Where to Make Friends in Taipei

Meeting friends in a new city can be tough if you don’t know where to look, and Taipei is no exception. And although every new social venture can be a gamble, knowing where to look is half the battle. Check out our list of tried-and-tested places to start your Taipei social life, whatever your scene:

Join a meetup

Meetup.com may be better in other cities, but there are still a whole range of meetups that you can join in Taipei. The great thing about this website is that you can filter the events to suit your interest, and there are a bunch of things we would have never heard of if we didn’t go on the website. Some of the more interesting things we’ve come across have been Chinese medicine classes, theatre outings, tech socials, longboarding meetups, Qigong classes, and feminist book clubs, just to name a tiny fraction of what’s available. There are also plenty of social meetups too, e.g. Tea Time & Sympathy or Supporters of LGBT. Some of the meetups are weekly, and some of them are one-offs for people looking to hang out at a bar of cafe one night. You could even start your own!

Couch surfing hangouts

You’ve probably heard of the website Couchsurfing, but did know you can find a huge number of meetups around Taipei on their website? From free tours to pub crawls and language exchanges, the Couchsurfing website is another great place to start looking for local friends and find cool travellers to hang out with. Our one gripe with the Couchsurfing hangouts is that there are a lot of businesses registering, so the events tend to be more commercial than Meetup.com. Still, it doesn’t hurt to check out their website and see if there’s something there that appeals to you.

Register at Internations.org

Internations is another international website dedicated to connecting international people and helping them feel at home around the world. It boasts that it is the largest international community for people who live and work abroad, and understandably has a huge number of members and hosts a large number of events. What we love about Internations is that they also have guides to your city, written by expats who live there, as well as a forum. What we don’t love, though, is that basic (free) members can’t join groups or events unless they upgrade to a paid membership. You can get a one-month free trial, but after that you would have to pay a minimum of $7 to access the groups and events. Since Meetup and Couchsurfing are both free, we would probably choose these over Internations, but it can still be a valuable resource for when you arrive — especially in the first (free) month.

Language Exchanges

If you search for language exchange on Facebook, you’ll be hit with a bunch of groups and events that you can join all around Taipei and Taiwan. There are also plenty of links to language exchange groups on the Meetup and Couchsurfing websites. Language exchanges are a great way to meet locals that are looking to befriend foreigners and to start learning a bit of Chinese. There are also plenty of like-minded foreigners, many who are also new to Taipei and looking to socialise. Do note that language exchanges can be a mixed bag — at their best, they are a legit way to meet cool people, but at their worst they’re an easy target for people looking to hook up with locals/foreigners. Chances are you’ll need to try a few before you find the one that is right for you, but once you do it can be very rewarding.

Board Game Nights

Board game meetups, like language exchanges, are plentiful in Taipei. You can easily find lots on Facebook, Meetup, and Couchsurfing on various nights of the week in different locations, with different people and different games. We personally love the monthly Triple B. Social hosted by Top Shelf Games Co, who organize a bunch of interesting board game related activities around Taipei. This is a great option for people who don’t want to commit to weekly board game nights, but still want to hang out and play games once in a while. At the last one we went to, there were lots of cool food and drinks options, and we easily struck up conversations with other attendees.

MOWES Events

MOWES is a non-profit community space that’s all about empowerment and equality. They organize a variety of events, workshops and meetups, some of which are exclusive to women (or anyone identifying as a woman), but many that are open to all. We love how often they organize events (most of the time there’s something going on every couple of days), and the kinds of events they organize — think clothing swaps, women’s gatherings, self-defense classes, dance classes, and art workshops. Many of the events require a small donation to keep the organization running, but it’s a small price to pay for the great work that they do in the community.

Outdoor Activity Groups

For outdoor lovers, there are plenty of groups and events on Meetup, Internations, and Facebook, such as Jay’s Outdoor Activities, Taiwan Adventure Outings or Taiwan Outdoor Sports & Activities. Taiwan is blessed with incredible nature, so there are a range of outdoor activities you can enjoy — from hiking to river tracing, surfing, and beach-cleanups, there’s sure to be an interesting event that you can join.

