Is Taipei Safe for Solo Female Travellers?!

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Taiwan isn’t a very well known Asian country and many people wonder is Taipei safe for solo female travellers?

Especially with the small island being in the news more and more often nowadays as China makes statements about wanting to reclaim Taiwan.

I didn’t know anything about Taiwan and it’s capital Taipei when I booked my first trip there in 2019. It was the cheapest flight I could find and decided to book it.

I’m so happy I did because it was a fabulous trip!

So, the answer to the question is Taipei safe is yes, yes, yes! Taipei is extremely safe for solo travellers.

It is one of the safest countries in Asia, and you don’t have to worry about anything going wrong on your trip (for the most part)!

I immediately felt safe, comfortable, and confident when I landed in Taipei.

I spent three weeks travelling around Taiwan and never once did I feel unsafe.

There are, of course, a number of things you need to do to make sure your solo trip to Taipei is safe.

But, they aren’t anything wild and are things you should do whenever you go on any trip.

Taipei is so safe and easy to travel that I even recommend it for people who are new to solo travel!

So, if you’re wondering is Taipei safe, the answer is yes. Book that trip and have an amazing time!

Solo travel in Taiwan

Is Taipei Safe?

Just in case you skimmed over the intro (totally don’t blame you!), I wanted to dedicate this little section to the question is Taipei safe.

Yes. Taipei is a very safe city for solo female travellers. You won’t run into any issues in Taipei and will feel safe everywhere you go.

Taiwanese people are some of the kindest people in the world. They’ll go out of their way to make sure you’re safe and feel comfortable in their country.

If safety was your only concern, you can go ahead and book that solo trip to Taipei!

Taipei Safety Tips

As mentioned, there are a few things you can do as a solo traveller to be a little bit extra safe in Taipei.

Since Taipei is a very safe city, there aren’t any extra precautions you need to take to be safe.

These are general guidelines you should follow to be safe not only in Taipei but anywhere you travel.

A few are specific to Taipei, but they can be extrapolated and applied to anywhere you travel.

Watch Out for Scooters

Don’t laugh. Scooters are actually a bit of an issue in Taipei (and Taiwan).

If there was one thing that would make me question is Taipei safe, it would be the scooters.

They are everywhere. You’ll pass by hundreds of them a day and will never be able to avoid them.

They’re even in pedestrian only areas where you think you’re safe from scooters. You’re not. You never are.

Basically everyone in Taipei has a scooter and uses it to get around. That being said, not everybody that has a scooter should.

People drive them like wild people, and I saw at least four people fall off or crash their scooter the first time I was in Taiwan.

One lady was driving her scooter down a pretty wide alley where it was only me walking, a street food vendor, and her. She was scooting around and somehow managed to fall off and was flat on the ground in no time.

It is your responsibility as a pedestrian to stay out of the way of the scooters.

People driving the scooters will try their very best to avoid pedestrians, but they’re driving a big machine.

If you’re in front of them and start walking erratically, swerving all over the place, that’s on you. They can only turn and navigate their scooter by the laws of their scooter. They can turn on a dime the sam way you can.

Without a doubt, scooters are the biggest safety hazard in Taipei, which means it is a very safe city.

All you have to do is keep an eye out for the scooters and make sure you’re walking safely. Keep your eyes and ears peeled.

If you notice a scooter behind you, walk as close to the curb or side of the street as you can to give them room to pass.

Avoid Sketchy Street Food

Taipei is a foodie’s dream city. It has some of the most incredible food I’ve ever eaten, and I find myself dreaming of going back to Taipei not necessarily for the sights but for the food.

There are street vendors and night markets everywhere you turn.

You’re never short of options when it comes to quick, cheap, and delicious street food.

Just like anywhere else in the world, you want to be smart when choosing what street food stalls to eat at.

Sometimes food sits around in the heat for a long time before you buy it. That’s a recipe for a stomach ache.

Luckily, street food is a way of life in Taipei, and you rarely have to worry about street food sitting around in the heat for too long.

If you’re at a popular night market, that won’t be an issue. Most stalls are so busy they have to continually make new food.

You might even be stuck waiting in line for a while at the most popular stall!

The only time you really need to pay attention to how fresh the food stall food is is when you’re out and about walking in a random, small alley and decide you’re hungry.

You can find street food pretty much anywhere you go.

But do you really want to eat it?

If you’re not sure whether or not something is fresh and good to eat, just follow the locals and eat what they eat.

They live in Taipei and know what and where the best food is. You can’t go wrong tagging along and silently taking their recommendation.

