2025 // Taiwan & the Philippines on Film
Taipei, El Nido & Manila
Taiwan & Philippines, April 2025
In the last few years, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Asia a couple of times, and every trip just makes me fall more in love with the region. I get the opportunity to connect with my culture while experiencing everyday wonders.
For this trip, Eli and I bounced around a few ideas. He’d been eager to visit the Philippines and pushed for it. It didn’t take much for me to concede. Because of how far Asia is, we debated other destinations and ultimately chose Taiwan thanks to Gina’s glowing reviews and the country’s uncertain future in global politics. I was calling this trip my birthday trip because it was the last one I would take in my twenties!
Taiwan
We kicked off the trip with our long flight to Taipei by upgrading to first class. I am forever changed. Lying completely horizontal for a thirteen hour flight is a game changer. We landed with almost no jet lag, ready to see what Taipei had to offer.
Each day started early to beat the heat and humidity that built throughout the day. Our first day was spent knocking out all of the major must-see tourist sites like Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, 228 Peace Memorial Park, National Taiwan Museum, and Lungshan Temple. Mostly walking, we’d duck into coffee shops to cool off or grab a popsicle to eat along the way. Meandering has its perks. We stumbled upon two parades while we were there. I even won two plushies from the claw arcade games that are scattered throughout the city. Those are the moments that make travel fun.
Food was a daily adventure! Taiwan is known for its street vendors and night markets and we let our eyes be the guide as we spontaneously tried what looked good. The highlight by far was these amazing pork buns we found in a nondescript stall. Taiwanese breakfast quickly became our favorite meal of the trip.
One thing I love about Taiwan is the balance of nature and city. We tried to indulge in both by hiking the famed Elephant Mountain. I was misinformed by the reviews online about how steep it was, chalking it up to out of shape tourists blowing it out of proportion. Boy, was I wrong. What I thought was a short walk to a viewpoint was actually a three-quarter-mile uphill staircase that I did in a skirt. We were so sweaty.
If we had more time, we would have explored more of the island, but we did manage to make our way to Jiufen, unofficially known as the Spirited Away town. Nestled into the mountains, the town overlooks the water while the streets wind through local delicacies and authentic Taiwanese restaurants. The Amei Tea House is the historic iconic 100 year old building with eaves lined with lanterns. Jiufen was cute, but it wasn’t our favorite. Nearby Yehliu Geopark ended up being a highlight though. The cape is a geological phenomenon with yellow rock formations that look like a field of giant morel mushrooms. We explored the park in awe and later biked into the neighboring city to have a beer on the beach.
Back in the city, we hit more sites like the National Palace Museum where I could have spent all day learning about Taiwanese history and admiring relics, dove into the coffee culture with two coffees a day, wandered through artists parks to find local wares and souvenirs, and event went to the top of Taipei 101. The verdict on Taipei 101 - not worth it! It’s cool to see from afar, but inside it’s an absolute zoo.
The ultimate highlight to cap off our time in Taiwan was a baseball game! I had no idea what to expect, but the stadium was filled with energy and fanfare. Each team has official cheerleaders who lead cheers throughout the whole game. The fans know each chant and cheer, with some standing the whole game to do them. We were rooting for the home team, the Guardians, and they won! It was the perfect way wrap up a wonderful time in Taiwan.
El Nido
After Taiwan, we hopped on a flight to the Philippines where a logistical mishap left us spending an impromptu night in Manila before heading to El Nido the next morning. The moment we arrived, all the stress of the previous day melted away.
This area of Palawan has been on my list of must-see destinations for a long time, mostly because it can be difficult to get to. When we arrived at our resort, it felt as if we were staying at the White Lotus. Employees welcomed us, placed shell necklaces around our necks, and handed us each a welcome drink. We were absolutely stunned by the view as they shuttled us to the eating area for breakfast, where we were greeted by the huge rock formation on Cadlao Island. By the time we changed into swimsuits and made our way to the water, we were in complete awe of the sparkling blue water.
The days were a blur of sun and beach. Mornings began with a beautiful Filipino buffet (I tried ube champorado with the dried fish and it was delicious!) and mangoes and afternoons were filled with lazy swims, chess, and sipping calamansi lemonades. It was the perfect mix of relaxation and activity.
One of the most quintessential activities in the Philippines is island hopping. Our first stop was the famous Big Lagoon where we kayaked through glassy water through limestone rocks. It didn’t feel real. Our disbelief continued as our boat dropped the anchor for snorkeling over the most colorful reefs I have ever laid my eyes upon. We actually saw an iridescent rainbow fish and clownfish swimming in an anemone. The day was capped off with lunch on one of the top beaches in the world.
Everywhere we turned, the colors felt impossibly saturated. These were the truest blues and greens I have ever seen. The sunsets were bright orange streaked with pastels. Eli said that the water is so many different shades of sapphire. I cannot accurately describe how vivid the landscape was. Cicadas hummed throughout the day as the soundtrack of the island, and the limestone cliffs rose through the horizon like jagged teeth adorned with jungle foliage.
All suffice to say, El Nido was absolutely stunning.
Manila
We ended the trip in Manila, opting to stay in Makati, a part of Manila I haven’t spent much time in so I was excited to explore. After the slow pace of El Nido, being back in the city was a welcome change. I had a whole list of coffee shops and Filipino restaurants and dishes that I wanted to introduce Eli to. Happy to report, everything exceeded expectations!
Since it was Eli’s first time, we had to hit Intramuros, the historic district housing the Fort Santiago citadel, important churches, and helpful explanation to the complicated history of the Philippines. This area has nods to Spanish colonial times with stone architecture and kalesa, Filipino horse carriages, clopping down the streets.
Once we knocked out the essential tourist items, we bounced around Makati, Poblacion, Quezon City, and BGC, taking in the sights and more malls than we could count. One of my favorite malls has fake designer bags and we walked the stalls, haggling for a decent price. The penultimate event was getting rooftop drinks at Skybar Solaire where we caught a glimpse of how expansive Manila is, with the city stretching endlessly towards the mountains in the distance. We ended our stay with a big family dinner hosted by my great aunt and uncle with lots of food. Everyone welcomed Eli so warmly. It was the perfect way to end the trip.
Two Beautiful Destinations
I love the chaos of Asia. It has its own rhythm of how things function. There is incredible food and stunning landscapes, but what always keeps me coming back are the people. The Taiwanese were very kind and courteous. Filipinos radiate warmth and are often smiling, excited to learn about you and share their beautiful home.
Each of these places left me thinking “oh I could live here!” even for a short little stint. I’d love to go back to Taiwan and explore past the greater Taipei area. From my research, there are so many great towns accessible by train, but we just didn’t have the time to spare. Thanks to my familial connection, I know I’ll come back to the Philippines to explore more awe inspiring places.
It was such a privilege to visit these two beautiful countries with Eli and introduce him to the Philippines.
