8 reasons why I love Taipei so much

If you have been following me on my Instagram or other Social Media channels or been reading my articles for just a while, you probably know how much I LOVE Taipei. Last year I ended up spending a semester here and to be honest, living in Taiwan was one of the best times in my life. That’s why I moved back this month. But what do I love what about this place? Here are the reasons, why I absolutely love Taipei (..and Taiwan and Taiwanese people).

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Taiwanese people are so friendly and kind!

Compared to all the places I lived before (born in Germany, worked, studied or lived in Denmark, Australia, France, Vietnam, mainland China), I must say that Taiwanese people and Taiwan is such a friendly country. Most people are happy to help you if you ask them for help, they smile and laugh at you when you can’t really express yourself because your language skills aren’t as good yet. Really, in Beijing I get yelled at from aunties at the restaurants or shops, taxi drivers, impatient delivery guys because I needed a second more to respond or order something in Chinese. Compared to China or Vietnam, Taiwan is so much more calm, kind and less stressful and I love it 🙂
Warm weather in winter

It’s December here and its still between 14 to 28 °C.. compared to Copenhagen or Beijing, where I spent a lot of dark and cold winters, this is the dream! The summer can be really hot and humid sometimes but at least all the places have AC and are prepared for the heat. So can’t complain at all 🙂
The landscape is so diverse

Feeling like heading to the beach, or going for a hike, or staying in the city and enjoy the buzz? If you are living in Taipei, nothing is too far away. You can reach the beach in like half an hour drive, you can hike and bike in nature pretty much around the corner as well. And if you feel like really treating yourself, go for a spa get-away close to national parks or a relaxing day at the hot springs. So much to do around Taipei. In Germany, especially if you live in the south, you have to travel half the country (or to the neighboring countries) to get to a beach. Taiwan is an island with everything you need just a few hours drive max. away and it’s easy to get away from the lively city life for a while.

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Taipei is affordable

As a student and part-time worker, you can definitely have a great time in Taipei! I live both in Beijing and Taipei right now, and between these two, Taipei is more affordable. Moreover, when I lived in Denmark or Australia, going out for dinner, movies or just normal day life would be crazy expensive. Rent and groceries were pretty much all of my salaries as a student. Yeah, the salary is higher but keep in mind that the taxes are as well (I paid 42% taxes on all my student jobs in Copenhagen.. student jobs.. 42%!!). If you have freelance or remote work, Taipei is an amazing place to be a digital nomad 🙂 Or as an exchange student with scholarships or grants – either way, Taiwan is a really affordable place to live.
Lots of activities

There is always something to do and discover in Taipei. Always a new bar or restaurant to try out, an art exhibition, events, meet-ups, etc etc etc. You’ll never get bored in Taipei and get drawn into the fast pace here, which is something you can say about every major city, yeah but still, it’s one of the reasons why I love Taipei 🙂
Convenient transportation system

The MRT is so efficient, clean and convenient here. If you live in Taipei or New Taipei City, there is always a bus stop or MRT stop nearby. The MRT itself and all the stations are pretty clean, in my opinion, and the stations are easy to navigate through (except Taipei Main Station, thats just awful).

Also, all the MRT stops have quite clean public bathrooms. You cant imagine how many times I was grateful to find a bathroom in the MRT stations and how often I wished Copenhagen would have had that 😀
The food is sooooooo good!

I don’t think this needs any explanation. The food here is amazing. You have the options between the countless of local, high-end or fancy restaurants, small food stalls or night markets. I will write a separate article about food in Taiwan one day. Or make a Mukbang VLOG because there is just so much amazing food to eat here 🙂

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Feels like home

I talked to some expats in Taipei and asked them why they decided to move and stay here. For many, this place feels like the place they belong at, at this point in their lives. And not all of them had an Asian heritage, some came originally from Denmark, America or Finnland – so a completely different cultural background but they ended up settling here in Taiwan.

When I moved to Beijing and tried to find my way back to Taipei this autumn, I met someone who just feels like “Taipei is the place where he is supposed to be”. I felt that so much. For me, I moved back to Taipei now because it feels like home. It’s where I am supposed to be 🙂 All the kind and friendly people, delicious food, my friends, the lifestyle and flow here, it’s what makes me happy and what made me move back. Even though life can be a bit like in Taiwanese drama some days 😉
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