Taiwan

2026/9/22

Taipei Foot Massage Review: Thousand Miles Foot Massage Spa

This time, I want to introduce a foot massage place in Taipei that we were really happy with. It is called Thousand Miles Foot Massage Therapeutic Spa. This article is based on our actual visit in 2018, but the spa is still operating today and online reservations are currently available. Please note: Current prices and service information below have been updated using the spa’s official website. Our Foot Massage at Thousand Miles in Taipei The first thing we noticed was how clean and spacious the spa felt. The reception area was large, and there were plenty of staff members working. The whole place was much bigger than I expected. The official website currently describes the facility as approximately 1,255 square meters, with several massage areas and VIP rooms. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} We had walked a lot during our Taiwan trip, and the massage we tried the previous day had honestly been disappointing. So by this point, Mamarin in her 60s was completely exhausted. When we visited at around 7 p.m., the spa was busy and we waited for about 30 minutes. There were also quite a few Japanese travelers waiting. Today, online reservations are available, so if your schedule is already fixed, booking ahead may be more convenient. A Large Spa with Private and VIP Rooms Then it was finally time for our massage. We went upstairs to the treatment area. The upper floor was also spacious and clean. Honestly, this may have been one of the largest massage spas I had ever seen. And even with ...

Taiwan

2026/9/22

Beipu Hakka Food & Lei Cha Experience in Hsinchu, Taiwan

This is the next part of our Finemakers Hsinchu tour. This was the streetscape around Beipu. The roads felt quite wide, with plenty of shops along the way. For lunch, we tried traditional Hakka cuisine. And honestly, the Hakka food was delicious! The flavors felt surprisingly familiar to us as Japanese travelers. This article is based on our visit in 2018, so individual restaurants and services may have changed since then. A Different Side of Taiwan: Hakka Food and Culture in Beipu One of the things I enjoyed about our Hsinchu tour was that we could experience food and culture that felt very different from central Taipei. Beipu is still known today as one of Hsinchu County’s important Hakka areas, with historic streets, traditional Hakka food and lei cha experiences. It made Hsinchu feel like a completely different side of Taiwan. Lunch at Beipu Shitang: A Table Full of Hakka Food For lunch during our Hsinchu tour, we ate Hakka cuisine at a restaurant called Beipu Shitang. Everything we tried here was really good. I thought the flavors would also be easy for many Japanese travelers to enjoy. And then the food arrived... Ta-da! The whole table was covered with food! This was when I realized that Hakka cuisine felt quite different from the Chinese food I was more familiar with. The seasoning let the ingredients themselves stand out. This dish reminded me a little of Japanese kishimen noodles. It was so good! This was a soup with bamboo shoots and seaweed. It had a ...

Taiwan

2026/9/22

Hsinchu City God Temple: Rice Noodles, Local Market & Historic Station

On the fourth day of our Taiwan trip, we joined a tour of Hsinchu with Finemakers. This was my first proper visit to Hsinchu, and I really enjoyed it. In fact, I ended up liking Hsinchu much more than I expected! It felt different from Taipei, with a more local atmosphere and plenty of food, history and culture to discover. This article is based on our visit in 2018, so prices and individual shops may have changed since then. Our First Stop: Hsinchu City God Temple Our first stop was Hsinchu City God Temple. I found this place really interesting. We only had a short time here, but honestly, I wished we could have stayed longer. Around the temple, there were lots of small shops and food stalls. This was a shop selling dried foods and local products. Our guide recommended the peanut butter, so of course we bought some! We tried it after returning home. It was not very sweet, so rather than spreading it on bread, I thought it might actually work better in savory dishes or dressings. Once we went farther inside, there were food stalls everywhere. It was still morning, but plenty of local people were already eating. The atmosphere felt quite different from a night market. You could really get a glimpse of everyday local life. That was part of what made it so much fun! Learning How to Pray at a Taiwanese Temple And right beside all those food stalls was this impressive temple. A temple and so many ...

