Have you ever tried these Taiwanese local street foods?

Taiwan is home to the best street food markets in the world. Known as a melting pot of cuisines, where a night out for dinner could entail anything. It’s day and night street food markets are a popular attraction both for tourists and locals, and an important part of Taiwan food culture. Here are the best dishes you should try once traveling.

Fried Chicken

Taiwan has a fried chicken obsession, and every neighborhood has at least one late-night food stall where you can pick up a deep fried chicken steak or chicken pieces. Take a walk through the night market, and you’re likely to see quite a lot of people snacking on some as they wander the stalls. But bear in mind that no two fried chicken vendors are the same, so you may have to search a little to find the one that suits your tastes.

Coffin bread

A specialty from the night markets of Tainan, a slice of thick-cut white bread is deep-fried to a golden crisp then the top is cut open and creamy seafood chowder is poured in. Think of it as Tainan's version of the San Francisco bread-bowl chowder.

Sausage

It’s a bit of a thing in Taiwan to wrap things in other things and in this case, it’s a small pork sausage wrapped in a sticky rice sausage that is split open like a hot dog bun. It’s a wonderfully sticky, chewy, messy, and filling dish that’s perfect for late night eats on the street.

Guabao

A white wheat bun filled with pieces of pork belly, cilantro, and a few pickled greens, make up this Taiwanese sub/burger hybrid. There might even be a few crushed peanuts thrown in for good measure making this a rather tasty dish.

Bubble tea

While tea served in the traditional way is popular here in Taiwan, bubble tea is even more so. It’s so popular that it is now served across the globe and more commonly known as bubble tea or boba tea. Created here in Taiwan, this tapioca ball-filled drink is fast becoming the island’s official drink and with good reason. As far as afternoon snacks go, it takes some beating.

Spring onion pancake

For the less carnivorous, the Taiwanese-style spring onion pancake is a good bet. It's light, flaky, and toasted to a perfect crisp. Locals usually make their own at home and eat these savory pancakes for breakfast, hot from the pan. Luckily, you don't have to go knocking on anyone's door to taste the real thing because it's also available for cheap in most street markets in Taiwan.

Stinky tofu

You’ll know you’re near the night market when you can smell the stinky tofu! Some people find the smell just too much to bear but it actually tastes great. No traveler can leave Taipei without trying this unique food. Be warned! It really does stink.

Iron egg

It's called "iron egg" because it's so tough. These chewy little eggs, dyed black from long braising in soy sauce, are a highly addictive Taiwanese food. Often made from quails' eggs, the protein balls are cooked for hours in soy sauce then air-dried. The process is repeated over several days until the snacks become tough and acquire the desired chewiness.

Read more: 24 hour culinary experience in Taiwan

Deep-fried prawns

The key to any deep-fried savory dish is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and this snack from Tainan does it perfectly. Freshly caught prawns are battered and insta-deep fried and served with a sweet brown sugar sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi for a sweet, sour, nose-clearing finish.

Source Internet

Top cheap and free things to do in Singapore

It's a common knowledge that Singapore is an expensive country to visit. However, travellers can still save a lot money if they know the cheapest places to visit while still having a lot of fun in Singapore.

Walk Among the Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay 

For a totally different garden experience in Singapore, make your way to Gardens by the Bay, over 101 hectares of reclaimed land that is now an awe-inspiring attraction. One of the most impressive aspects of the gardens are its Supertrees, looking like something straight out of a fantasy or sci-fi movie. These tree-like vertical gardens measure between 25 and 50 meters tall and 12 Supertrees (of 18 in total) can be found at the Supertree Grove, which are free to marvel at. If you do want to get up close to the futuristic botanic wonders, a walk on the OCBC Skyway, the 128-meter aerial walkway through the tops of the massive Supertrees, costs SGD $8. The walk is pretty spectacular and gives you epic views over the gardens and a chance to see the inner workings of the Supertrees, each made up of more than 300 species of plants.

Visit the Botanic Gardens

Founded in 1859, Singapore’s sprawling Botanic Gardens are also the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located minutes from the shopping mecca of Orchard Road, the gardens offer a welcome breath of fresh air and the chance for solitude in the middle of the city. Wind your way through the various gardens that include more than 10,000 plant species and habitats, from rainforest to desert, as well as bonsais, palms, a healing garden, ginger garden, fragrant garden, and much more. It’s easy to spend an entire afternoon here, exploring at a relaxed pace. Entrance to all gardens except the National Orchid Garden are free, but the more than 1,000 orchid species and 2,000 hybrids are worth the SGD $5 admission.

Take a Photo with the Merlion

Singapore’s national icon, the Merlion, is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. The creature’s head represents Singapore’s original name, Singapura, or ‘lion city’ in Malay and the body represents Singapore’s beginnings as a fishing village. You can pay a visit to the Merlion at Merlion Park for free and pose for a photo with the iconic water-spouting statue (a popular activity among both locals and visitors), which stands nearly 9 meters tall and weighs 70 tons.

Explore MacRitchie Nature Trail & Reservoir Park

Make your way to MacRitchie Nature Trail & Reservoir Park for the chance to spend some quality time outdoors and get your head above the trees via the park’s Treetop Walk, a 250-meter, aerial free-standing suspension bridge spanning the two highest points within MacRitchie and rising up to 25 meters above the forest floor. Hike along the reservoir to the Treetop Walk for a bird’s eye view of the forest canopy and its inhabitants. Entrance to the park and Treetop walk is free.

