The Taiwanese are renown to be affable and earnestly obliging, perhaps from the Japanese influence, and this cordial welcome set the tone for our holiday. We arrive on a Monday evening into seasonal chill and rain (Taiwan was blanketed with snow a few weeks after we left), and upon checking in at Play Design Hotel, we immediately forget about the gloomy weather when our hosts Daniel and Grace receive us. Like most of the population, we work to pay the bills despite our Instagram fabulousness, so we welcome some new and worthy #lifewelltravelled hash tags and some gustatory delight. To kick off the new year, Glenn and I decided to head to the Taiwanese metropolis for some R&R and night market overload before we slid back into our 9-5 routine. There are several cities that do night markets but Taipei has often come up on top of travel lists for that. I often walk away feeling guilt-free too since the portions are usually bite size, even though I’ve probably demolished food enough for a week. I love the buzz of night markets, especially food ones – nothing is more exciting than bouncing from one stall to another, savouring delectable dishes and desserts until my trousers beg me furiously to stop.