See the True Taiwan: an insiders guide

This is a re-updated post of clubs in Taipei. If you're looking to go out in Taipei for a good time, its worth it to know that things have changed significantly since the last time this blog posted about going out. Clubs: To date, if you're a well dressed, foreign man without the company of women of any race, expect to be given SOME trouble at the top clubs. Still true in 2023. Not going to name names, but party life seems to have separated into places that cater to foreigners, and places that prefer a more local vibe. Straight up refusing entry isn't something to worry about, but you might find things feel a bit off in the wrong spot. Remember They're A Business: Clubs want to make money, and if its a good idea to make money off of you they will. Some prices are specific for men / women, foreign / not foreign, etc. Although the practice is fading away bit by bit. Don't be surprised if you can't get a deal on entry for some reason, even if it was posted o...

A lot of recent college grads and world travelers have likely considered the idea that they could move to Taiwan for a while, work in a cram school, learn some Chinese and experience some local culture. A lot of advice on the internet is that you should move here for at most a year, learn whatever you can and figure yourself out, save whatever you can, don't party too hard, and keep yourself focused on your end goals. Hard truths before we even start : You won't learn Mandarin in a year unless you're already gifted in language. It's not a good place to show up to become Mr. Ladies man and exploit your foreignness. The island is VERY over the exotic foreigner thing. Take our word for it. You probably will get relatively little in the way of local experience in your first year because you're seen as a long term tourist and can't get access to the stuff you really want because you don't know anyone. It's not on par with Seoul, Hong Kong, or Tokyo fo...