Taipei is the indie band of Asian cities. It's cool, gritty, and totally underappreciated. Here is your backstage pass.
Most visitors land in Taiwan and head straight for the same two places: the soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung and the tourist spectacle of Snake Alley. That's fine for a start. But if that is all you see, you are missing the real city.
My name is Cindy Liu. I am a Taipei native, a massive food nerd, and your honest friend on the ground. This isn't a guidebook written by a travel influencer who spent three days here taking selfies. It is a collection of the street smarts, cultural quirks, and brutal honesty that only a local can deliver.
Inside, we are going to skip the fluff and get to the good stuff:
Navigation made effortless: Taipei addresses can be tricky to navigate on the fly. Loving Taipei includes scannable QR codes and direct Google Maps links for every recommendation. You don't need to type a thing — just scan, open the map, and go.
Whether you are here for business, a family vacation, or just to eat your weight in stinky tofu, let me show you the city the way locals see it.
Scroll up and join me for the best trip of your life.