Taiwan — my first business trip, my place of growth and healing, the perfect ending to my gap year. I initially wanted to stay in Taipei for a few days before travelling to Hokkaido but as luck would have it, all the cheap flights were quickly snapped up. Unwilling to pay more, I decided to stay and travel around Taiwan for 11 days, exploring the other counties that I've never set foot in, mainly Hualien, Taitung, Tainan and Taichung. Here's a brief itinerary of how I spent my time in Taiwan this summer!

I spent the bulk of my time in Taipei, and met up with my Taiwanese friends since I was starting school soon and wouldn't be travelling to Taiwan anymore for the next two years. Because of this, I had a good mixture of touristy stuff and local hunts in my itinerary, which I really liked since I got to see two sides of Taiwan. I also slowed down my itinerary since it was my upteempth time in Taiwan and I wanted to travel at a relaxing pace instead of rushing to places.

I found Free & Slow Hostel at the very last minute — before leaving for Hualien — and made my booking right away because of the hostel's unique concept. I mean, Free & Slow Hostel allows you to go camping on a trip in an air-conditioned room? Yes, please! To make things better, Free & Slow Hostel is just five to ten minutes away from Hualien Railway Station, where you alight after taking the train from or to Taipei.