Taipei 101 Observatory
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| view from Taipei 101 on a very clear day |
For most visitors to
Taipei a trip up the world's second tallest building in the world's
fastest elevator is essential. Whether it was actually ever the
world's tallest actually depends on how you count, as the height to
both the top of Willis Tower (formerly Sears Towers) in Chicago and
its highest usable floor has always been greater, but Taipei 101's
spire officially 'counts' whereas Willis Tower's antennas don't.
Nonetheless, the building is a remarkable feat of engineering,
especially given that it’s built very near a major earthquake
fault, and the views on the right day are quite impressive. These
clear days don't come often, however, and it’s not worth going up
if it’s cloudy. It's also incredibly crowded (mostly with Chinese
tourists, for whom it's a compulsory stop on the tour-bus route) so
expect a wait of at least half an hour. If you intend to go up at
dusk then visit early, see how long the queues are and visit Taipei
101 in the time you have left, though the night view isn't bad
either. Many people complain about being herded through crystal and
gem shops, and while there's no pressure to buy any, with the crowds
it can be a little overwhelming.
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| Elephant Mountain offers a comparable if not better view, without the admission charge or crystal shops. |
If this all sounds like too much,
and you'd prefer to trade the souvenir shops with trees and the
tourists with students and professional photographers, a comparable
view of the city can be had for free from Elephant Mountain or for NT200 from the Miramar Ferris Wheel in Neihu (Jiannan
Road Station on the brown line - you'll see it), which could be
worked in with a visit to Sophie's Garden. Alternatively good views
of Taipei, from further afield, can be had from Maokong Gondola,
which can also become quite crowded during dusk, especially on
weekends.
Transport & Timing
Taipei 101 has its own
MRT stop on the red (Tamsui) line, which as of February 2015
erroneously shows in Google Maps as Jieyuntaibei101 / Shimao Station
(transliteration of Taipei 101 MRT station gone horribly wrong; other
stations on this new line have the same issue). Alternatively, if
coming from the blue line, it's a short walk from Taipei City Hall
Station, what has attached a bus station with buses fanning out as
far as Tainan.
Admission
Observatory: 9:00 – 22:00 (last ticketing 21:15)
Cost: NT500 (includes
optional headset).
A combination pass for Taipei 101 and National
Palace Museum is available for NT600 (saving NT150) but can only be
purchased at Taipei 101.
Vegan Food Around Taipei 101
Most Convenient: Veggie Creek (One-Pot Wonder)
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| Choose your own fresh vegetables and other ingredients... |
Fortunately, a branch of Vege Creek has recently opened in the foodcourt of Taipei 101, making it the only vegan option besides snack food from Jasons Supermarket.
For Vege Creek: Start from the MRT (Taipei 101 / World Trade Center Station) Exit 4, and walk through the courtyard and into the food court. You should see a souvenir shop called Tea Struck, just beside the elevators. Walk between this shop and the elevators, and you should see a rack of vegetables on the wall. Grab a basket, and fill it up with fresh vegetables and other ingredients. Choose your noodle (select a card for the type of noodle) and take it to the counter to pay. They will give you an electronic buzzer, which will ring when your meal is ready, at which time go back and collect it.
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| and it will look like this in a matter of minutes. |
Tian Zhuan Zhai Loving Hut ($$, Korean, Taiwanese)
500 metres East of Xiangshan Station, Exit 3
From
Exit 3 continue walking East along the left hand side of Xinyi Road, Section 5,
around a gentle turn to the left. The first major intersection is Songde Road (松德路).
Cross the road, then turn left and the Loving Hut is a few doors down. Or see
the Eastern
Taipei Map.
11:30 - 14:00, 17:00 – 20:30
247 Songde Road
信義區松德路247號
| the most authentic (vegetarian) Korean food in Taipei |
This great Loving Hut
is run by a friendly, talented and multilingual Korean lady and her
family. It features a slightly wider and more unique menu than the
nearby Jhuangjing branch, including a few Korean items, but is a
little further to walk and a little more expensive, with dishes
starting at around NT150. It's five hundred metres from Xiangshan
Station or one kilometre from Taipei 101, both along well-paved roads
(like most in this posh area of Taipei).
Guangfu Loving Hut ($$$, Hotpot, Taiwanese, International)
Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall Station, Exit 2
Continue
south as you exit the MRT. Cross the roundabout (circle). Take the second right
(Lane 280, Guangfu South Road) and it's a few buildings down on the right.
11:30 –
14:30, 16:30 - 21:30 (last order 21:00)
臺北市大安區光復南路280巷30號
Guangfu
South Road, Lane 280, Number 30
(02)
2777-2711 (Call to reserve a table during weekends.)
The Guangfu Loving hut
is one of only two restaurants I consider 'must-visits' in Taipei.
Its specialty is hotpots, a traditional North-East Asian meal in
which diners cook their own raw food in a broth provided at the
table. Traditionally hotpots are shared, with a family or group
sharing a large pot and dipping their own chopsticks into the pot,
but there are enough cookers available for everyone to have their
own. Hotpots are traditionally very heavy on meat, and most broths
contain animal products, and while there are a few vegetarian hot-pot
restaurants around, this is almost certainly the only fully-vegan one
in Taiwan. Their vegan versions of traditional broths, and their
creative new variants, are amazing. This Loving Hut also serves a
range of international and fusion cuisine (my favourite is the Tomyam
Tahini Rice), especially during summer when hotpots become less
popular, and desserts. At about NT200-300 per main dish this is more
expensive than most Loving Huts, but excellent value. A feast for
two, with (non-alcoholic) drinks and desserts, should come to around
NT1000. Be sure to help yourself to the variety of condiments
available by the back counter. The restaurant also sells a range of
grocery items, but most are more suitable for a kitchen than a
backpack.
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| Tomyam Tahini Rice |
The cookers work on
induction, an efficient and responsive system which generates
electrical currents inside the pots instead of just heating up.
However it will also 'cook' anything metal placed near it, so never
place electronic items or anything metal on or near the cookers (even
when off, in case they are accidentally turned on). The menu is
trilingual (including Japanese). This is a popular restaurant, so
reservations are recommended, especially during weekends. There will
probably be English-speaking staff (or ‘volunteer’ translators
from a nearby table) when you call.
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