So, it’s a little last minute (no one ever said minimalist travellers were good planners), but I’m happy to announce that next week I’ll be heading off to Taipei, Taiwan via Tokyo, Japan to ring in the summer teaching vacation!
Tokyo, Japan
If you’ve been around here for a little while, you might remember that Tokyo featured on my 2013 travel wish list. I didn’t quite get to it then, so, as you can imagine, I’m beyond pumped to fit Tokyo into my 2014 summer travel plans.
As usual, my itinerary hardly set in stone. One thing I do know: I will have limited time in Tokyo (a convenient two-night stopover, as it were) and I plan to make the most it. Here’s what I’m hoping to fit in:
- stuffing my face with udon and sushi (big shocker here, eh?)
- wandering around Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Harajuku by day and night
- walk around the Imperial Palace gardens in Chiyoda
- a night photography session with a dusk panorama from the World Trade Center Building
Anything else like checking out shrine and temples in Asakusa or the early morning action at Tsukiji Fish Market, would be a bonus. I’m sure simply navigating Tokyo by foot and mastering the Tokyo Metro system will be challenging enough to keep me busy on my extended layover. I’m confident that by the end, I’ll be able to share a ton of practical tips on how to maximize a short trip to Tokyo. Plenty more to come about Tokyo later in the summer.
Taipei, Taiwan
Unlike Tokyo, I’ll be in no rush when I touch down in Taipei. Slow travel is my default setting, and I’d love to stick mostly around the Taipei area to get to know it in depth. No long train rides. No hostels. Just how I like it.
Besides all of Taipei’s intriguing sights—night markets, restaurants, temples, museums—I chose to spend most of my time in Taipei for two main reasons:
- low prices
- easy accessibility to the rest of Taiwan
Unlike Tokyo, eating out in Taipei and travelling in Taiwan doesn’t require a small bank loan. Travel longer and for cheaper? Can’t find much fault in that.
Although I’ll be taking the trip in stride, here are a few things I’d love to do in Taiwan:
- sip tea in the old gold mining towns of Jiufen and Jinguashi
- visit Yehliu Geological Park
- eat my way through Keelung Night Market
- explore Taiwanese aboriginal culture in Wulai
- hike in Yangmingshan National Park
Well, that’s enough planning for one day—there’ll be much more to discuss on Taipei and Taiwan later this summer!
