Traveling is by far my favorite hobby, but it’s definitely not the cheapest.  I try to save money by staying in hostels instead of hotels.  Some are cozy, bright, and clean with friendly owners and some are…the opposite.

I’ve had nothing but good luck with hostels in Taiwan.  All the ones I’ve stayed at serve simple breakfasts, have clean rooms and bathrooms, arrange group activities for the guests, and are happy to answer questions about local attractions and foods.  And they also hand out cards with the address of the hostel written on it in Chinese so you never have to worry about miscommunication with taxi drivers.

When I was in Taipei, I stayed at Formosa 101.  The hostel is only a few blocks away from the famous Taipei 101 building.  There were plenty of convenience stores, restaurants, coffee shops, and even a night market close by.  The hostel is split between several floors, some with dorm rooms, private rooms, a communal kitchen, bathrooms, a few washing machines and dryers, and a common room where all the guests can hang out.  I’ve been in hostels where the decorations were pretty sparse but this place was full of cute trinkets.

lobby of the dormitory floor

hallway to different rooms

they even made the door button cute

The bunk beds were comfortable, and every guest has their own locker to store their valuables.  Oddly enough, the bed sheets had the exact same pattern as the backpack I took with me.

Obviously, I haven’t stayed in every hostel in Taiwan.  I have no idea if they’re all nice, but if you’re nervous about trying out hostels, I would suggest starting in Taiwan.