How to save big on a trip to Taiwan

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- It’s always nice when you return home from a trip, check your credit card statement, and are pleasantly surprised by the amount you spent. That will be the case on a trip to Taipei, Taiwan!

Taiwan is a destination that has it all: history, culture, food, hiking, big cities, a pretty coastline, national parks, and much more. A trip to Taipei will not come with the usual upcharges and high costs you might associate with other tourist hot spots. Visitors will be pleasantly surprised by the low costs of transportation, food, and other purchases in Taiwan.

Taipei’s night markets attract huge crowds and feature all kinds of local cuisine. However, as exotic as some may seem to visitors, the prices are all very low, with each meal costing a dollar or two. Uber and taxi rides will almost always be under $8 in Taipei, no matter where you’re going in the city.

The subway system in Taipei, called the MRT, is clean, easy to use, and inexpensive. While the cost to ride the subway in New York City is up to $2.75 per ride, a ride on the much more efficient MRT is only about 80 cents! In another New York City cost comparison, a trip to the 102nd Floor Observation Deck on the Empire State Building is now $80. A 30-second elevator ride to the top of Taipei101, the tallest building in Taiwan, is just $15.

Taipei is also a great base for day trips to other parts of Taiwan. Shifen is known for its waterfall hike and sky lanterns rising above the town. A round-trip train ticket runs less than $5. Jiufen was an abandoned mining town in the mountains but is now a bustling marketplace. A round trip on the train to Jiufen is about $9. Wulai wins the award for “Cheapest Day Trip,” with a grand total of 60 cents round trip from Taipei on a bus. In addition, you’ll find a scenic tram, a gondola through the mountains, hot springs, and waterfalls in Wulai.

The national parks in Taiwan are completely free to enter. Taroko National Park, famous for its gorges, is a few hours from Taiwan and a beautiful way to spend the day outside the city. While deals on airfare to Taiwan may be hard to find, it’s a destination that really won’t cost you much once you get there!

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