CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS
It's a dream come true for Esther Landau, who can now tick Taiwan’s capital off her travel bucket list
AFTER four hours, our Taipeibound Malindo Air flight from Kuala Lumpur arrives at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. As the aircraft makes its descent, my eyes are greeted by the sight of skyscrapers dotting the surrounding areas and massive traffic on the busy streets down below.
Taiwan has been in my travel bucket list for a very long time. I always think of it — especially its capital Taipei — as fun and exciting with its famous night markets, shopping districts and entertainment outlets. And the best thing about this city that never sleeps is its food, either those sold in night markets, served in neighbourhood restaurants or high-end restaurants.
The city is rich in leisure and recreation attractions, as well as in cultural, arts and heritage sites.
THE CAPITAL CITY
Located in the north of the yam-shaped island, Taipei has an area of 271.8sq km with a population of 2.7 million. It is among the favourite Asian destinations. The best time to visit the city is in September, the beginning of autumn. The weather is hot and dry but gets cold when it rains.
MUSLIM-FRIENDLY DESTINATION
The city is going all out in its effort to tap the Muslim market that is represented by 117 million travellers. It is evidenced in the number of halal restaurants and Muslim-friendly hotels that has increased from 29 to 36 in the first half of this year.
During a visit to Taipei Grand Mosque, the city’s main mosque located in Xinsheng S. Rd. Da’an, I have a chance to talk to its imam, Ibrahim Chao.
According to him, there are 60,000 Muslims living in the city. The major-
ity of whom are of the Hui ethnic group from mainland China. The mosque can accommodate more than 1,000 congregation.
After the mosque tour, fellow Malaysian media colleagues and I head for Khana Khazana, a Muslim restaurant that serves Pakistani cuisine for lunch. For dinner, we savour the famous halal beef noodle at Chang Beef Noodle Soup. Operated by a husband-and-wife team, the restaurant is located in Daodaocheng, an old-town area that offers us a glimpse of Taipei’s past glory and elegance over the past century.
The delicious noodle is the duo’s homemade recipe, with a thick beef broth that is rich in flavour, oversized beef slices. The noodles are handmade.
SUPERB INFRASTRUCTURE
One of the things that I like about Taiwan is that there is WiFi connection everywhere. Yes, everywhere! For tourists, all they need to do is register at a special counter upon arrival at the airport.
Then, when we’re out in the city, I find that Taipei has a comprehensive transportation network and services. The traffic flow is excellent. There are specific lanes for buses, cars and motorcycles.
The city may have the busiest street in the country but the drivers and motorcyclists obey traffic rules and laws. It may seem that their vehicles are about to knock each other but the drivers know how to handle them and avoid accidents on the road.
The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) has five main lines and two branch lines, with 117 stations and over 300 public bus routes. There are also four Taiwan railway stations, whose network covers all cities as well as the countryside.
The city is also famous for its ultraconvenient public transportation system that gets you everywhere. It’s fast and comfortable.
OUT OF TAIPEI
On the second day, we visit Yangmingshan National Park, located in the outskirt of Taipei. It is a green hilly 11,455hectare parkland, with an altitude of 200 to 1,120m the above sea level, and is perfect for those who who need a break from the city and a breath of fresh air.
Due to the latitude and altitude effects, the climate at the park can be divided into subtropical and warm temperature zones. The monsoon-type weather is particularly distinctive.
The flowering season at the park is between February and March. The park is a volcanic area underlain by andesite rock and its distinctive geological landforms include cone or strata volcanoes, volcanic craters and crater lakes. After spending about an hour in the park, we head for Xiayoukeng, a volcanic crater area, located about 30 minutes’ drive from the park.
As you come near the area, you can smell the sulphuric gas. Our eyes are drawn to the boiling sulphur in the crater. My hands itch to touch the boiling sulphur liquids but they can burn and cause side effects to your body.
Then, we head for Atami Hotel, a Muslim-friendly hotel situated in Guanming Road in Beitou District for lunch. In Taiwanese, the name Beitou means “witch”. But don’t worry, there is no witch living in the area. It is named Beitou because it is located at the foot of the volcanic area. The district is known for its Beitou Hot Spring. However, no dipping is allowed because the temperature can reach up to 90 degrees. Nevertheless, the extreme heat does not stop us from splurging at one of its famous shopping district, Ximending Commercial District. It is like Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur but the area is bigger and trickier, with a lot of tricky small allies and roads. One can easily get lost. Well, my friend and I did get lost while looking for our meeting point.
There are a lot of food stalls, ranging from halal to non-halal, small shop lots selling the latest clothes with the latest fashion, souvenir shops, eateries, pharmacies, bakeries... you name it!
But you just should not miss tasting the famous shaved ice dessert called Ice Monster. Like our ABC, the shaved ice is splashed with fruity flavoured syrups. The most popular flavour is mango and served with toppings such as chocolate chips, jelly and whip cream. It is a musttry dessert when you are in Taipei.
It is shopping time and we head for Eslite Spectrum Songyan Store, an iconic department store which is highly recommended by CNN Travel. The do-ityourself (DIY) store also offers handicraft and workshops on pottery, glass blowing, woodworking and music box customisation stores.
HOW TO GET THERE
Malindo Air flies daily to Taipei on a two-class Boeing 737-900ER aircraft, with 12 seats in the Business Class and 168 seats in the Economy Class. Details at www.malindoair.com.
estherthomaslandau@nst.com.my