Hopefully I’ll be a getting a job soon in Taiwan, and I’m just not sure which city to choose from. In the end i’ll probably take whatever I get offered, but where is best for what I want?
I value living in a big city with lots of things to do, nice restaurants to eat at and mango shaved ice galore. I really value a good public transportation system (subway) that is easily accessible and runs late.
However I also really love nature and culture. Seeing beautiful beaches and doing hikes, seeing historical places, these things are really fun to me. I’m not really that into going to bars but still do occasionally, and I really feel out of place in clubs. I love really good cultural experiences
Anyway, I was hoping for someone who has lived in multiple locations in Taiwan could give some advice. I would most likely be interested in Taipei for the big city aspect, but have heard that Kaohsiung and Taichung are still decent sized cities with more nature and culture. So let me know what you think
Taipei is only a stones throw from nature, and if having a lot of food choices is key for you, it is your only real option.
Based on your description, you are choosing between taibei and gaoxiong. Taibei in the north has cooler weather and gaoxiong in the southen area has hotter weather.
Coming from Australia, Personally I find gaoxiong weather in summer completely unbareably hot and taibei just bearable.
If living in taizhong you have to rely on buses that dont run that late. However taxis are not too expensive so you can get used to the idea of getting a taxi home. I am leaning towards taizhong as it is much cheaper to live and buy an apartment. Definitely less busy and happening city but there are some really great places to visit and hang out if you know where you are going.
yeah, food is really an important part of things for me. I also like to be able to see movies in a movie theater.
and weather, i completely forgot about that. i would much rather have cooler weather if possible than hot weather. I think humid summers are unbearable but completely unavoidable as long as you live in Taiwan, but the least amount of humidity is preferred.
Thanks for the advice so far. Has anyone used footprints recruiting to go out to Taiwan yet? I am using that program and another one to see what I can get in Taiwan. Both programs don’t say where they place you, but instead ask for your preference. I hope I can get taipei (taibei…whatever)
Taipei is surrounded by mountains and you are only an hour from surfing beaches, swimming, cycling, and river pools. For hiking, you can do that even in the city.
If you want nature, Taipei is the better option.
Ktown really only has the monkey mountain area which is nothing compared to Yangmingshan, Muzha, and Neihu and all the areas within 30 minutes.
I live in Muzha in the southern part of Taipei city. Easy access to the city but bike paths are 30m from my apartment and mountain trails are 10 minutes away.