The Art of the Taipei Layover

How to stopover in Taipei when you only have 17 hrs and are trying to stave off jet lag.

Let’s start by saying there is no exact art to a perfect layover other than world-class zen-like patience. That said, there are ways to make the dreaded layover more of a fun discovery than purgatory.

Bourdain said it best: "If I'm an advocate for anything, it's to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food. It's a plus for everybody."

I’ve always found extended layovers, done right, allow us to keep in motion and explore just a little more.

And despite how bad a red-eye may be, there is something Intangible, almost rejuvenating, about waking up in a different country. Even if that feeling of rejuvenation is quickly met by a heavy all-encompassing fatigue that, yes, you need to muscle your way through.

So, if you have to layover in a new country, why not turn those hours into an adventure and step outside and try to enjoy it?

As for us, we had 17 hours to spend in Taipei, Taiwan, while en route to Vietnam.

So, with our passports stamped, we rented a van and drove from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport about 40 minutes into the city centre, and grabbed breakfast.

As the sun rose over the hills that dot the Taiwanese landscape, our circadian rhythms reset; that we’d just spent 12 hours cooped up in a metal tube, seemed almost a distant memory.

Still only 6:30 a.m., the downtown core was surprisingly quiet (unlike my experiences in other metropolitan areas). But, tucked away in a market, the queue for the famous Fuhang Soy Milk was already snaking its way down the stairs. Despite the long line, they moved us through at a torrid pace and it wasn’t long before we’d scarfed down warm and cool soy milk (served in bowls)soups, deep fried shrimp with fried eggs wrapped in savoury donut pastries; we were ready for the day.

The first stop was the National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. Forgetting that it was only just past 7:30 a.m., the monument seemed eerily quiet as well—nothing much more than a few local joggers and tai chi practitioners.

There, basking in the early morning sun, our girls chased pigeons and pretended they were rulers of the castle.

All in all, we spent another hour or so here.

As we loaded into the van to head to our next spot, the streets seemed noticeably more crowded with scooters. By the time we’d passed through the 101 area (Taipei main core) and zig-zagged through the street markets that lined a narrow road up a mountain, it was clear: Taipei had started to come alive.

About halfway up Elephant Mountain, we parked in front of a large temple. There, in the now-scorching temperatures, we hiked up a few hundred stairs to the main viewpoint, rewarded with a view of the city and the Taipei 101 tower—the tallest green building in the world—we took a moment to take in our impromptu adventure. Not even 15 hours earlier, we’d been sitting on our couch back in Vancouver and now we were on top of a mountain looking out at one of the world's great cities.

Lizards curiously whizzed by as the viewpoint filled with locals hiking and exercising. We decided it was time to head back down to explore the city further.

Now, close to 11:00 a.m., we quickly walked through the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park. But, despite the enticing Godzilla exhibit, the temperature had become too hot for us to enjoy ourselves so we headed for an early lunch.

Din Tai Fung, a local Taiwanese-style dim sum spot located in a mall, was air-conditioned. A cold Taiwanese beer and dumplings perked up my spirits, but our girls had started to fade.

So, instead of continuing to sightsee, we headed back to the airport where, thankfully, we had EVA Air Lounge passes. Once there, the girls met Pepper, the EVA Air Lounge Robot greeter; they were infused with new energy!

Eva Air Lounge – Taoyuan International Airport – Taipei

Even though lounge passes can get a little expensive, they’re well worth the investment on a long layover—especially when travelling with kids. You can safely leave your luggage, stretch out, eat, and recover at your own pace.

As we still had three hours to kill, we relaxed and recovered before our flight.; Romyn pretty much slept from the time we left lunch until we reached Ho Chi Min.

It was a great day in Taipei and, although tiring, we were glad to see a bit of the city and make the most of our layover. Of course, you can’t fully experience a place in just a day, but you can see enough to make a memory.

And that’s what we did!

I was so intrigued by our little exploration of Taipei that, a few months later, I went back on my own and spent a week. Now, a city that was never prominent on my travel radar is one of my favourite cities in the world. You can read about that solo trip here.

Joel PrimusApril 20, 2019Comment