100 Travel Stories
8 Strange and Unusual Experiences in Taipei
Take a Walk on the Wild Side of Taipei
There is something exciting around every corner in Taipei. Something new, something unusual, something you may want to try—or something you may prefer to keep your distance from.
Get lost at night wandering through night markets, snake alleys and massage parlours. Try a snake soup or enjoy a dinner in a toilet restaurant! 8 strange and unusual experiences in Taipei.
“What I love most about this crazy life is the adventure of it.” – Juliette Binoche
Snake Alley
Dare to venture to the “Snake Alley” for some snake blood or snake meat, or even deer penis wine?!
The “Snake Alley” or the Huaxi Street Night Market is located near the Longshan Temple in the oldest district of Taipei, Wanhua.
Snake restaurants line both sides of the alley. There are more snakes than customers. Live snakes of all sizes—including cobras and pythons—are kept in glass or wire cages. Bottles of snake wine are displayed on shelves.
Snake Alley
Snakes ready to be cooked as requested
Python head
After a second visit to the area, I decided to try something “snakey”. The only affordable option in the menu was the snake soup. What kind of snake? I don‘t know. The owner wasn’t particularly welcoming. It felt more like: “Just eat.” So I did.
The snake restaurant I visited in Taipei
Snake wines and other “healthy” drinks
Snake soup
What does snake taste like? Not bad at all! Surprisingly, it tasted a bit like chicken, although it had many small bones.
Turtle restaurant
Note: taking photos of the snake restaurants is not normally permitted. A small point-and-shoot camera, such as the Ricoh GR, helps you go unnoticed.
Toilet Restaurant
Eating from a toilet-shaped bowl may not be your idea of fine dining, but it is certainly a one-of-a-kind experience.
Modern Toilet Restaurant, Taipei
Ice cream “poop”
Phallic Waffles
Looking for a quirky souvenir? Try a freshly baked penis-shaped waffle. Found at Shilin Night Market and Ximending area.
Phallic waffles ad, Ximending
One-of-a-kind waffle
Gayke = Gay + Cake
Frog Eggs Drinks
These drinks are called “Wow Frog Eggs”. Are these drinks really made from frog eggs? I’ll let you discover the answer yourself.
“Wow Frog Eggs” drink
Sexy Soya Milk Bottles
At Shilin Night Market I found these man and woman body shaped containers of soya milk.
Sexy soya milk bottles
Dining with Teddy Bears
Big teddy bears can be found throughout Taipei, sitting alone or in pairs at tables in restaurants or bars.
Teddy bears dinner
Come in! I am lonely.
Naked Frogs & Other Strange Food
Easy to photograph, difficult to touch, and even harder to imagine eating.
Naked frogs
“Fashionable” frogs
Strange creatures
Toilet Status
A clever use of technology: electronic displays show the status of each toilet stall in both the men’s and women’s washrooms, including “in use,” “available,” “out of service,” and even “investigation alert.”
Taipei toilet status
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