However, as I stated earlier, this isn’t really an issue. Most street food in Taipei is super fresh and safe to eat!

What to wear in Taiwan as a woman

Stay Hydrated

The thing I was most unprepared for the first time I visited Taipei was the heat.

Holy moly was it ever hot and humid in Taiwan!

If there is one thing that would make wonder is Taipei safe, it is the weather.

A lot of people aren’t used to the weather in Taipei and don’t protect themselves against it.

It is extremely important that you stay hydrated when you’re in Taipei.

Drink twice as much as you normally do and make sure you’re drinking a lot during the day.

You can’t drink the water straight out of the tap in Taipei, so you’ll need a plan on how you’ll stay hydrated.

You can rely on purchasing single-use plastic bottles or you can bring your own water bottle and refill it.

There are many water fountains around Taipei where you can refill your reusable water bottle.

Most tourist attractions have water bottle filling stations and many convenience stores allow you to fill up your water bottle as well.

Some may ask you to make a small purchase but many don’t.

The bottom line is that it is super easy to get dehydrated in Taipei and feel unwell from it.

The heat and humidity will kick you in the butt if you’re not hydrated.

You’ll also be walking around a lot so take that into account as well when figuring out how much water you need to drink.

Know Local Scams

All things considered, that aren’t many tourist scams in Taipei you need to be aware of!

That really speaks to how safe Taipei is for tourists!

The only major tourist scam I’m aware of is the typical taxi scam. The driver “forgets” to turn on the meter and then charges you an extreme amount of money.

It is super simple to avoid. Just demand that your taxi driver turn on the meter. If they don’t, tell them you’re getting out of the car.

Other minor tourist scams include watering down fresh fruit juice, overcharging tourists, and not giving the proper amount of change back.

Just be on guard and aware of your surroundings.

Nothing bad should happen to you in Taipei. Especially since you’re a savvy tourist who is prepared!

All things considered, Taipei is one of the safest places I’ve been.

I never worried about being scammed or had any distrust in a local’s intentions.

Be Internet Safe

Everybody talks about physical safety when travelling, but we need to talk about your online safety as well.

When you travel, you rely on public wifi networks.

That puts you a high risk of having your online information stolen. All it takes is one person with bad intentions using the same wifi network as you, and poof your banking information has been compromised.

You do not want to go through the headache of canceling debit and credit cards while you’re abroad.

And, yes, public wifi networks at places like your hotel that have a password as still public wifi networks because anybody can access them.

The only way you can keep your online data safe and secure while using a public wifi network is by installing a VPN on all of your devices.

A VPN basically puts a forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for a hacker to access your online data.

It makes using a public wifi network just as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only person who knows the password.

Installing a VPN on your devices is an extremely easy thing to do, and you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t do it if something goes wrong when you’re travelling.

A tourist’s guide to wifi in Taipei

My Favourite VPN

I’ve used a lot of different VPNs over my years of travel.

To be honest, I hated most of them. VPNs are known to slow down your phone, and that’s the last thing you want when you’re travelling.

A slow VPN gets very frustrating very quickly. I ended up not using my VPN and putting my online data at risk because I was so fed up with how slow it was to use the internet with my VPN turned on.

That all changed when I discovered NordVPN.

It is the fastest VPN on the market, which is why I recommend it to my fellow travel lovers.

I’ve been using my NordVPN for years and have never had an issue with it slowing down my devices.

It is the only VPN I’ve used for more than a year, and I don’t ever plan on switching to a different VPN provider.

The best part?

You can install a single NordVPN subscription on up to six devices, so you can protect all your devices for one super low price.

The cost of a two-year NordVPN subscription is less per month than the cost of a single latte.

If your online data and safety isn’t worth the same to you as a single latte, you may need to reconsider what your priorities are.

My philosophy is that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect yourself with a VPN.

There is simply no excuse not to!

Unmissable Things to do in Taipei

Conclusion

There you have it! The answer to the question is Taipei safe for solo female travellers?

I’m very happy to tell you that Taipei is extremely safe for solo travellers. You won’t run into any safety issues while exploring the country.

The only thing that may cause you trouble on your trip to Taipei is self-inflicted dehydration.

But, now you’re aware of it and won’t make that mistake!

All things considered, Taipei is one of the safest cities for solo female travellers in Asia. There isn’t really any trouble you can get into as long as you use common sense.

If you’re looking to take your first solo trip to Asia, there is hardly a better choice than Taipei!

PS- Don’t forget to make sure you have travel insurance before arriving in Taipei!