Traveling to Taiwan? Is Taipei safe? The beautiful capital of Taiwan, Taipei is one of the most popular travel destinations in Asia. Brimming with the rich culture, delectable cuisine, and entertainment, the city of Taipei is indeed a destination of many dreams. Geographically, the city is located between the Central Mountains and Yangming Mountains.
If you are thinking of planning to visit this beautiful city, then indeed it is very important to know is Taipei safe, before even designing your Taipei itinerary? Statistically, Taipei is a safe city and it is ranked 66th on the list of safest and dangerous cities. This stat might leave you in a perplexed state of mind about the safety of Taiwan backpackers. But, it is indeed a safe place to visit. Taipei has one of the lowest crime index rates in the world. This could be the reason to make you plan a tour of this city, isn’t it? Well, I am not here to try to convince you to plan a visit to Taipei. However, I have come up with some facts about the safety of Taipei. So that by the end of this post, you can make a decision of whether or not Taipei is a city to visit for you. So, here we go!
Table of Contents
Overall Safety
The overall risk in Taipei is fairly low. However, there are still petty street crimes reported in the city. But, it is very rare that you will fall into any such cases if you be attentive at all times. Basic precautions and measures are recommended in order to make your trip hassle-free. As a whole, travelers’ safety in Taipei high on the list for the authorities.
Transportation Safety
Traveling in Taipei is also safe. The risk of transportation is pretty low here in Taipei. But as in any other big city, the risk of pickpockets is there in Taipei. However, those instances are rare. It is best to travel via the convenient metro system and public buses in Taipei then Taxis. Book taxi rides only to those places that are not connected with buses network or metro network in Taipei. If you are using taxis, then it is important to know that the taxi drivers in the city sometimes take advantage of you being a tourist and take a longer route to reach your destination. I guess this is the most common problem with taxi drivers in every other big city.
Terrorism Risk
In the history of the city, there is not even a single incident of terrorism. Hence, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that Taipei is completely safe in terms of terrorism, at least as of now. Thus, there is no need to be too cautious about this risk. But it also doesn’t mean that this risk can be ruled out, so be careful and aware of your surroundings while vacationing in Taipei.
Scams Risks
I don’t think there is any city that is scam-free, at least from what I know. Talking about scams in Taipei, the most common one is selling cheap tea leaves as high-quality ones. People in Taipei mix the cheap leaves imported from China with the premium mountain tea and sell them as the high-end tea leaves. The next common scam is connected with ATMs. Hence, always make sure to withdraw money from an ATM located inside a bank. In Taipei, be aware of people who pretend to be a bank employee or hotel staff and ask you to confirm your card details. They also call tourists and do the same trick.
Mugging in Taipei
As mentioned above, Taipei is a safe city on the whole because of the low crime index rate. Hence, mugging in the city is very rare against both locals and foreigners. Other violent crimes like rape and kidnapping are also extremely rare.
Natural Disasters In Taiwan
As the name itself says, natural disasters are beyond humans control. However, what history of Taipei says that natural disaster like earthquakes is one of the main calamities that often occurs in Taipei. It can strike at any time. On the vector scale, quakes can go up to 6.0. Another common natural calamity in Taipei is a typhoon. However, it mostly occurs between the month of July and November. These months are not the ideal time to plan a tour to the mountain area in Taipei considering the weather conditions, so some Taipei tips are to refrain from visiting these places if you are planning a trip to Taipei during these months.
Solo Travel In Taiwan For Women
If you are a solo women traveler planning a vacation to Taipei, then it is important for you to know that the city of Taipei is completely safe for women travelers. However, precautions are always better. Be aware of your surroundings at all times and avoid going to secluded streets, especially during the night. Also, avoid carrying purses and taking taxi rides or walks in Taipei at night. So if you ask is Taipei safe at night, yes but just be careful!
**Need to know about tipping in Taipei? Let us walk you through if it’s required or expected while traveling here.**
Taiwan people
The people in Taipei and the rest of Taiwan are probably the most friendly people you will come across while vacationing in a foreign country. I guess its the culture of the country that prevails for years that makes Taiwan people so nice and friendly. While exploring any attraction or walking around the top Tapei markets, if you need any help, just ask the first you see. I am sure, he/she would be more than happy to help you.
I understand the concern about safety whenever you travel to a new place for the first time. And to fully ensure that a particular destination is safe, it is good to dig into some research. It only gives you a clear picture about the safety standards of that destination. I hope after reading this post, you must have got the idea that overall Taipei a safe place to visit. By staying safe, it’s not just mean that the city is safe statistically, but also from positive first-hand experiences of my travel experience and other travelers as well.
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