more details: https://www.technofino.in/community...hone-purchases-my-experience-in-taiwan.38815/).
Once the tax refund process was complete, I went to Infinity Lounge by EVA Air, spent some time there, and then headed to the boarding gate at 7:00 AM.
My flight took off on schedule. The in-flight service was excellent, as always, and this time, I didn’t forget to pre-book my meal, so I was served a delicious Indian vegetarian meal onboard.
Later, I had lunch at the lounge and then went shopping at the airport for a while. After purchasing a few items, I returned to the lounge since my flight to Kolkata was scheduled for 8:40 PM.
After another short nap, I left the lounge at 7:50 PM and headed to the boarding gate.
For dinner, I had pre-booked Era Melagu Elimchai Korma via SQ’s ‘Book the Cook’ meal service—and it was delicious.
One thing I really like about SQ is that they offer free onboard Wi-Fi (no time restriction) —a huge plus!
I reached Kolkata on time. It only took 15 minutes to clear immigration via e-gate (Fast Track Immigration) and customs. I was out of the airport within 15 minutes of deboarding!
And that’s how my Taipei trip ended—with amazing experiences and unforgettable memories! 😊
If I had to calculate how much I saved:
By using 130K United Airmiles, I saved approximately ₹3,25,000, which is the average revenue fare for the flights I took.
By using 127K Marriott Bonvoy Points, I saved around ₹1,00,000, which is the average cost for 5 nights at Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel (for a basic room category, excluding upgrades and elite status benefits).
That said, the value of memories and personal growth is far greater than any points redemption. This trip was amazing, and I’m already looking forward to my next adventure—most likely to South Africa!
Recently, I completed a 5-night solo trip to Taipei City, Taiwan. It was a short but enjoyable trip—the city is beautiful, the people are very nice and welcoming, and they left a very positive impression on me in a short time.
Here, I'll share my entire experience, from visa procedures to flights, hotels, and the places I explored.
Visa:
Indian passport holders need to apply for a Taiwan visa by visiting the embassy, which costs approximately ₹4200. However, if you have an active or expired visa (expired less than 10 years ago) from certain countries, you can apply for a Travel Authorization Certificate (TAC) online free of cost and travel to Taiwan without a visa.Since I had a Japan visa and had visited Japan last June, I applied for the ROC online and used it to enter Taiwan.
As per Taiwan's official website, applicants can apply for TAC (Taiwan Travel Authorization Certificate) if they possess any of the following documents issued by Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, any EU or Schengen country, the United Kingdom, or the United States:
- A valid resident card or permanent resident card
- A valid entry visa (including electronic visas)
Applicants using a visa issued by Japan or South Korea as their supporting document must also provide proof of entry into Japan or South Korea (Entry, Exit Stamps)
For more details about the ROC & Visa Waiver System, you can check: https://www.roc-taiwan.org/inmaa_en/post/7581.html
Flights:
I used United Airlines miles to book my Kolkata to Taipei round-trip business class tickets, which cost me 130K United miles and approximately $60 in taxes.- CCU to BKK – Thai Airways
- BKK to TPE – EVA Air
- TPE to SIN – EVA Air
- SIN to CCU – Singapore Airlines
Hotel:
I booked Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel, located near Taipei Main Station, for 5 nights. Thanks to the Marriott 5th Night Free offer, I only had to redeem 127K Marriott Bonvoy points.As a Platinum Elite member, I received free breakfast and lounge access. The lounge offered both breakfast and dinner, which saved me money on meals.They also upgraded my room category to executive deluxe room at check-in counter, without asking for it.
The hotel was just 700m from Taipei Main Station, making navigation very easy due to its prime location. As expected from a Marriott property, the overall experience was excellent.
View attachment WhatsApp Video 2025-03-18 at 8.11.27 PM.mp4
SIM Card/Communication:
Generally, I don't purchase a physical SIM card when traveling abroad; instead, I opt for an eSIM for data usage. I bought 3GB of data from Flexiroam for $10 after a discount. 3GB was enough, as Taiwan has many public Wi-Fi hotspots, and I also had free Wi-Fi at the hotel.For calling, I used WhatsApp calls or, if necessary, my Jio India postpaid number. It cost me only ₹10 per minute to call any number in India or Taiwan (the current country) without needing an international roaming pack.
Day 0: The Journey Begins
My journey started at Kolkata Airport, where I checked in at the Thai Airways counter. The staff asked for my Taiwan visa, and I explained that I didn’t have a Taiwanese visa but had a TAC (Travel Authorization Certificate) based on my expired Japan visa. They were a bit confused at first, so they checked online for verification. After confirming its authenticity, they allowed me to board.My flight was at 2 AM, and I landed in Bangkok (BKK) at 6 AM. I had a 7-hour layover at BKK, so I took a shower at the Royal Silk Lounge, relaxed for six hours, and then headed for my next flight.
