@nicole

I have been to many cities but I have been returning to Taipei the most. The keyword in my opinion is liveability. Although dense the city is relaxing. Turn off the main roads and you often find streets empty, especially during office hours. Small parks are everywhere, just as food stalls and a cheap bikes to cycle in between them. Like Tokyo you can find gems of cafe's and shops just by walking around. On the bustling side of things there are plenty night markets. And being a city with lots of students Tapei has got a proper night life too. Culturally, there is everything you can expect from a big city: cinema, festivals, music scenes, (hidden) cocktail bars and modern art venues. Within an hour outside Taipei you can reach the ocean and mountains. I also liked getting a cheap rental car and just touring the island. All-in-all Taipei has got a good balance between quiet places, nature and being a big, bustling city. It definitely hasn't got as many gems as Tokyo, as big of a food scene as Hong Kong or as big as a party scene as Bangkok but it does combine many of these things in a balanced manner. Few other thing I want to mention. Like others said the air quality can be brutal when the wind is coming from China. There are not many Western tourists so expect to feel a bit like Lost in Translation sometimes. There are lots of Japanese influences. The youth is very Western oriented and liberal. Still they life with parents until married. Stay in student houses if you can, it's cheap and social. The food is great but carbs based (lots of noodles!). Get some veggies from markets and eat some chicken/eggs from the 7Eleven to top up proteins. The insects are crazy. Butterflies are huge but so is other stuff.. If I could change Taipei I would also add more digital nomads and coworking spaces. Ok that's it!