Our three-year-old loves exploring new places and seeing new things so we’re always on the lookout for the next destination to visit during school vacations. While Singapore, Japan, and South Korea are the top countries for Pinoy tourists, we decided to try the road (slightly) less traveled by visiting Taiwan.

There’s plenty to love about this beautiful island, and here are some of our favorite things about it!

One of the things we Filipinos usually notice when we travel internationally is the ease and convenience of using public transportation.

I downloaded the Go! Taipei Metro app on my phone so we can easily trace train routes and schedules. Bus routes and stops are also easily tracked online and they arrive within minutes of each other. Whenever we travel, we go out in the morning and stay out until after dinner time so we usually have a foldable stroller and one bag each to carry essentials and we had no trouble getting around Taipei and beyond by using their interconnected metro system.

We were always able to get a seat because there’s a designated area for senior citizens, pregnant women, and parents with young children and, with trains arriving so frequently and regularly, there was no need to push or squeeze into rides that were already full. I still hope we reach this level of accessibility when it comes to our own public transportation systems!

Fun fact: Check the ticket and information booths for cute stamps with unique designs per metro station. I tried to make a quick stop every station to collect as many stamps as possible for our little travel journal.

We found ourselves spoiled for choice here when it comes to finding activities for kids.

Taipei Zoo (NTD100 or ₱177 per person) was one of our favorites, being the largest zoological garden and research and preservation center in Asia. My daughter really enjoyed watching penguins walk around and a hippopotamus swimming around up close. It was also her first time to see a real panda!

National Taiwan Museum (NTD30 or ₱53 per person) has one entire floor dedicated to interactive installations for kids where my daughter could touch and manipulate the specimens and even watch as her artwork was displayed on the walls.

Their Land Bank Exhibition Hall (entrance fee is included in the National Taiwan Museum fee) across the street featured an impossibly huge Huanghetitan skeleton, as well as countless other dinosaur fossils and exhibits. If we’re being honest here, my husband and I, who grew up watching dinosaurs in movies, were the ones who were the most impressed by the dinosaur fossils. I think my daughter is a bit too young to fully appreciate how we can actually inspect and even touch real dinosaur bones.

One of her most vivid memories of our trip was releasing a sky lantern (NTD200-350 or ₱353-618, depending on how many colors) from Shifen’s train tracks. She kept asking us where her lantern went and worrying about whether or not it will come back so I got her a tiny souvenir sky lantern to hang in her room.

One of the most memorable parts of our trip was discovering firsthand just how kind and respectful Taiwanese people can be. Of course we’ve seen this mentioned in travel reviews over and over again, but it really cannot be overstated.

Locals are generally quiet and respectful in public spaces and they are quick to offer help if they see that you might need it, especially if you have children. I found myself needing directions finding certain places and, armed with Google Translate, I was able to ask for assistance just about everywhere.

Students from National Taipei Normal University actually whipped out their own phones and called to ask for help when they couldn’t give me the information I needed. I quickly got used to saying “xièxiè” (thank you) all day long because people were so helpful and generous with their time. My daughter enjoyed getting special attention from friendly older people who handed her little treats and trinkets to entertain her. Until now, she remembers the kind uncles and aunties who tried their best to make her smile.

We are not really into fine dining so, while Taiwan also offers plenty of fine dining options, our experiences leaned more into casual dining and street food.

We didn’t go hungry here, for there’s food available everywhere we looked! From tasty beef noodle soups (NTD100-300 or ₱177-530 depending on location) to ward off the chill, to crisp and tender scallion pancakes (NTD20-60 or ₱50-105), and braised pork rice (NTD60-150 or ₱105-265) enjoyed with authentic bubble milk tea (NTD30-50 or ₱53-88) , we found delicate flavors balanced with a variety of textures in Taiwanese food. We’ve heard that some Filipino travelers don’t particularly enjoy the flavors of local Taiwanese cuisine and find it “bland” compared to Filipino food, but part of travel is experiencing how different historical events and cultural influences shape a nation’s palate.

I actually enjoy their food’s subtlety in flavors and how you can find influences from China, Japan, indigenous Taiwan, and western countries. While their food is fairly affordable compared to other Asian countries, I feel like we actually spent more because we kept buying more snacks than usual because we wanted to try everything!

I know that one of parents’ biggest concerns when traveling or planning a vacation is the budget. I can say that a trip to Taiwan for a family of three is economical, and easy on the pocket. We spent approximately ₱11,000 per person for airfare, round trip via Cebu Pacific, and around ₱3,500-8,000 per night for AirBnB in Da’an District. We also bought 4G sim card for approximately ₱488, and traveled to other destinations such as Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen via private car with driver for NTD5,000 or ₱8,827.

We brought home some souvenirs and a whole lot of memories to cherish!

Taiwan was a discovery of complementary components that make for a unique and enjoyable whole. The cold winter air contrasts nicely with their hot delicious food and the warmth and kindness of the people we met. The vintage architecture and ancient artifacts in their museums blend with the shiny modern malls and modern transportation systems. There are nature hikes, tea discovery trips, science education centers, and shopping at different budget ranges. This really is one of the best family-friendly destinations we have visited. It was a fun experience in how different cultures melt together and how a nation can preserve the heritage of their past while also looking to stay globally competitive and relevant in the future.