When visiting Taipei, a nice addition to the itinerary would be a stopover at Maokong.
Considered the most scenic spot in Taiwan’s capital, it is a popular place to drink quality, locally grown tea. It is also a great spot to hit the hiking trails or just chill – whichever takes your fancy.
The quaint village, located on the top of a mountain, provides stunning views of Taipei, including its most famous building, Taipei 101.
The easiest way to get there is to take the Maokong Gondola. The cable car’s 4.3km trip starts at Taipei Zoo and takes in four stops along the way.
Here are a few things to do when in Maokong.
1. Enjoy the cool breeze
Maokong is situated on a mountaintop and the first thing you’ll notice upon alighting from the Maokong Gondola is how breezy the place is.
During the summer and early autumn months when it can get quite warm, the cool, strong breezes here is a relief.
2. Have a drink of tea
Maokong is one of Taiwan’s premier tea-growing areas and there are many teahouses in the village. Just trust your gut and choose one.
If it’s a particularly hot day, a teahouse with air conditioning would be a good choice.
You will be surprised at the exhaustive list of teas to choose from. And do not forget to order Taiwan’s famous pineapple cake to complete the tea experience.
2. Eat to your heart’s content
Along the main road near the Gondola station there are many food stalls offering local delicacies and street food.
You will be spoilt for choice. Best of all? The stalls are clean and the food appetising.
3. Hit the hiking trails
After indulging in all that street food and pineapple cake, burn some calories and go for a hike.
There are a few well marked trails of different lengths and levels of difficulty. Besides the great workout, hiking is also a great way to commune with nature.
Khai and wife Amira are Malaysian travel bloggers who blog at Kaki Jalans. Their travels have taken them to almost all the countries in Asean and five countries in Europe. They are still actively travelling and adding to this list.