Did you know Taipei is already open for tourism? Taiwan's vaccination rate is very high and consistent and Taiwan’s weather this time around is perfect for travel.

It is time to set your eyes (and passport) to Taipei this year and explore these 8 gems we have prepared for you.

The Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) has announced a temporary prohibition on foreign nationals entering or transiting to Taipei, Taiwan, due to the covid-19 pandemic.

It is an exception for residents, international students, foreign professors, and researchers.

There are flights available from different districts in Malaysia. The airlines operating from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Taipei are Singapore Airlines and All Nippon Airways, and Eva Air.

The ticket price will start from RM 2,756.00 to travel to Taipei. The journey will take around 19 hours 25 minutes, to 33 hours 05 minutes. So, you have to be patient and have a plan to enjoy the long hours of the journey in flight.

For your information, the flight will have a stop before flying to Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei. Make sure you are aware of the next flight's details after making a stop so that you won't face any unexpected situations during your journey.

To experience a good journey, punctuality, checking on personal belongings, and safety is crucial.

You can use ten lines of MRT subway, and high-speed train lines to cities including buses, and taxis.

You also can enjoy biking to the historical paths and friendly streets. It will be a few cents an hour. Above 200 stations are operating around the city to pick up and drop off your bike. This is known as the Taipei bike share program, which has grown ever since its introduction in the early 2000s. You can ride around 105 square miles within Taipei.

You also can rent a car if you want to have a private journey from one destination to another in Taipei. You can drive to the cities, night markets, and shops by yourself when you are eager to explore and spend a long time at one destination in Taipei. It would be another great experience, too, when searching for spots by yourself in a new country.

Taipei 101 is the skyline crowned by the 508m-tall, completed in 2004. It is the 10th tallest in the world and the 7th tallest in Asia. The bamboo-shaped Taipei 101 skyscraper has offices, financial services, vibrant shopping malls, and eateries.

As Taiwan is prone to earthquakes, the damper helps to stabilise Taipei 101 from strong shaking or winds, proving that it is an amazing piece of engineering work.

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The National Palace Museum is located in Shilin, Taipei. It has an eclectic collection of more than 650,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artefacts and artworks from the Shang and Qing Dynasties.

The collections are 5,000 years of precious Chinese history from the Neolithic age to the modern. Chinese ritual bronzes, ceramics, jade, lacquerware, enamelware, decorative carvings, embroidery and tapestry, books, calligraphy, and archival documents are preserved nicely in this museum.

Many items on display were rescued by Chiang Kai-Shek's government as they fled mainland China during the cultural revolution. You can view these displayed items and know more about their history.

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Alishan is an incredible tourist destination with 415 square kilometres. It is located in Taiwan and takes a few hours to reach Alishan.

This destination has a scenic area, plenty of hiking trails, and many activities to do during all seasons. It would be a bonus for hiking lovers.

Alishan has exciting things to gaze at, such as idyllic sunrises and sunsets, cherry blossoms, mountains, Fenchicu, a small village hidden deep in the mountain, and tea plantations.

All these places are picturesque, and you can have the fantastic opportunity to take photographs. Photographers would love to capture this wonderful mother nature.

Remember to check the climate before you decide to go there. January to April and October to December are good weather to visit. Mountain railway attracts most tourists around the world. You can have a railway journey from Taipei to Alishan.

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Sun Moon Lake is located in Taiwan and is a great destination for a trip. It is also the largest alpine lake and the longest river in the south. You will be thrilled when you see the rich ecology like extraordinary mountain and lake views.

You can have a bike cruising around the lake on the Xiangshan Bike Trail and also have a railway trip using the ancient Jiji train.

Around Sun Moon lake, there are many attractions that you can explore other than the Jiji train and bike riding. Touring temples, cable cars, and trails add another memory to your travel goal.

This place is also rich with indigenous cultures such as the Thao tribe and Bunun tribe. If you go there, you can enjoy their music and dance which relate to their beliefs, customs and harvest.

