I LOVE TAIWAN!!!
So this was my first time to Taiwan and prior to my trip, I was pretty thrilled! Did quite a bit of research and since I was there for almost 3 wks, I managed to visit most of the places on my list!
In case you're curious as to why I was in Taiwan for such a long period, it was becos I did my dental elective in Taipei and was attached to the hospital there for 2 wks! Did a bit of travelling over the weekends to other cities like Kenting and Taichung and also explored the outskirts of Taipei!
I actually stayed in 2 different hostels when I was in Taipei -- H132 Hostel and Flip Flop Hostel. The reason why I stayed in 2 different hostels was becos H132 Hostel was fully booked for a certain period, hence my friends and I were forced to move elsewhere.
H132 Hostel
No. 132, Section 1
Zhongshan North Road,
Zhongshan North Road,
Zhongshan District
台北市中山區中山北路一段132號,
台北市中山區中山北路一段132號,
Nearest MRT station: Zhongshan 中山
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| Lounge area |
If I were to visit Taipei again, I would DEFINITELY choose to stay in H132 Hostel. This place was my so-called "home" for 13 days and it was one of the most comfortable hostels I've been in.
The location itself is superb! It's just a 5 minutes walk away frm Zhongshan MRT station, and Zhongshan MRT station itself is just 1 MRT stop away frm Taipei Main Station (where you'd get the bus/ high speed rail) There are loads of convenient stores located arnd the hostel and there is also a departmental store and supermarket in the area.
The hostel itself is very clean. There is a no shoes policy in the hostel, meaning you have to remove your shoes at the reception and change into a pair of indoor slippers. The toilets were cleaned everyday and I have absolutely no complaints with regards to the toilet! The wifi may be slightly weak in the rooms but it wasn't too bad (Okay no sometimes I really wanted to throw my phone against the wall lol...) There's a stronger connection if you were to use the wifi in the reception area/ common lounge area.
I stayed in a 4-bedded dorm (without ensuite toilet) with my friends and honestly, the room was kinda small but well, I got used to it after a while! There were 2 double-decker beds, each had 2 charging points right beside the bed lamp.
The thing I like the most abt H132 Hostel was its friendly staff! They were exceptionally helpful throughout my stay! They had no qualms abt helping me make restaurant reservations, helping me google up stuff and they even used google maps to help me locate a place I wanted to visit, and printed out the map for me.
If you're thinking of visiting Taipei, I'd strongly recommend that you book your stay with H132 Hostel!!!
Flip Flop Hostel
No. 103, Huayin St
Datong District
華陰街103號
Nearest MRT station: Taipei Main Station 台北車站
Sorry I didn't take any pictures since I was only here for 2 nights but you can check out their website for more info: http://www.flipflophostel.com/
As much as I love H132 Hostel, I've to admit that the location of Flip Flop Hostel was slightly better than H132 Hostel. Flip Flop Hostel is just opposite Q Square at Taipei Main Station. It was extremely convenient but I still prefer H132 Hostel.
The rooms in Flip Flop hostel are a lot bigger than that of H132 Hostel. However, Flip Flop Hostel did not feel like a "home" to me? The staff weren't as friendly and when I asked for help regarding some place I wanted to visit, they merely showed me the location on a laptop, but did not offer to print out the map for me. Also, they charged me for printing my boarding pass!
Given the choice, I'd still pick H132 Hostel but Flip Flop Hostel isn't a bad alternative haha.
That's all for now! Promise to update this space with my Taiwan adventures really soon! X