Taiwan

2026/9/22

Hualien History Tour: Pine Garden & Railway Culture Park

This was part of our Finemakers tour exploring eastern Taiwan, Taroko and the historic streets of Hualien. After enjoying Hualien’s beautiful natural scenery, we headed to Pine Garden, a historic site dating back to the Japanese colonial period. The area was once connected with military activities, and buildings and an air-raid shelter from that era have been preserved. After that, we also visited other historic buildings and explored the railway heritage around the former Hualien Station area. Please note: This article is based on our visit in 2018 and has been updated with more recent historical and visitor information. Visiting Pine Garden and Its Japanese-Era History This is the historic exterior of Pine Garden. Located near the foot of Meilun Mountain in Hualien, the site was used for military purposes during the Japanese colonial period. It was associated with the former Hualien Harbor Army Military Affairs Department, and Japanese naval personnel were also stationed in the area. Today, the historic buildings have been preserved as part of Hualien’s cultural heritage. I was surprised that buildings from the Japanese colonial period had been preserved so well. I really didn’t expect them to be in such good condition! The buildings continued to be used for different purposes after the war before eventually being preserved as a historic site. Going Inside the Air-Raid Shelter at Pine Garden Pine Garden also has an air-raid shelter dating from the Japanese colonial period. Of course, Mamarin wanted to go inside. The stairs were narrow! Even in her 60s, she had to ...

Taiwan

2026/9/22

Hualien in Our 60s: Qingshui Cliffs, Qixingtan & Indigenous Food

This is another story from our Finemakers tour through eastern Taiwan, Taroko and Hualien. During our 2018 trip, after visiting Swallow Grotto and the Eternal Spring Shrine in Taroko, we headed to Qingshui Cliffs. Qingshui Cliffs remains one of Hualien’s most spectacular scenic spots. Please note: This article is based on our firsthand visit in 2018 and has been updated with current information. Some areas around Taroko are still affected by restoration work and changing traffic restrictions, so check the latest access information before visiting. Qingshui Cliffs in Our 60s — Beautiful Even on a Cloudy Day! Qingshui Cliffs is one of the most dramatic landscapes on Taiwan’s east coast, with steep green mountains dropping almost directly into the sea. Looking out over the lush mountains and the ocean below felt soooo good. Ta-da! It was cloudy that day, and it was still this beautiful. The color of the sea changes depending on the weather and light, so I would love to come back and see it on a bright sunny day too. I can only imagine how beautiful the water must look then! Mountains and ocean almost crashing together in front of us. The scenery felt enormous. We were blown away. Mamarin in her 60s approved too. The Chongde Recreation Area overlooking Qingshui Cliffs has reopened after restoration work following the earthquake. However, road restrictions and closures around the wider Taroko area can still change, so it is worth checking the latest information before your visit. Trying Indigenous Taiwanese Food — What Would It ...

Taiwan

2026/9/22

Taroko Swallow Grotto & Eternal Spring Shrine in Our 60s

After leaving our hotel, we headed to two of Taroko’s famous sights: Swallow Grotto and the Eternal Spring Shrine. The scenery was dramatic, with huge rock walls rising around the gorge. Seeing it in person had far more impact than I expected. Please note: Swallow Grotto Trail and the Eternal Spring Shrine area are currently closed while restoration work continues after earthquake and typhoon damage. This article is based on our firsthand visit in 2018, with current access information added. Always check the latest Taroko National Park information before visiting. Walking Swallow Grotto in Our 60s — Helmets, Cliffs and Huge Views! Swallow Grotto runs through a dramatic marble gorge carved by the Liwu River. The rock walls rise steeply on both sides, and you can see holes and patterns formed by erosion in the cliffs. When we visited, we wore helmets while walking through the area because of the risk of falling rocks. So yes, I was a little nervous. But then I noticed something important. My cardigan was light blue... and my helmet was light blue too. Perfect coordination（笑） At least if I was going to walk through a gorge in a helmet, I was going to match. Then I looked down. Okay... that was pretty scary! The walkway was high above the gorge, and the river looked very far below. When I took photos with my phone, I found myself holding it much tighter than usual. All I could think was: “If I drop this phone, I won’t be able to write ...