Jiufen

From Ximending, you can board bus 965 which gets you all the way to Jiu Fen in comfort! My ride took about 40 minutes, very convenient and I get to enjoy the scenery along the way. It was sad to see that many stores at Jiu Fen were closed during my visit to Jiu Fen in early Dec 2022. They were not spared from the pandemic as well. Do check the weather forecast before setting off to Jiu Fen. As it’s not a fully sheltered place, it’s really inconvenient when it’s rains and freezing cold to be there.

I wanted to do justice to this charming mountain town, so here’s what you can expect to see at night while wandering in Jiufen’s popular old street! The old architecture, the alleys and all the shops, restaurants, teahouses etc make Jiufen an incredible place to visit! The streets are decorated with lanterns, thus adding more beauty to this place once they’re all lit up! 😍🏮✨ It’s nearly impossible to get a picture without the crowd 😬 especially in the evening/ night when most people are looking for restaurants to dine. The place is packed with restaurants offering a taste of local food. I came across several shops with artists. I had a chat with one of them who lives there and earns a living from his products. Please support local artists if you want to buy unique souvenirs! 🙂

While researching about places to visit in Taiwan, I stumbled upon many pictures of Jiufen and its popular old street. I was instantly hooked and made it a must to visit despite of several warnings from my local friend about how touristy and crowded Jiufen is. Do I regret going there? ABSOLUTELY NOT 🤗 The town is located east of Taipei and was a former gold mining hub during the Japanese era. It consists of narrow alleyways with shops, restaurants, street food and cafés. I spotted this nice artsy café with a view: Jiufen Impressions. The owner and his son were very accommodating and kind to make me another cup of coffee (at no extra cost despite of me insisting) after I spilled the first one on myself while trying to take a picture 🙈 The end of the main old street offers stunning views of the mountains and the ocean! 😍🏔🌊✨ Recommendations 👇🏼 1. Wear comfortable trainers as you’ll be climbing narrow and steep stairs. (I was wearing shoes with thick soles and almost fell. I had knee pain the next day but nothing serious fortunately) 2. I went mid-January and it was pretty cold up there 😬 It was also raining earlier! Make sure to wear a jacket and carry an umbrella! How to go ➡️ I took a bus that goes directly to Jiufen from Taipei after checking the route from my hotel on Google map. It takes about an hour. There’s a bus station there , so I took the same bus to go back to the city. Cheap and convenient ✌🏼Bus views were also incredible! #oldtown #oldstreets #mountainview #mountainvillage #village #oceanview #topoftheworld #topview #jiufen #taiwantravel #taiwan

Fullon Hotel Tamsui Fishermen's Wharf, Taipei is one of my favorite hotels in Taipei. Just an hour's drive from Taipei and you breathe the Pacific Ocean breeze. Hotels rooms have balconies. Breakfast buffet style not so bed. The hotel has a lot of facilities for kids. For dinner have a nice Chinese restaurant. P.S.: thank you so much for the unexpected romantic atmosphere in the room. #HotelDeals

Wulai is one of my favorite destinations for day trips out of Taipei. It's less than one hour drive by public bus from Xindian MRT 🚇 (the last stop of Green Line). Bus stop right away from MRT exit. Once you arrive at Wulai you will walk through Wulai Old Street, an ideal place to get your lunch or dinner. So many kinds of vegetables 🌺 here, I didn't see and I didn't try before. Here is also a good place for hiking and of course Hot Springs. you can rent hereby hours. I tried to stay one time overnight, but it's a bit boring here. #awesomepic #SummerTrip

Shifen waterfall is walk away from Shifen Old Street. It’s beautiful and easy walk from the station. Getting There - There is a train station in shifen, you can take train from Taipei or any other city to reach here. You can also take taxi but that will be expensive. Attractions - Shifen Waterfall, Shifen Old Street, Lantern wish Flying, Temples. You can also buy snacks, Souvenirs here. This place attracts lots of tourists due to its lanterns wishes. People buy lanterns, write their wishes and fly them.

Sunday getaway.

#tripaway a mix of nature and old school vibe in Taiwan. A quick day trip from Taipei. #taiwan #shifen #waterfall #train #tripaway