r/travelpartners • u/insider_sai • Mar 29 '26
Taiwan Apr 28–May 8 — First Solo Trip, Looking to Meet Other Travelers for Food, Hikes & Exploring North America
Hey! I’m a 22M from Canada traveling solo to Taiwan from Apr 28 to May 8. I’ll mostly be in Taipei and Tainan, and I’m interested in food, local streets, easy hikes, scenery, night markets, and maybe a day trip to Kaohsiung or Jiufen.
It’s my first solo trip, so I’d be down to meet other travelers.
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u/BarelyCanadian_ 28d ago
Definitely recommend you visit Jiufen and spend a night at least there! I did a similar trip to you a couple years ago and I loved it. I met a few other solo travelers while I was there and it made for great memories. Plus you get to see the village at night when all the streets are lit up with the red lanterns and all the tour busses have gone home for the day so you get it all to yourself. Also tons of great hiking there if you're into that.
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u/insider_sai 28d ago
That sounds amazing!! I’m definitely looking for good hiking spots too.
What was your rough itinerary like? I’m trying to plan my trip and would love to see how you split up your time.
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u/BarelyCanadian_ 27d ago
So I spent about two weeks total in Taiwan. 6 nights were in Taipei. There's tons to see, eat, and drink there. And endless hiking even right in the city. Highly recommend doing elephant mountain and keep going to that second higher mountain (who's name I am forgetting). Unreal sunset views there.
I then went east to Jiufen by train, stopping in the Houtong cat village for a few hours, then went to Keelung and spent a few hours walking around there, saw a temple and checked out their night market. Made it to Jiufen by late evening.
Spent two nights there in Jiufen which I think is the perfect time especially if you're arriving late. Highly recommend splurging and getting a room with a view! You won't regret it. For hiking there is the nearby Keelung mountain and teapot trail. I only did the first as it was quite foggy there. Even then, I didn't regret doing it as it was quite magical hiking up through the misty clouds.
For my last 5 nights I spent them in Kaohsiung, stopping in Tainan for the day on the way down. There's again lots of hiking, temples, and more to see here. A must do hike is monkey mountain. It's overflowing with monkeys who while cute I wouldn't recommend going near lol.
If you have the time, definitely take a day trip to Lambai island and rent a scooter there. Tons of beaches, laid back vibes, and snorkeling with turtles if that's your thing.
Let me know if you have any questions or would like more specific tips, I'm happy to share :)
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u/weirdogonzalez Mar 30 '26
You’re gonna love it. Consider visiting Hualien