Things to Do in Maokong Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan

I’m sad to leave Beitou even though it was a short visit. I’m hoping my next destination, Datong, will be ok. I say my goodbyes to Beitou, and when I get to Datong, I find it’s kind of cool! Something about the streets reminds me a little of side streets in Paris. The buildings are definitely more on the upper scale side, and the hotel I’ve chosen, D.G. Hotel, ends up being right on Dihua street! Side note - it’s a cute boutique hotel, where I had a mixed experience. There’s an elevator, but I had to walk up a narrow staircase from it, to get to my room. They thought I had booked a room for 2, so I guess I had a slightly bigger room. If that was big, I don’t want to know what the single room size is like. It was a cute room, though it took some effort to get housecleaning.

After dropping my bags off at the hotel, I go for my first walk and quickly spot two black dogs. I gesture to the owner, asking if I can pet them. Not only does she say yes, she insists on giving me their leashes and taking photos of me with them! I don’t know how I get myself into these things, but it’s a delight!

I only experience all the merchants on Dihua street once. Most of the time, I’m out of the hotel seeing Taipei, so leave early and came back late. The street vendors are there in the afternoon. It’s quite a site, and lovely to walk around. And, the neighborhood is also lovely without all the merchants. I found some lovely tea shops, a funny dog cafe, nice coffee shops, and some great budget restaurants. I actually prefer the neighborhood when it’s quieter and I can easily roam the quiet streets. However, most restaurants close at 9, so dinner is challenging to find. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).