Sonya Bites Life

Sonya Bites Life Hi I'm Sonya, my family and I moved to Taiwan in Feb of 2024 from the U.S. and I enjoy sharing all of our experiences here.

Food enthusiast, mom and ex-Seattleite 🍜👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
Join my expat family as we explore our new home in Taiwan 🇹🇼
🏆Zagat Foodie Award Winner
Brand partnerships inquiries 💌[email protected] I hope you have fun following along on all of our Taiwan adventures. Recently, I've partnered with Get Me to Taiwan to curate some amazing tours, that are easy day trips from Taipei. Click the links below to learn more:
Coastal Tour:
https://www.getmetotaiwan.com/tours/s1-coastal-wanders-old-streets-tour/

Taichung Tour:
https://www.getmetotaiwan.com/tours/s2-explore-taste-taichung-from-aquarium-to-sweets/

24/08/2026

I can’t believe it took me 6 months to finally try the viral golden crab roe noodle at 墨竹亭｜燃麵本家 in Da’an District Taipei. I can honestly say it did not disappoint… fyi… this video is not sponsored. I just happened to see this dish pop-up all over my feed for months and just had to try it myself.

I loved the bright oceans flavor and creaminess of the sauce. I also appreciated that I didn’t feel overly full or heavy after.

If you are looking for a delicious bowl of noodles in Taipei, bookmark this viral spot, but please don’t take 6 months to try it 😂😂

📍Mo Zhu Ting 10674, Taipei City, Da’an District, Lixiao Village, 和平東路三段232號

Taipei food | Taipei trending food | best eats Taipei

If you’re planning a trip to Taiwan, mapping out your Taipei itinerary can be a bit overwhelming. There is just so much ...
21/08/2026

If you’re planning a trip to Taiwan, mapping out your Taipei itinerary can be a bit overwhelming. There is just so much to see and do with so little time, am I right? Let me make it easy for you to plan an afternoon itinerary at one of Taipei’s most popular art & cultural parks. Songshan Cultural & Creative Park is a former to***co factory built in 1937, tucked just steps from Taipei 101 and the buzz of Xinyi District — but once you step inside, it feels like a completely different world. Old brick buildings, quiet courtyards, creative studios, and green corners that most people walk right past. Recently, they published a map of their 5 Hidden Gems and let me tell you, even though I’ve been here countless times, some of these places were new to me too! (Sponsored)

So if you are planning a visit to Songshan Cultural & Creative Park in Taipei don’t miss these spots:

🌿 Tsutaya Bookstore — Past the shelves, a co-working lounge called Share Lounge lets you sit in the AC with unlimited drinks and snacks for the afternoon.

🎨 Songyan Style Gallery — This marketplace hall doubles as an incubator, where tea blenders, chocolatiers, and independent designers are building their very first storefront.

☕ Cama Coffee Roasters — Housed in the to***co factory’s original Boiler Room, this specialty coffee shop keeps the building’s spirit of heat and energy alive, just in your cup now instead of the furnace.

🦆 The Ecological Pond — Tucked off the main path, this is one of the last real wetlands in the city, home to ducks, frogs, and a stillness you won’t find two blocks away in Xinyi.

⛲ The Baroque Garden — An ornate fountain and garden ringed with statues, tucked behind the old factory walls, that feels like it was teleported straight from a European courtyard.

Outside of these wonderful gems, there are rotating pop-ups, plenty of DIYs and a 24 hour bookstore if you’re feeling a bit jetlagged from your travels. Songshan Cultural & Creative Park is the perfect place to experience a bit of old & new here in Taipei. I would 10/10 recommend adding this spot to any Taipei itinerary.

Looking for things to do in Taipei this weekend? Here’s your English guide to August 21–23, mapped out so you don’t have...
20/08/2026

Looking for things to do in Taipei this weekend? Here’s your English guide to August 21–23, mapped out so you don’t have to translate a single flyer yourself.

‼️As always double confirm details with the venue before going, sometimes things change.

