I did it guys! I finally took my first trip as a solo traveler this past month and it was nothing short of amazing! Just the feeling of being on your own, in a unique place, while constantly meeting new faces and following YOUR OWN schedule was so liberating and exciting!

I’ll admit though, I didn’t exactly choose Taiwan for my first solo adventure, Taiwan kind of chose me. When it came time for me to book my flights, the only thing I knew was that I wanted to go to Asia. So, after a quick Skyscanner search of JFK to “everywhere,” Taipei Taiwan came up as the cheapest, most direct route heading that way. A couple more minutes on Google was all I needed and I was sold on Taiwan. Flight BOOKED!

Was I nervous about traveling alone for the first time? Hell yeah I was!! Of course I was! But it was that excited nervous feeling that you get when experiencing something new. So, as a newbie to the world of solo female traveling, here’s why I think Taiwan is a superb choice for all you female first timers.

One of the Safest Countries in the World
Not even once did I ever feel unsafe or afraid of my surroundings as I explored by myself. Crime is very low in Taiwan. A fellow traveler I had met while in Taipei told me about how one night he was pretty drunk and left his wallet at a bar and people literally chased after him to return the forgotten wallet. WOW! According to the Global Peace Index, which measures countries based on their level of safety and peacefulness, Taiwan is in the top 25%.

The people are so freaking nice & helpful!
There were so many times that I would be walking around, minding my own business & someone would go out of their way just to say hi, smile and wave to me. Like OMG how freaking sweet are you?! It would totally brighten up my whole day! & this happened ALL THE TIME!

If there was ever a moment of confusion, I swear it was like the people in Taiwan could sense it or something because before I could even have asked, they were already asking me how they could help. I was sitting on the metro one night staring hard-core at my city map and thinking to myself “shit, I think I went the wrong way.” The dude next to me says, “I help you.” I pointed to where I needed to go and he just nods and when we got to the next exit he gets off the subway with me and literally walks me to where I needed to go. I was shocked and so grateful that this total stranger just went out of his way to make sure I was heading in the right direction.

Public Transportation is Great
Speaking of the subway… This little baby is your ticket around the entire country! With the Easy Card, you can ride the metro, trains, (including the high-speed rail) buses and even some taxi companies accept it. It’s available literally everywhere! I got mine at a 7/11 store. It comes preloaded with NT$100 (~$3USD) and you just add to it. & this is the best part! When you’re ready to leave Taiwan, any money left on the card gets refunded back to you!

It might take a few rides on the rail system to figure it out, but you will! And once you do, you can go anywhere and everywhere in Taiwan.

Everyone speaks English
While the main language in Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese, most people know enough English to help you should you need it. The youth of Taiwan know especially good English as they learn it in school and are always excited at the opportunity to improve their communication skills.

Budget Friendly
While Taiwan is not Thailand or Cambodia cheap, it’s still super affordable. I recommend staying in hostels and eating local foods found at the night markets.

In Taipei, I had my first real hostel experience at Meander, located in the neighborhood of Ximending. I honestly could not have picked a better spot! For a dorm room with 3 other girls I paid $20/night USD. I could have stayed in the cheaper co-ed dorm room (I kind of wished I had!) but as it was my first time, I opted for the all-girls option with less people.

I didn’t spend more than $5USD on a single night market meal. & everything is so delicious! More on that soon!

WIFI is Ubiquitous
The more I travel, the more I see how common this is becoming. But it was especially apparent in Taiwan. From the airports to even the train stations, you could log onto the free public Wi-Fi from just about anywhere. Which makes buying an international plan or even a local sim card a thing of the past. Unless of course you HAVE to constantly be logged on, I liked being in the moment and not always on my phone.

It’s totally normal to travel solo!
This was an eye-opener for me! I mean I know girls travel solo all the time, I read plenty of solo female travel blogs; but I didn’t think it was that normal. I just thought these girls were super bad asses! As an American, it really is uncommon for a female to just book a flight by herself and dip out, especially going somewhere international. This is not the case in Taiwan! I met more female travelers backpacking alone than anyone else! Let me paint you a picture… In the week, I was at my hostel, I was in the same room and had 6 different female roommates. Every single one was traveling unaccompanied. How cool right?!!

Adventures are Everywhere!
As a solo traveler, you’ll never be bored in Taiwan! TRUST THAT! There’s so much culture, history, nightlife, interesting foods, busy night markets, hot springs, national parks; the list is truly endless. There really is something for everyone. I only made it to Taipei and a few neighboring cities but I can NOT wait to go back! I’m thinking next year.

So… have you booked your flight yet? 😉