Kaohsiung

Get some work done while you sip your Papaya Milk in this cool city the the sea

About Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is the 2nd largest city in Taiwan and an aspiring rival to Taipei.  It’s geographical location means that its borderline tropical so the temperatures can be a bit hotter than Taipei, but it also has great access to some cool places like Kenting where you can make use of that hot weather to go to the beach.

Its status as a large city means there are plenty of great places to work, stay and eat, but it’s also slightly less well-known than Taipei which gives it a bit more of an “off the beaten path” feel.  You’ll also hear lots of Taiwanese Minnan here in addition to Mandarin.

Access

Kaohsiung has an international airport so its possible to fly directly there in some cases, but you can also easily hop on the high speed rail and take it to Zuoying HSR station.  From there it’s easy to just hop on the Kaohsiung MRT to get to your accommodation. 

Where To Work

Kaohsiung, being the second largest city in Taiwan, has a large selection of coworking spaces and cafes to work at.   Here’s one of our favorites:

• Pier 2 Base
  Located right in the Pier 2 neighborhood area, the coworking space is nice and it has great access to some cool restaurants, parks and shopping areas.
  

Accommodations 

Kaohsiung has a very large selection of Airbnbs and short term stay options.  You should have no problem finding accommodation.

Things To Do

• Ruifeng Night Market
• Hanging out in the Pier 2 Neighborhood area
• Trips to Tainan or Taitung

What To Eat

• Shaved Ice with Fresh Fruit
  A popular snack across all of the country, but particularly nice for hot summer months
  
• Papaya Milk (“Mu-gua Niu-nai”)
  
• Duck Rice (“Ya-rou-fan”)

Difficulty Level:  Easy

As the second largest city in Taiwan, Kaohsiung has a great transportation system, plenty of support in English (and some other languages too), lots of places to work and stay and a wide selection of international food if you start missing home at all.  The locals are friendly and very helpful, so you should have no trouble getting adjusted to living here and making the most of your stay!