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Maokong is located in the Wenshan district of Taipei, Taiwan. It is 20 minutes from Taipei City to Maokong. Maokong is not only one place, but it is surrounded by many peaceful spots.

This well-known place is one of the best places in Taipei to enjoy a cup of tea. You can view the tea farm with a beautiful panorama too.

You can explore Zhinan Temple, which is a small temple with a pagoda surrounded by a pond with a golden dragon fountain. Maokong has hiking trails that attract travellers, especially hikers.

You also can enjoy the appetising Maokong street foods here. You can grab any famous Taiwanese food here. This incredible place is worth the trip alone and also in a group.

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The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a national monument. It would be 17 min from Taipei city. This memorial hall was built for the first president of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek.

Architectural work on the hall began a year after President Chiang passed away in 1976. The building was designed by C.C. Yang, who was also the designer of The Grand Hotel.

The memorial hall is designed in white with a blue roof, representing the dominant colours in the Republic of China flag and emblem symbolise the Chinese Nationalist Party.

It is located in Taipei, and the 249 feet building covers 240,000 square metres in Zhongzheng District.

The monument is surrounded by a park and stands at the east end of Memorial Hall Square. This beautiful ancient Taiwanese architecture, historical and delightful, is absolutely a fascinating spot to visit.

Concrete and marble give stunning views from every angle from the outside of the memorial hall.

You also can see the bronze statue of Chiang looking west symbolically to the Presidential Office Building and mainland China. The front plaza of the hall is a venue for democratic assemblies.

You will know more about the history if you visit this place and it would be a good spot to take photographs.

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If you want to have a wonderful nightlife with classical foods, Shilin Night market is the place where you can explore a variety of nourishment.

The Shilin Night Market is one of the largest and most famous night markets in Taipei. Shilin Market was built as early as 1899 and is located in Taipei's Shilin District, 70 metres from MRT Jiantan Station between Dadong Road, Danan Road, Wenlin Road, and Jihe Road.

There are many night markets in the country, but easily accessed is Shilin Night Market. You can find various snacks and eateries here.

Taiwanese traditional foods can be bought for reasonable prices from friendly sellers who let you taste the unique flavours of their traditional recipes.

This place attracts locals and foreigners for the offer of an incredible selection of the best street food. It would be the best experience to savour giant fried chicken steak, tempura, bubble tea, oyster vermicelli oyster omelette, fried buns, large pancake enfolding small pancake, hot pot on stone, or Shilin sausage.

Never miss tasting the most notorious Taiwanese goodie, Stinky Tofu. Make sure the food is suitable for your diet, too, so it may never cause discomfort if you're trying it for the first time.

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If you want to have a great rainforest, then Yangmingshan is one of the great places for you. It is located closest to a metropolitan centre and the highest mountain in Taipei city.

During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, it was called Chaoshan, which is Grass Mountain. It is because it was covered with grass and seldom visited. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government renamed the mountain Yangmingshan and built a park here after World War II.

It is next to Shamao Mountain and Qixing Mountain with Datun Mountain on the right and Guanyin Mountain in front.

The area of the park is 11,338 hectares in total. Plum, cherry, peach, pear trees, rhododendrons, and more flora will excite you. The cherry blossoms that bloom during spring will enliven you.

Calla lilies at the bamboo lake (Zhu-Zi-hu) are mind-blowing during the middle of March month. You can also have a glimpse of one of Taiwan's endemic bird species, the Formosan Blue Magpie.

Image by Travel Buddy from Canva

There is much hot spring scenery to see inside the park near to Xing-Yi Road in Beitou. Before you go here, never forget to check the seasons to enjoy every bewitching scenery.

There are various things to view and do all around the year. Visit unique flowers during spring, cool getaway in the summer, during fall season gaze at silver grass and maple leaves, and hot spring when winter.

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