{"id":2484,"date":"2026-05-01T18:05:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T09:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wakacin-lifestyle.com\/?p=2484"},"modified":"2026-05-01T18:05:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T09:05:04","slug":"my-unexpected-perfect-day-in-kaohsiung-%f0%9f%87%b9%f0%9f%87%bc%e2%9c%a8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wakacin-lifestyle.com\/?p=2484","title":{"rendered":"My Unexpected Perfect Day in Kaohsiung \ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddfc\u2728"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Driving Permit, Temples, Night Markets & Hidden Gems<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many travelers visit Taiwan for Taipei\u2026 but after spending a full day in Kaohsiung, I realized this southern city deserves way more attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaohsiung surprised me with how affordable, modern, peaceful, and underrated it felt \u2014 all in one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From getting legal permission to drive in Taiwan \ud83d\ude97 to exploring temples, eating amazing food, and visiting one of the best night markets, this became one of my favorite Taiwan travel days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\ude97 Morning: How I Got Ready to Drive in Taiwan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my main goals was preparing to drive in Taiwan for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many Japanese travelers don\u2019t realize that to drive in Taiwan, you need an official Chinese translation of your Japanese driver\u2019s license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best part?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I handled it in Kaohsiung, and it was:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2705 Faster<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2705 Cheaper<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2705 Same-day processing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perfect if you\u2019re planning a Taiwan road trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2615 Breakfast at My Hotel (Kaohsiung Stay)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started the day with breakfast at my hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The buffet was simple but really satisfying \u2014 a mix of Taiwanese and international options, perfect for a relaxed travel morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fresh fruit, warm dishes, and light local flavors gave me just the energy I needed before heading out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes hotel breakfasts don\u2019t look exciting on paper, but they quietly become one of the most comforting parts of travel days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\ude8b Kaohsiung Tram Surprise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used the Kaohsiung tram and learned something useful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike the metro, not all tram lines accept credit card tap payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I had to buy a physical ticket \ud83c\udfab<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small detail, but very useful for travelers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf5c Lunch: Amazing Value Meal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later I found a local noodle shop where my meal cost only NT$220 (about $7 USD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For that price, I got:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf5c Super chewy noodles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83e\udd63 Rich but light broth<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83e\udd69 Soft flavorful offal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83e\udd5f Huge meat-filled wontons<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honestly, the wontons were so full they felt like dumplings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taiwan food value is unreal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf3f Afternoon: Lotus Pond<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After lunch, I took Uber to Lotus Pond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This place felt so underrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf0a Peaceful lakes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfef Giant temples<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfa8 Colorful Chinese architecture<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\ude0c Almost no crowds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A perfect relaxing spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcda Kaohsiung City Temple of Confucius<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also visited Kaohsiung City Temple of Confucius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The atmosphere was calm, elegant, and thoughtful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want a quieter side of Taiwan travel, this is a great stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\ude4f Yuan Di Temple & Fortune Telling<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another highlight was Yuan Di Temple, where I found a giant deity statue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many locals come here to pray for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf40 Luck<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udee1\ufe0f Protection<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcb0 Success<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u262e\ufe0f Peace<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I even tried fortune telling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc09 Spring and Autumn Pavilions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I visited the famous Spring and Autumn Pavilions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legend says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter through the dragon \ud83d\udc09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exit through the tiger \ud83d\udc05<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026for good luck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fun, symbolic, and very photogenic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfc3 Gym Time<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After eating so much Taiwanese food\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emergency gym session \ud83d\ude05<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And wow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The equipment was modern, clean, and even connected to smartwatches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taiwan gym tech is seriously impressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf72 Dinner with Locals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That night I had hotpot with locals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yes\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duck blood is commonly eaten here \ud83d\ude33<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trying local foods like this makes travel way more interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf03 Ruifeng Night Market > Liuhe?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To finish the day, I visited Ruifeng Night Market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locals told me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have to go here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And honestly\u2026 they were right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compared with Liuhe Night Market, it felt:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd25 Bigger<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd25 More energetic<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd25 More local<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd25 More fun<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also tried stinky tofu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smelled scary\u2026 tasted surprisingly fine \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf78 Tea Cocktails to End the Night<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I finished the night with tea-based cocktails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A perfect reminder that Taiwan blends tradition and creativity beautifully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2728 Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaohsiung gave me everything in one day:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\ude97 Travel progress<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf5c Amazing food<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfef Beautiful temples<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf3f Peaceful scenery<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf03 Fun nightlife<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\ude0c Relaxed lifestyle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Taipei is Taiwan\u2019s headline city\u2026 Kaohsiung might be its hidden favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomorrow?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I drive in Taiwan for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wish me luck \ud83d\ude97\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddfc<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Driving Permit, Temples, Night Markets & Hidden Gems Many travelers visit Taiwan for Taipei\u2026 but after spending a full day in Kaohsiung, I realized this southern city deserves way more attention. Kaohsiung surprised me with how affordable, modern, peaceful, and underrated it felt \u2014 all in one day. From getting legal permission to drive in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wakacin-lifestyle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wakacin-lifestyle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wakacin-lifestyle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wakacin-lifestyle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wakacin-lifestyle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2484"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wakacin-lifestyle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2485,"href":"https:\/\/www.wakacin-lifestyle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2484\/revisions\/2485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wakacin-lifestyle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wakacin-lifestyle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wakacin-lifestyle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}