THE TOP 5 Souvenirs in Taipei

We got plenty of time to see this magnificent town and take in a lot of its cultural touchstones, even with the morning free to explore Taipei. With just little time in Taipei, this was a perfect introduction to the various attractions. Brilliant tour for anyone with limited time to see some of Taipei's attractions. Bao’an Temple, one of the most popular and significant religious sites in Taipei, dates back to 1760 when immigrants from Southern China built the original wooden temple. Dedicated to the emperor-deity Paosheng, god of medicine and healing, Bao’an in its current form has stood since 1805 after more than 25 years of construction. A relatively easy climb takes you to the top of a hill that affords panoramic views of Taipei.
This evening, visit Shinsaibashi, the largest shopping district in Osaka and taste local cuisine at Dotonbori Food Street. One of Kaohsiung's most famous landmarks is Dream Mall, opened in 2007 it is the largest shopping centre in Taiwan and even has an amusement park on the top. That's right, you can ride a ferris wheel on the roof while people go shopping. But there's also a great downtown shopping 台東必買 experience in Kaohsiung where market stalls and small boutiques are the places to find some great holiday souvenirs. Suncake, or taiyang bing, is a popular Taiwanese dessert originally from the city of Taichung, Taiwan. They are usually sold in special gift boxes as souvenirs for visitor and some famous suncake pastry shops always have long lines of people waiting to buy boxed suncakes.

(But you can also find them at the local supermarket if you can’t make it to a bake shop). Pineapple cakes make a great gift to bring back home as they are individually wrapped in cute packages and have a two-week shelf life. Go for the traditional and tart, purely made from pineapple jam, or the sweeter cakes that include a mix with winter melon.
Those looking for tranquility also go to Beitou for a hot spring soak, or to nearby Yangmingshan National Park for a green escape. As any true traveller knows, the best souvenirs are of the eating variety. On my recent trip to Taipei, after indulging in high-end restaurants and rubbing shoulders with locals at night markets, I decided some Taiwanese treats needed to be at the top of my souvenir shopping list.

Caleb was both knowledgeable and generous in sharing history and culture of the locations we visited. We talked at the outset about our interests and he incorporated all of those into the day trip. Wonderful English speaker , great sense of humour and someone who made our tour of Taipei memorable . Book online and enjoy exclusive savings on Scenic's 12 Day Circle Taiwan. Awe inspiring vistas, sacred traditions, and a fusion of cultures. Apart from actual food, you could also just bring home some non-edible but still food-related souvenirs.
Open to the public, from here you can view stunning vistas of the Port and city beyond. There are plenty of national parks such as Aozidi national park which  is a favourite with joggers and features a metro station near by. The park highlights the beautiful area around the city, but for hiking and walking there's no better choice than the 1000 hectares of almost untouched forest  right outside the city. The signature dessert of Taiwan is the pineapple cake that’s found nearly everywhere in the country — from specialised pineapple cakes stores like Sunnyhills and Chia Te to top bakeries like Wu Pao Chun’s.
Today, it is a meeting ground for  various social, educational, and cultural activities. Then, head to Taiwan’s landmark, the Taipei 101 Building, which has a shopping mall and offices. The building has the world’s largest damper and  the fastest elevator in the world.

For the record, oolong tea can be far pricier outside Asia, so if you are a tea aficionado, investing a bit of money for a nice cuppa is not such a bad idea. The ubiquitous presence of 7-11 convenience stores is remarkable, comparable to the presence of Starbucks in US cities. First up on my foodie treasure hunt, I found Viva’s Almond Strips and Fish, a snack mix of, you guessed it, fish and almonds. The combination may sound bizarre but this protein-full blend is actually tasty. Those delights all made it home to my pantry, but while I was there, I also enjoyed some in-the-moment tea eggs, warm stuffed buns, and black sesame soy milk. There were merchandises / products sighted, specially designed for this Monster Village, labelled with pun intended wordings.
Howard Plaza Hotel, No.160, Section 3, Ren'ai Road, Taipei. 2 Avoid major tourist attractions, such as Taroko Gorge and Sun Moon Lake, on weekends and public holidays. The east also has Taiwan's greatest concentration of aboriginal people, whose descendants - thought to have Malay-Polynesian roots - arrived from neighbouring Pacific islands more than 10,000 years ago. Looming 509 metres, and resembling a giant bamboo stalk, Taipei 101 is the city's modern icon, the world's tallest building until Dubai's Burj Khalifa shot past it in 2010. It affords spine-tingling views from its 89th and 91st floor observatories (the lift hits speeds of 63km/h).