For the first time, I flew EVA Air Business Class on a Boeing 777-300ER. The quality and service were excellent. However, I forgot to pre-order my meal, and since I don’t consume meat, my only available option was fruits. If you're traveling to East or Southeast Asian countries, I highly recommend pre-booking your meal to avoid such issues. EVA Air offers free onboard internet service for 30 minutes. If you need internet for a longer duration, you must purchase a plan from them. I managed to get 30 minutes of free internet on each of my two mobile devices, giving me a total of 1 hour of free internet.
Arrival in Taipei
We arrived in Taipei 30 minutes later than scheduled due to bad weather—it was raining heavily. I was a bit worried since the weather forecast didn’t look great for the next week.Upon landing, the first thing I did was withdraw some cash and purchase an EasyCard (a transit card for rail and public transport). The card cost 200 NTD (100 NTD for the card itself + 100 NTD balance). I then reloaded another 300 NTD onto it.
From the airport, I took the MRT (high-speed rail) to Taipei Main Station, which cost 160 NTD. I arrived at Taipei Main Station at 7:30 PM, then took another train to Shandao Temple Station, which was just 100m from my hotel.
Finally, I reached my hotel at around 8 PM. It was drizzling, and the weather was pleasantly cool. After checking in, I visited the hotel lounge and had dinner. My room was on the 15th floor, while the lounge was on the 17th, making it very convenient to access anytime. The lounge officially closes at 8 PM, but thanks to some sweet-talking, they let me take away food even at 8:10 PM—a small win!
Day 1: Exploring Taipei on Foot
As soon as I woke up, I saw a very cloudy sky, and it was drizzling outside. Luckily, Sheraton Hotel provided an umbrella in each room, and I had noticed one in the cupboard the previous evening.After freshening up, I headed to the lounge for breakfast. Without wasting any time, I set out for the Presidential Office Building, which was just 1.4 km from my hotel. Walking in Taipei was fun—the city was incredibly clean, the weather was cool, and there was occasional drizzle.
After exploring the Presidential Office Building, I walked 1.1 km to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. I spent some time admiring the architecture and history before continuing my journey to Daan Park, a 1.4 km walk from Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. The park was beautiful, but what I loved even more was the peaceful surroundings.
Next, I visited a nearby pen shop, TY Lee Pens, just 500 meters away. There, I purchased two TWISBI Diamond 580 extra-fine nib pens, which cost around ₹12,000 in India, but I got them for just ₹5,500 each!
From there, I started walking toward Taipei 101, which was about 2.6 km away. I spent a lot of time exploring the 101 Mall and then bought a ticket for the Taipei 101 Observatory (cost: 600 NTD). The view was absolutely worth the price!
At around 3:30 PM, I decided to hike Elephant Hill. Since I knew finding vegetarian food there would be difficult, I stopped by a nearby 7-Eleven and grabbed some packaged snacks, which I enjoyed while sitting at a nearby park.
As I started my hike up Elephant Hill, the drizzle turned into steady rain. The stone steps were small and slippery, making the hike quite challenging. Halfway up, I realized that my shoes weren’t providing enough grip due to the continuous rain. Reluctantly, I had to cancel my plan and head back down. However, I decided that I would return another day to reach the top.
From there, I walked to the nearest Red Line MRT station, Xiangshan Station, and took a train to Taipei Main Station. By the evening, I reached my hotel, had dinner at the lounge, and wrapped up my first day in Taipei.
Reflection on the Day
One thing I realized is that if you truly want to explore a city, walking is the best way to do it. Walking around the city lets you discover hidden gems—like beautiful parks and local streets—that you might otherwise miss. Later that night, I checked Samsung Health and found that I had walked 16.7 km that day! This motivated me to continue exploring Taipei on foot for the rest of my trip.Day 2: History, Hot Springs & Night Markets
After breakfast, I headed toward the National Palace Museum. I took the 260 Shuttle Bus from Taipei Main Station, which runs until Yanshan Village. From there, I walked about 600 meters to reach the museum. The entry fee was 350 NTD, but it was absolutely worth it!After exploring the museum, I relaxed at a nearby park and also visited Bishanyan Kaizhang Shengwang Temple. The peaceful atmosphere made for a great break before continuing my journey.
Next, I headed toward Beitou Hot Springs. I first took a bus from the National Palace Museum to Shilin Station, then took the train to Beitou. At Beitou Station, I transferred to the Xinbeitou Line, which took me to Xinbeitou Station. From there, the Beitou Hot Springs was just a few minutes' walk away. This place was amazing, to say the least! I spent half my day there, enjoying the relaxing hot springs and the scenic surroundings.
In the afternoon, I made my way back to Taipei Main Station. From there, I took the Blue Line train to Lungshan Temple. The atmosphere at the temple was beautiful—though it was crowded, I still felt a sense of peace.
In the evening, I enjoyed some local performances, including flute playing, which was absolutely mesmerizing. The performers were truly talented!
