Planning a vacation should be fun and exciting. If you are planning international travel to Taipei, Taiwan you may want to consider purchasing a business class ticket. Business class travel offers many perks, it’s fun, and travel websites allow you to see the price difference between coach and business class tickets. Sometimes paying a little more money can get you a lot more perks! Last minute travelers are finding great deals on business class tickets to Taipei, Taiwan. There are fares for every budget. Maybe it’s time to consider what business class travel is all about.
Why Business Class?
International Business Class flights to Taipei allow you to really enjoy the journey to Taiwan. Your seat will be larger and have more privacy than an economy seat. It will also lay completely flat, which will allow you to sleep during your flight. The flight attendants will bring you blankets, pillows and anything else you need to make your business class flight to Taipei, Taiwan more comfortable.
At the airport, business class tickets will provide you with two major benefits: shorter lines and access to the airport lounges. First, the lines, you will be using the “premier traveler” lines which are always shorter and move very quickly. You’ll use these lines when you check in and through security. Saving time when you are traveling is a big deal, it seems minor, but it’s pretty great.
You can also use the airport lounges when you are waiting for your boarding time. The lounges are the best-kept secret about the airports. They are super luxurious, really quiet, and a great escape from the craziness of the airport. You can get a great meal here, sit at the bar and indulge in free cocktails, use the soda machines, chat with other passengers, and charge your phone. There are tables and recliners, you pick what suits you best. If it has been a very long day for you, you can shower here too. There are luxury toiletries and you are welcome to stay here as long as would like. An attendant will tell you when it is time to leave and board your flight. The lounges are a great resource for first class and business class ticket holders.
After a long day of travel, you will arrive in Taipei feeling relaxed and rested and ready to see all of the amazing things Taipei has to offer.
What to Do in Taipei, Taiwan:
- Guandu Temple- One of Taipei’s oldest temples dating back to 1661. This is a multi-story and grandiose temple. Architecturally built right into the side of the mountain, a 100m tunnel runs through the mountain, and you can take the flight of steps at the rear of the temple for a great view of the Tamsui riverscape. Guandu Temple is full of decorative arts, especially the rooftop jiǎnniàn which is a mosaic-like decoration. There are Qing-era stone columns in the worship hall. On the riverside, there is a food court serving all types of Taiwanese delicacies. Guandu Temple is a combination of a house of worship, art house, and street food market.
- Addiction Aquatic Development- This huge blue and grey slate building is housed in the former Taipei Fish Market. It is a collection of chic eateries serving the freshest seafood. There are sushi bars, seafood bars, outdoor grills, hotpots, alcohol, and take-home seafood. Incredibly popular with locals and tourists, be prepared to wait as it doesn’t take reservations but it’s worth the wait.
- Fujin Tree 353- One of the hippest and coolest areas in Taipei. A group of young entrepreneurs got together and decided to invest and transform this neighborhood. There are shops and a champagne, and oyster bar. Fujin Tree 353 is a café with outdoor seating facing a tree-lined street. Inside the café are intricate woodwork, mood lighting and strategically placed twigs to get the feeling of a treehouse. This is a great spot for people watching. Step inside the cafe and you can pick up a walking map of the Fujin Street area. Pagne and Oyster Bar is responsible for driving this area’s transformation into a trendy enclave.
- Huashan 1914 Creative Park- See the livelier side of Taiwan! Located in an abandoned winery and sake distillery, this park highlights Taipei’s lighter side. The collection of buildings at Huashan 1914 Creative Park houses a pop up rotating museum and artist exhibits as well as a number of great restaurants, shops, cafés, and bars. Have a great time wandering one of the most interesting areas in Zhongzheng.
- Museum of World Religions- Founded by a Buddhist order, this museum is actually a museum for all religions. There are scale models of the world’s great religious holy sites like Islam’s Dome of the Rock, Sikhism’s Golden Temple, and Christianity’s Chartres Cathedral. They even have tiny cameras inside these replicas, so you can view these models.
- Zhongshan Hall- This hall is full of historic significance. It is where the Japanese surrender ceremony was held in October 1945. This hall was built in 1936 for the coronation of Emperor Hirohito. It is also where Chiang Kai-shek delivered public speeches from the terrace following his four reelections. Zhongshan Hall was one of the most modern buildings in Taiwan at the time it was built. It has both Western classical and modernist styling. Bricks for the temple were custom made in a kiln in Beitou. The hall is currently used for artistic performances, dances, plays, and musicals.
- National Theatre and Concert Hall- These appear to be incredibly old and historic buildings, but they were actually completed in 1987, even though they have traditional Chinese architectural style. These are twin performing venues are where some of the most popular Taiwanese artists come to perform. There are also some of Taiwan’s most popular festivals held here like the Taipei International Arts Festival and Taipei Film Festival.
- Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall- This monument to their authoritarian leader Chiang Kai-shek is surrounded by a massive courtyard. It has a traditional blue roofed hall which is very classic for the area. To get to the main hall there is a series of 89 steps which is how old Chiang was when he died. Inside the hall is an artifact museum with Chiang’s two favorite cars, both Cadillacs. There is also an hourly changing of the honor guard. In 2007, the surrounding park was renamed ‘Liberty Square’ in honor of Taiwan’s road to democracy.
- Yinshan Temple- This temple was built in 1822 by Hakka immigrants from Dingzhou in Guangdong province. The Dingguang Buddha or guardian of Dingzhou is only worshipped by the Hakka and only in this and one other temple in Taiwan. The temple has three front doors. According to Taiwanese custom, temples that worship emperors, queens, and gods are allowed to have five doors; those built to worship generals, ministers and others are allowed only three doors. Craftsmanship abounds in this temple inside and out paying respect to the local culture.
- Taipei Botanical Garden- Another great spot to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Taipei. This little oasis is next to the National Museum of History. Originally built by the government for research, the garden now is one of Taipei’s favorite places to escape within the city itself. Walk along its boardwalks and trails through a bamboo garden, rainforest jungle, lotus pond, and exotic flowers.
How to Find a Great Deal on International Business Class Tickets to Taipei:
Log on to a travel website, like First Business Class flights, be a little flexible in your travel times and dates, and look for flights heading to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). All major carriers service this international airport so you can search all airlines and compare the cost of international business class tickets to Taipei and economy and coach fares. Happy planning.