Hi everyone! 
This thread is dedicated to helping you prepare for your trip to Taipei. Myself and the Taipei Team are here to answer all your questions and share our insider knowledge with you!
You can ask anything at all, including:
- What to bring with you
- How to prepare to study Mandarin
- What to see/do in Taipei
- Local life & local food
- Getting around the city
- Anything and everything else!
For now, here’s some top tips to get you started:
Apps & Internet
- VPNs: There is no firewall to worry about here, so you can continue to use Google, Facebook, YouTube, etc. without issue
- LINE: A Taipei essential. LINE functions more or less like Whatsapp / Messenger and it’s used by everyone in Taiwan. You’ll also need this app to join the LTL student group chat and keep up to date with school activities!
- Google Maps: Public transport is convenient, cheap and reliable in Taipei and Google Maps will show you the easiest way to get from A to B. It’s also used by locals to review cafes, bars and restaurants, so always useful when you’re not sure where to explore next
- Uber: the metro closes around midnight, so have this set up as a backup option - or if it rains and you want to avoid wet socks!
- YouBike: if you’re a fan of cycling, download this app and you can use the bike rental service around Taipei. It’s a super cheap and fun way to get around, but keep an eye out for the traffic, roads here can get a little hectic
- Google Translate: Even students who have been studying Chinese for years can get stumped by some menus in local restaurants - save yourself a headache and have this app ready to go! The camera function is especially helpful for translating entire menus / lists / instructions
Weather
- Hot and humid: from around May to September, Taipei will be HOT. Bring lots of light, loose clothing. But don’t worry, most of the city has shaded walkways and the shops/restaurants all use air-con, so you can usually avoid the worst of the heat.
- Cool in winter: Between November and February, the city cools down, with lows of around 10°C - so bring layers and a jacket or two if you’ll be coming around then
- Rainy: if you don’t bring an umbrella with you, make sure it’s one of the first things you buy when you get here! You should never leave the house without an umbrella, rain can start suddenly in Taipei (especially in summer) and the weather forecasts can be inaccurate
People and safety:
- Locals in Taipei are super friendly, so if you’re lost, confused or just want to practice a little bit of 中文, they’ll be happy to help!
- Taipei is an incredibly safe city, you’ll even see people leaving their laptops/phones/wallets totally unattended in cafes while they go for a bathroom break! Whilst it’s always best to exercise caution, in Taipei crime and scams aren’t generally things you need to worry about
Hopefully that helped, but there’s probably a lot more you want to know!
No question is too big or small. Let’s make sure you’re well-prepared for an unforgettable experience in Taipei. Ask away, and let’s get this conversation started!
