Tim and I have written a lot of posts recently about teaching English in Taiwan, so we wanted to add some more info about the some of the fun things you can do when you are actually here.
I’m in between jobs at the moment, so I have a lot of free time over the next few weeks. Today was a beautiful sunny day and I decided to go spend some time in Maokong, which is an area in Southern Taipei by the zoo.
Maokong is a mountainous area with lots of really pretty tea plantations, quaint tea shops, and restaurants that sit on the edge of the mountains and provide stunning views.
See What it’s Like to Ride on the Maokong Gondola
Maokong is accessible by the popular Maokong Gondola, which was built in 2007. The gondola can be picked up right by the Taipei Zoo MRT stop and the ride up the mountain in the Gondola takes about 25 minutes.
The gondola ride provides stunning views of the surrounding areas — just make sure you aren’t afraid of heights!
The ride is incredibly cheap if you compare it to similar things in the US. It only costs about $1.65 USD each way. If you can, try and visit the gondola during the week when the lines are much shorter (my wait was about 5 minutes). Some of the gondola cars even have glass bottoms, which is the kind I got to ride on today.
Below is a video (sped up 8x) and also several pictures that should give you a good feel for the area. The video is bit wobbly as the gondola ride wasn’t still enough to stabilize my camera well.
Entrance of the Maokong Gondola.
Looking up from the entrance.
Waiting to get on one of the cars.
There are two kinds of cars. One kind has the normal covered floor you would expect, while the other has a glass see through floor. If it says “Eyes of the Maokong Gondola” on the side then it will have a glass bottom.
Looking down while riding the gondola. This kind of car is definitely not for people scared of heights!
The view riding up the gondola.
Beautiful views while riding the gondola. The glass walls are shaded, which is why the picture is dark.
Arrived at the top. Fantastic views of Maokong and mountains.
More mountain views.
Lots of little vendors selling people snacks like sausages.
More snack choices.
Great view of the 101 from the top.
Lots of little tea houses that provide fresh local tea and great views.
A temple you’ll see if you take a walk along the main road.