🛹 Backstreet Festival at Taipei Cinema Park, Ximending — street art, skating, dance, free, through Sept 6 (臺北市電影主題公園)

🍰 500甜 Dessert Party at Songshan Cultural Park — 40+ dessert brands, Aug 21–23, NT$200 (500輯)

🎪 FUN元夏 outdoor circus at New Taipei Art Museum — final weekend, free, Aug 22–23 (新北市政府文化局)

🎆 Danshui fireworks — second of three Sundays, free, Aug 23 at 8pm (新北市政府文化局)

🔭 Astronomical Museum night tour — Milky Way exhibit and telescopes, free, Sat Aug 22 (臺北天文館)

🍶 Kagoshima Shochu Street at Yuanshan Expo Park — 21+, NT$99–199, Aug 22–23 (Funtasty 有趣市集)

🛍️ Taipei Dome’s Garden City opens its biggest section yet — free, Sat Aug 22 (遠東Garden City)

🎭 Taipei Fringe Festival — 760+ shows citywide, through Aug 30 (臺北表演藝術中心TPAC)

🥗 Vegetarian Food Expo at Taipei World Trade Center — free, Aug 21–24 (展覽好康情報站)

🎌 Fancy Frontier 47 anime convention at Expo Park — NT$200, Aug 21–23 (開拓動漫祭FancyFrontier)

Last slide has everything still running from previous weeks if you want to fill out the weekend even more.

Taipei weekend events | Taipei events in English | what to do in Taipei

19/08/2026

One of the most frequent questions that I get DM’d about as an American family that moved abroad to Taiwan is how we picked schools for our kids here in Taipei. More details about picking schools in Taiwan are in the video, but here’s a quick version of some things we considered when moving to Taiwan with kids and navigating the school system.

What we weighed for each kid: language immersion vs. an easier transition, personality and learning style, our daily commute, budget, and knowing that we’ll move back to the US eventually.

The type of schooling that we chose in Taiwan for my elementary-aged son: We started at an experimental school, which is a great option for someone looking for a non-traditional school in Taiwan. Last year, we moved to an international school in Taipei because we wanted to prep August for the school routines in the U.S. The transition was honestly so much smoother than we expected and we’re happy that he’s been able to experience two very different ways of learning in Taiwan.

The type of schooling that we chose in Taiwan for my preschool-aged daughter: She is at a bilingual preschool. This has really been the best of both worlds. She is conversational in Chinese and has kept up with her English reading and language skills. I will say, we were a bit surprised to encounter homework at 3 yrs old. But her teachers are so nurturing and we are really happy with our school decision.

Biggest lessons I’ve learned from navigating this process - always have a backup school in mind, and start earlier than you think. Some applications close almost a year out.

Currently, Talent Taiwan offers free consultations through its new Transnational Education Services initiative to help international families navigate Taiwan’s education system

They can answer questions like: Can foreigners send their kids to public school in Taiwan? What’s the difference between bilingual and international schools in Taiwan? What type of support is available for non-native Mandarin speakers?

They’re hosting a free seminar on schooling in Taiwan this September where you can ask questions directly. Registration link is in my bio.

Paid partnership with

17/08/2026

If you’re building a Taiwan itinerary beyond Taipei, here’s what one day in Kenting looked like for us: a roadside roasted chicken spot, a marine biology museum that took over our afternoon, and one of the most gorgeous white sand beaches in Taiwan. We’re 2 yrs into living in Taiwan and this was part of a 9 city, 14 day road trip down the west coast this summer. Here’s the full 1 day Kenting itinerary.

We got a late start, so we timed it right into an early lunch at a roadside chicken spot outside Kenting. They slow roast the chickens on a steel pipe after stuffing them full with local herbs and spices. Roasted chicken in Taiwan is on another level, they use free range mountain chickens so the meat is firmer but still so juicy.

Next was the National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, and honestly we underestimated it. We’ve been to a lot of the newer aquariums near Taipei, but this one, even though it’s older, has a splash park, a playground, two underwater exhibits (one just on local Taiwan sea life), a touch tank, and a 3D theater, plus tons of hands-on conservation activities. We ended up spending several hours there. They also do overnight stays if you want to sleep next to the tanks, a whole trip on its own.
After that we headed to Bashawan, aka White Sand Bay, one of Kenting’s most popular beaches. On good weather days you can rent umbrellas for as little as 200 NTD ($6 USD) and post up for the afternoon. The current was too strong for us that day, but the kids were happy just playing in the sand. Most parking lots there have a small fee that includes a wash station after.

Looking for a Kenting stop that isn’t just the strip? This is the route.

📍 Roadside chicken spot (林俊逸的鋼管雞烤雞海鮮餐廳) — No. 535, Dafeng Rd, Jiadong Township, Pingtung Co. Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9am–7pm, Sat–Sun 8am–7:30pm, closed Wed.
📍 National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium — No. 2, Houwan Rd, Checheng Township, Pingtung Co. Daily 9am–5:30pm, last admission 4:30pm. Adult NT$450.
📍 Bashawan / White Sand Bay — Hengchun Township, Pingtung Co, entrance 3. Parking fee applies, small charge for showers/wash station.