Foreign Exchange Groups

Another easy and rewarding option is joining a bunch of expat groups on Facebook. Searching Taipei in Facebook groups will yield a great number of results, some specifically for mothers, hikers, ultimate-frisbee players, vegans, film-makers, job-hunters or people searching for apartments. These groups make it easy to share tips, ask questions, and even network. Join a couple of these groups — especially when you first arrive — and you’ll find that there are lots of people out there looking to meet up for a beer, weekend trip, yoga class, etc. For foodies, Foodies Taipei and Taiwan Foodie Girls are great places to share favourite restaurants and meet up with other foodies.

Red Room

Red Room Taipei is an arts platform with a huge number of members, who organize a massive range of events such as food festivals, dance classes, and art workshops. Meeting people here is easy — you can volunteer, become a member, or attend one of their many events.

Bars

Meeting people at bars may seem old-fashioned in the age of technology, but it’s a tried and tested classic. However, not all bars are created equal when it comes to meeting people — you may have a tough time starting conversations at a fancy cocktail bar, but an expat watering hole like Brass Monkey, Triangle, Revolver, The Local, or On Tap are likely places to meet people ready for a chat. Cafe Dalida is also quit a social place, and though it helps to bring your own crowd, we’ve seen many solo travellers befriended by the welcoming staff and tables of other people.

Dating apps

It may seem odd, but dating apps don’t have to be used exclusively for dating — we know lots of people who’ve made meaningful friendships through apps like Tinder, Grindr, and Scout. Do be warned — the same rules apply to dating apps here as they do in other countries. Be selective, meet in public places, never leave your drink unattended, always tell someone where you’re going, and never go somewhere secluded with someone you don’t absolutely trust. Still, it’s not all doom and gloom — many people are open to meeting up even if you specify you want to be just friends, and will introduce you to other friends and great spots around the city.

Stay in hostels

Staying in hostels, especially when you first arrive, is a great place to meet not only fellow travellers, but also locals and people who have just arrived in Taiwan. We have friends who stayed in hostels for the first few months in Taipei and made serious connections through them. It’s also a great way to gather information about the city, as hostel workers often have great tips on where to go and what to do. Some of our favourite activities were recommended to us by the hostel that we stayed at when we first visited Taipei! We’ve heard that Meander Hostel, Homey Hostel, and Eight Elephants Hostel are all great for socialising.

Flatshare

Flat sharing is a big commitment and isn’t the best option for everyone, but it can also be a good way to ensure you’re surrounded by people in your own home. While it’s a bit of a gamble, it’s a good way to branch out your connections — you’re bound to meet more people than if you lived by yourself. Having a safety net of people in your own home can also be very comforting. There are plenty of Facebook groups like Taipei Taiwan Apartment Rentals, Rental Apartments in Taiwan, Looking for Roommates or Apartments in Taipei and Taiwan with many people posting ads looking to flat share or find a roommate. This website also regularly posts ads for flat sharing. In addition to this, Borderless House is an organization that offers flat-sharing opportunities where a guaranteed 50% of the tenants are Taiwanese, making it perfect for language students or people looking to connect with locals. It’s definitely on the pricier side, but we’ve heard rave reviews.

And there you have it — a by-no-means comprehensive list of ways to expand your social circle in Taipei. Now, at no point are you guaranteed to actually make friends, or even like the people attending these events, but trying out a variety of things and seeing who you meet along the way really is the best way to set yourself up for success. One of the hardest things about moving to a new place is entering a situation where you don’t know anyone, but it can also be a great opportunity to hand-pick the people closest to you. Having the right friends by your side can make or break your Taipei experience, so good luck finding them!

 

Know of any other good places to make friends? Shoot us a message to help expand our article!