The fish market that drew its inspiration from the much larger, much older Tsujiki Market in Tokyo is part…um…fish market, part tapas bar, part night market, part izakaya, and part Portland gastro-microbrewery. No, I’m not being hyperbolic. Intrigued yet? Allow us to take it upon ourselves to program a complete end-to-end day/evening trip in Taiwan’s largest city. What could possibly go wrong? In our defense, we did ask some locals, and read a bundle of local guidebooks and a terabyte of local blogs. And I think we fared…
As I write this, I’m sitting in Brooklyn, where it’s 12 degrees Farenheit. In Hong Kong, where it’s 11:30pm, it’s 61. Which does more than hint at the therapy one can experience simply as a result of visiting a small corner of southwest China during the winter months. But you could also go to Barbados. This article series attempts to tip the balance further toward jumping into Asia’s most inviting city by enticing you with “add ons”. The sights and sounds, and pleasurable discontinuity of being in a…
I’ve looked forward to writing this review. I stayed in three hotels this trip (not to mention hundreds in my life), and my experience at each subsequent hotel underscored the superiority of the Icon. It is, quite simply, the gold standard. It’s not about the highest-end accoutrements in the room or even the largest room. Both the Home Hotel and the Formosa Regent in Taipei have it beat in those parameters. Nor is it necessarily about the restaurants or the facilities, though it’s competitive in both. Nor is…
I’ve extolled the virtues of southern Taiwan elsewhere on this blog. It’s worth a visit for the local flavor and night markets alone, but the proximity to Kenting National Park – with its beautiful beaches and views, and exceptional surfing – and to the largest Buddhist monastery on earth, make it a no-brainer, especially since high speed rail gets you there from Taipei in 90 minutes, for cheap. Oh, and the weather’s better than in the north, especially in the winter. If you do make the trip, try…
Okay. You’re overseas and you want to call, text, and use the internet. Now what? On paper, it’s a simple proposition. Skype is your operating base. Skype-to-Skype calls from computer or smartphone app, are theoretically free anywhere in the world, provided you have a free wifi connection. If you’re content with that level of contact – which fits well with the “life hacker” ethos (be available at a few set times you choose and “off the grid” other times) – you can end it there. Just find a…
The 101 almost had us. All the way from the ticket queue, to the photo booth in line for the elevator, to the 89th floor, to the free self-guided audio tour, I was ready to hand it to the 101 tour: like the Sky Terrace in Hong Kong, they did tourist-trap-kitsch with class. Then came the forced death-march through the gemstone gift shop as prerequisite to alight the building, and I couldn’t hang. 101, it’s not you, it’s me. I’m sure you’ll find someone great and I don’t…