Looking for things to do in Taipei this weekend? Here’s your English guide to August 14–16. ‼️As always, pls check with ...
13/08/2026

Looking for things to do in Taipei this weekend? Here’s your English guide to August 14–16.

‼️As always, pls check with the official venue before attending as locations and times can change.

Swipe for full details on each ↓

🎪 Songshan: 3 Festivals, One Weekend (愛手創 ISHANDS) — Puff Fest, Egg Shell Fest, (NI)CHE fashion market, all in different warehouses. Aug 14–16. Free–NT$200. MRT Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Exit 5.

🤖 Lines of Evangelion (INCUBASE Arena Taipei) — Anime exhibit, 500+ original sketches. Aug 14–Oct 4. NT$480. Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi A9.

🏛️ Fujimoto Sou: Architecture Exhibition (忠泰美術館) — International debut, Osaka Expo architect. Aug 15–Jan 3. NT$250. Jut Art Museum + Jianguo Brewery.

🎆 Tamsui: Fireworks + Live Music (新北旅客) — Music Aug 15–16, fireworks Aug 16, 20:00. Free. Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf.

🕷️ Dadaocheng Summer Festival Finale (台北旅遊網🧋現在玩台北！) — Spider-Man drone show + fireworks. Aug 15, 20:00. Free. Dadaocheng Wharf.

☕ Nespresso Coffee Journey (Nespresso Taiwan) — Pop-up tasting bar. Aug 14–16. Free. Taipei Dome.

🏮 Yukata Festival (台北地下街) — Yukata rentals, lanterns, live shamisen. Aug 15–16. Free. Taipei Underground Street.

🎷 CKS Outdoor Jazz Night (國家兩廳院 廳院青 | NTCH.Talented) — Free concert, Liberty Square. Aug 15, 18:30–21:30.

🐘 Wani Souma: “PARK” (SPUTNIK) — Japanese sculptor’s first Taiwan solo show. Aug 14–31. Free. SPUTNIK Dunnan.

👕 EMIS Pop-Up (新光三越 潮生活 SKM Media )— Korean streetwear, daily lucky bag drop. Through Aug 20. Free. Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi A11.

🍲 Heysong Sarsaparilla: Hot Pot Clan (黑松沙士 官方帳號) — Interactive glass house pop-up. Aug 15–16. Free. Huashan 1914.

🪑 Temporary Public Space Exhibit (台灣設計館 Taiwan Design Museum) — Design show, first stop after Harvard. Through Oct 4. NT$100. Songshan Cultural Park.

Still running from previous weeks — check the last few slides.

After living in Taiwan for over 2 years, I finally got to live out one of my dreams, swimming with wild sea turtles in X...
12/08/2026

After living in Taiwan for over 2 years, I finally got to live out one of my dreams, swimming with wild sea turtles in Xiaoliuqiu off the coast of Pingtung. We did it as a day trip since we had a home base in Pingtung City. A day trip to Xiaoliuqiu is absolutely doable if you plan the details ahead of time, but we went near the end of our 2-week road trip down Taiwan’s west coast, and TBH, the biggest mistake I made was thinking I could just go with the flow. If you don’t want to waste time figuring things out once you land, especially while navigating an e-bike or scooter, plan ahead.

Xiaoliuqiu is a small coral island off Pingtung and one of the best places in Taiwan for snorkeling with wild sea turtles, with an estimated population close to 1,000 turtles in the surrounding waters. Vase Rock is the most iconic spot, a rock formation covered in algae that draws turtles right up to shore. If you’d rather skip a full snorkel tour, most shops will rent you a mask and snorkel so you can swim around Vase Rock on your own and still see turtles. Several providers also offer no-license discovery scuba or freediving sessions, around 2 hours, bookable same day. It’s an easy day trip from Kaohsiung or Pingtung City, so if swimming with sea turtles is on your Taiwan bucket list, add this island to your itinerary.

Also, be sure to stop by Donggang Huaqiao Seafood Market, known for bluefin tuna, it was some of the best sashimi I’ve had in Taiwan. Xiaoliuqiu is absolutely worth a day trip, it just takes a bit more planning. Now that I know all of this, I have a great reason to go back for a do-over.