Stroll the Marina Sands Boardwalk

Singapore’s iconic skyline is beautiful and definitely Instagram-worthy. One of the best spots to view it is from the Marina Bay Sands Boardwalk. If you make your way there at 8 and 9 p.m. you can check out Spectra, the free outdoor light and water show set to an orchestral soundtrack put on by Marina Bay Sands.

Check Out the Esplanade

Esplanade Theatres on the Bay is Singapore’s premiere arts center and one of the busiest art centers in the world. While there are many ticketed events available, 70 percent of Esplanade’s programs are free. Events happen every evening at the Esplanade Concourse and every weekend and public holiday at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre, ranging from dance and acoustic sets to live bands and theater performances. This waterfront setting is perfect for catching a free performance, and the architecture of the Esplanade is also noteworthy (and Instagram-worthy). The unique, spike design is referred to by locals as the “durian” thanks to its resemblance to the notoriously stinky fruit.

Eat In Singapore’s Hawker Centers

Despite its reputation as an expensive destination, it’s very possible to eat cheaply in Singapore, and one of the best places for a budget-friendly meal is at one of the city’s many hawker centers. You’ll find a variety of Chinese, Malay, and Indian dishes being served from stalls in something that looks like a covered food court. Some of the best hawker centers for a cheap and delicious local meal include Maxwell Food Center, Lau Pa Sat, Hong Lim Food Centre, and Old Airport Road Food Centre.

See more: The ideal places for nature lovers in Singapore

Source: Internet

Visit the beautiful seaside towns in Hong Kong

If you need a break from the bustle of the inner city, consider a day trip to one of these charming seaside towns. Offering the best of Hong Kong’s sandy beaches, junk trips, and seafood restaurants, as well as opportunities for hiking, surfing and snorkeling, you will be planning your escape to the coast right away.

Stanley

Stanley is one of Hong Kong’s oldest villages and a popular tourist destination. There are numerous waterfront cafés, bars and restaurants where visitors can dine in the sunshine and fresh air. Murray House, which was built in 1846 as officers’ quarters in the early years of British rule, is a major colonial landmark. Behind Murray House, you can find Ma Hang Park, a 50,000 square meter park with a butterfly garden, bird-watching platforms and an educational trail. Lastly, Stanley Market is a great place to pick up souvenirs and knick-knacks.

Mui Wo

A sleepy town on the eastern side of Lantau Island, Mui Wo’s claim to fame is the picture-perfect Silver Mine Bay Beach, one of the most pristine beaches in Hong Kong. For hiking enthusiasts, the pier serves as the starting point for Section 1 of the Lantau Trail. Rent a bike to explore some of the old villages nearby and walk past the beach and clamber up Butterfly Hill to visit the Silver Mine Waterfalls, which are especially beautiful just after a heavy rain.

Sai Kung

The picturesque town of Sai Kung is known as an expat enclave, a weekend destination and a foodie’s paradise. There are numerous trendy restaurants and bars, including two Michelin-starred Cantonese seafood restaurants. The waterfront promenade, which is lined with fishing boats and sailboats, is stunningly pretty any time of year. For the adventurous, major attractions include scuba diving, kayaking and boat tours of the surrounding offshore islands. Weekend partygoers are known to rent out private junks and luxury yachts for the day.

Shek O

Photo Catherine Photography

Located on the southeastern tip of Hong Kong Island, the town of Shek O is serenely charming thanks to its brightly colored houses, friendly community and gorgeous coastal scenery. Shek O Beach, regarded as one of Hong Kong’s cleanest beaches, is the perfect spot for a seaside walk or dip in the Pacific Ocean. A little to the north, surfers flock to Big Wave Bay Beach. Shek O is also close to the famous Dragon’s Back hiking trail, which connects Wan Cham Shan to Shek O Peak.

Aberdeen

Historically a fishing port and home to the Tanka people, a boat-dwelling minority recognisable by their broad-brimmed hats, Aberdeen also happens to be one of the first places in Hong Kong where British troops set foot in 1841 after the territory was ceded to the British Crown. Today, around 5,000 people still live in boats in the harbour, mingling incongruously with fishing boats and luxury yachts. Sampan rides (a flat bottomed boat) operated by elderly Tanka offer visitors the chance to sight-see from the harbour. However, Aberdeen’s most famous attraction is its palatial ‘floating’ restaurants, which can be reached via ferry.

Tai O

Perched on the Western coast of Lantau, Tai O is known for its traditional stilt houses, forming an enchanting village erected on wooden stilts above the water. Once common across fishing villages in Hong Kong, Tai O is one of the few places where they still remain. A cheap boat ride will take you to the stilt houses and then out into the ocean, where there’s a chance to catch sight of one of Hong Kong’s pink dolphins, which have been sadly dwindling in number due to pollution and habitat loss. Tai O is also well known for its seafood market and street food, offering delicacies such as salted fish, shrimp paste, deep fried seafood snacks, buns and egg waffles.

See more: Unique foods to try in Hong Kong

Source Culture Trip