Taipei: How to Survive a Semester Exchange in National Taiwan University

Survive is a little over-dramatic, but here are a couple tips to help you thrive in the land of bubble tea

On the map, Taiwan is a speck compared to its neighbouring giant, but the island is a definite heavyweight for travelers. When I first visited Taiwan in 2016, I was immediately attracted to Taiwan’s plethora of food, sights, and kind people. Those first steps in Taiwan left such a big imprint that I found myself finessing UBC for one more international program, a semester exchange in National Taiwan University.

Even if you are not attending NTU, take a look for some travel suggestions and my favourite not-so-secret places.

The last time I wrote a survival guide was way back in December 2016, but I will keep similar categories of HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, NOMS. I will also talk about my exchange experience at National Taiwan and some tips for the “main” reason why I was in Taiwan.

HOUSING

Unlike my terrible time in Hong Kong scrambling for a place to live in my first three months, my housing was provided by NTU. Even if it was not provided, Taipei’s rental market is way cheaper than what I’m used to both in Vancouver and Hong Kong.