📍A-Wei E-bike Rental – 300-400 NTD, non-overnight rental, depending on the bike
929, Pingtung County, Liuqiu Township, Zhongfu Village, 觀光港路3號

📍Bear Diving – 300 NTD for approx. 40 min snorkel, gear included
No. 87, Xiangbu Rd, Shangfu Village, Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan 929

📍Popsicle shop – No. 102, Shanban Rd, Shangfu Village, Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County, 929

📍Huaqiao Fish Market – No. 39, Chaolong Rd, Donggang Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan 928

After living in Taiwan for over 2 years, I finally got to live out one of my dreams, swimming with wild sea turtles in X...
12/08/2026

After living in Taiwan for over 2 years, I finally got to live out one of my dreams, swimming with wild sea turtles in Xiaoliuqiu off the coast of Pingtung. We did it as a day trip since we had a home base in Pingtung City. A day trip to Xiaoliuqiu is absolutely doable if you plan the details ahead of time, but we went near the end of our 2-week road trip down Taiwan’s west coast, and TBH, the biggest mistake I made was thinking I could just go with the flow. If you don’t want to waste time figuring things out once you land, especially while navigating an e-bike or scooter, I suggest going in with a plan.

Xiaoliuqiu is a small coral island off Pingtung and one of the best places in Taiwan for snorkeling with wild sea turtles, with an estimated population close to 1,000 turtles in the surrounding waters. Vase Rock is the most iconic spot, a rock formation covered in algae that draws turtles right up to shore. If you’d rather skip a full snorkel tour, most shops will rent you a mask and snorkel so you can swim around Vase Rock on your own and still see turtles. Several providers also offer no-license discovery scuba or freediving sessions, around 2 hours, bookable same day. It’s an easy day trip from Kaohsiung or Pingtung City, so if swimming with sea turtles is on your Taiwan bucket list, add this island to your itinerary.

Also, be sure to stop by Donggang Huaqiao Seafood Market, known for bluefin tuna, it was some of the best sashimi I’ve had in Taiwan. Xiaoliuqiu is absolutely worth a day trip, it just takes a bit more planning. Now that I know all of this, I have a great reason to go back for a do-over.

📍A-Wei E-bike Rental – 300-400 NTD, non-overnight rental, depending on the bike
929, Pingtung County, Liuqiu Township, Zhongfu Village, 觀光港路3號

📍Bear Diving – 300 NTD for approx. 40 min snorkel, gear included
No. 87, Xiangbu Rd, Shangfu Village, Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan 929

📍Popsicle shop – No. 102, Shanban Rd, Shangfu Village, Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County, 929

📍Huaqiao Fish Market – No. 39, Chaolong Rd, Donggang Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan 928

10/08/2026

If you’re building a Taiwan itinerary beyond Taipei, here’s what one day in Kaohsiung looked like for us, a mix of tourist stops and activities that feel way more local. My family lives here, so we always balance both. Here’s the full 1-day Kaohsiung itinerary.

Nine cities into a two week road trip down the west coast, Kaohsiung landed on Father’s Day, perfect timing since my husband collects vintage toys. We started at Neiwei Flea Market in Gushan District, rows of antiques, old toys, secondhand clothes, the kind of place where you have to dig. Vendors were packing up by 9:30am, so go early for the full experience.

Next was Hou Chi Duck Rice, a Michelin Bib Gourmand spot serving Kaohsiung’s specialty for decades. We ordered the duck rice, medicinal duck soup, and duck blood rice cake, all so delicious. Mix the duck rice well, the sauce settles at the bottom.

After lunch, Yancheng First Public Retail Market, built 1948 and restored 2022, old-school vendors alongside newer food stalls and gift shops down the alleyways. Stalls hadn’t opened when we went, so evening is the better window.

We closed the day at Liuhe Night Market, where the walkability and communal dining tables stood out. Looking for a Kaohsiung day trip or a non-touristy stop on your Taiwan itinerary? This is the route.

📍 Neiwei Flea Market — Sat–Sun ~7am–4pm, Gushan District
📍 Hou Chi Duck Rice — daily 10am–7:30pm, closed Mon, cash only
📍 Yancheng Market — built 1948, restored 2022
📍 Starlight Waterfront Park — free, thru Oct 31, water play Fri–Sun
📍 Costco Kaohsiung — newest, largest Costco in Taiwan
📍 Dome of Light — free, inside Formosa Blvd MRT fare gates
📍 Liuhe Night Market — near Formosa Blvd MRT exit 11

Save this for your trip to Kaohsiung. 🇹🇼

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