After that, I walked to Ximending Night Market—the vibrant atmosphere instantly recharged my energy. I love exploring night markets, especially in the evening when the streets come alive.
While at Ximending, I stopped by Studio A and purchased an iPhone 16 Pro Max 512GB for one of my relatives. (I've also created a separate thread to share how I managed to get a tax refund on the iPhone in Taiwan.)
By the time I finished shopping, it was already late, so I decided to walk back to my hotel. Even though I arrived after 8 PM, a little sweet talk worked like magic—the lounge manager kindly allowed me to take away some food for dinner.
Day 3: Shifen Waterfall & Raohe Night Market
I started my day early. After breakfast, I headed toward Shifen Waterfall. I took a local train from Taipei Main Station, reaching Shifen Waterfall in approximately 1.5 hours.My train route:
- Taipei Main Station → Badu Station
- Transferred at Badu Elementary School
- Took the next train to Shifenliao Bridge
In the early evening, I made my way to Raohe Street Night Market, spending about 1.5 hours exploring the vibrant market and trying out local street food.
I reached my hotel around 7:45 PM, visited the lounge, and took away some food for dinner.
Day 4: Exploring & Shopping in Taipei
Technically, this was the last day of my Taiwan trip, as I had an early morning flight back to Kolkata via Singaporethe next day.I decided to walk around the city one last time and do some shopping. After breakfast, I headed to Houshanpi Stationfrom Shandao Temple. I visited Songshan Ci Hui Temple and some nearby parks, spending a good amount of timeenjoying the natural beauty and chatting with some solo travelers like myself.
Later, I walked around the city, visited a few stores, and purchased some souvenirs for friends and family.
In the late evening, I reached my hotel, booked a cab for the next morning to Taipei Taoyuan Airport (TPE) since the high-speed train operates only from 6 AM, and my flight was at 7:30 AM. After that, I headed to the lounge for dinner.
After dinner, I packed everything properly and got some rest for a few hours.
Day 5: Departure & Transit in Singapore
At 2:50 AM, I woke up, freshened up, and checked out of the hotel at 3:30 AM. My taxi was already waiting at the hotel entrance. The journey to TPE Airport took about 40 minutes without traffic. I paid the taxi fare (approximately Rs. 3,000) using a credit card—taxis in Taipei accept credit cards, and they carry card swipe machines.Upon reaching the airport, I found that EVA Air has a separate check-in counter for business class, priority passengers, elite status holders, and co-branded credit card holders for flights to all destinations.
After completing check-in, I headed to the tax refund counter—(check out my iPhone tax refund thread for more details: https://www.technofino.in/community...hone-purchases-my-experience-in-taiwan.38815/).
Once the tax refund process was complete, I went to Infinity Lounge by EVA Air, spent some time there, and then headed to the boarding gate at 7:00 AM.
My flight took off on schedule. The in-flight service was excellent, as always, and this time, I didn’t forget to pre-book my meal, so I was served a delicious Indian vegetarian meal onboard.
Transit at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)
I reached Singapore on time at 12:05 PM. After deboarding, I headed to the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge, took a shower, and then had a few hours of nap in the nap room—one of the reasons I love Singapore Changi Airport’s KrisFlyer Lounge.Later, I had lunch at the lounge and then went shopping at the airport for a while. After purchasing a few items, I returned to the lounge since my flight to Kolkata was scheduled for 8:40 PM.
After another short nap, I left the lounge at 7:50 PM and headed to the boarding gate.
Flight to Kolkata
The flight took off on time. I don’t even need to mention the service quality of Singapore Airlines (SQ)—they are simply one of the best.For dinner, I had pre-booked Era Melagu Elimchai Korma via SQ’s ‘Book the Cook’ meal service—and it was delicious.
One thing I really like about SQ is that they offer free onboard Wi-Fi (no time restriction) —a huge plus!
I reached Kolkata on time. It only took 15 minutes to clear immigration via e-gate (Fast Track Immigration) and customs. I was out of the airport within 15 minutes of deboarding!
And that’s how my Taipei trip ended—with amazing experiences and unforgettable memories! 😊
Trip Cost & Savings:
This entire trip cost me around 3,750 NTD (Approx ₹9,900) and $60 in airline taxes (Approx ₹5,200), bringing the total to ₹15,100, excluding shopping. Of course, I also redeemed 130K United Airmiles and 127K Marriott Bonvoy Points.If I had to calculate how much I saved:
By using 130K United Airmiles, I saved approximately ₹3,25,000, which is the average revenue fare for the flights I took.
By using 127K Marriott Bonvoy Points, I saved around ₹1,00,000, which is the average cost for 5 nights at Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel (for a basic room category, excluding upgrades and elite status benefits).
That said, the value of memories and personal growth is far greater than any points redemption. This trip was amazing, and I’m already looking forward to my next adventure—most likely to South Africa!
