Taiwan - Massage / Sauna / Places To Visit (Compiled)

[firefight]

On 2017/5/30 at 0:52 PM, imtrapped said:

Is it too early to know if typhoon will hit TW on august ? 

wanted to book ticket for august

We can't predict but once I was stuck for an additional day in 2015. Luckily I had travel insurance 

[C172]

On 5/29/2017 at 4:56 AM, constantine said:

is chuan tang or huang chi better?

 

Depends on what you're looking for and what crowd you like best - but also depends on what type of soak you're looking for.  As discussed above, huang ding is best chance of seeing/getting any light action and is filled with all sorts of eye candy.  Huang chi (Emperor) is mainly a Taiwan bear crowd.  I haven't been not chuan tang in several years (and as discussed in previous posts, it has changed with many gays going to huang ding instead).

However, my favorite for a good soak is huang chi because of the various water temperatures the are available.

[tomcat]

On 5/30/2017 at 0:52 PM, imtrapped said:

Is it too early to know if typhoon will hit TW on august ? 

wanted to book ticket for august

 

August will be monsoon season, Taipei will experience torrential rain with strong wind.

Other parts of Taiwan (heng chun, ken ting) might have floods, experienced this a few years ago.

 

November should be peak typhoon season, but it depends on weather.

It has been changing each year. If you kena typhoon, like i did in 2015, have to stay in hotel room lor.

 

 

[imtrapped]

3 hours ago, tomcat said:

 

August will be monsoon season, Taipei will experience torrential rain with strong wind.

Other parts of Taiwan (heng chun, ken ting) might have floods, experienced this a few years ago.

 

November should be peak typhoon season, but it depends on weather.

It has been changing each year. If you kena typhoon, like i did in 2015, have to stay in hotel room lor.

 

 

Yea..

Hoping there's no typhoon when i go to taiwan during august  

Edited June 2, 2017 by imtrapped

[pipi]

Anyone going for pride in oct? I will be there.

[wintersnow]

On 6/2/2017 at 1:16 PM, imtrapped said:

Yea..

Hoping there's no typhoon when i go to taiwan during august  

actually i experienced many typhoons before and shopping centers are opened in taipei and u be surprised there are quite a number of people shopping

[tomcat]

10 hours ago, wintersnow said:

actually i experienced many typhoons before and shopping centers are opened in taipei and u be surprised there are quite a number of people shopping

 

Yea, the locals don't give a sh*t. they are used to it already, can still go out, while me and my singaporean friends hiding in hotel room. The wind was howling like a ghost outside, and signboards fall and rolling on the street like natural disaster show, and downtown taipei, i heard from other friends who were trapped in a mall, people are still out and about, sipping coffee in cafe and buying dinner, haha.

 

[tomcat]

On 6/2/2017 at 1:16 PM, imtrapped said:

Yea..

Hoping there's no typhoon when i go to taiwan during august  

 

I think should be ok, will be hoping that you will have clear skies and good weather.

Sometimes it just miss you by a week, that kind of thing, so fingers crossed!

 

[armed83]

I'm gg Taipei 19th August.. Anyone gg there too? Maybe can go to the hot spring together.. Seems far from XiMenDing

[Guest Zack]

I tried Jays SPA, most masseurs quite nice.  It is my recommandation.~

 

http://vincechen18.wixsite.com/index01/elite

 

can contact  LINE id: jayspa ,  wechat: fitman12 ,  whatsapp  +886906307793

 

 

[sman.sg]

6 hours ago, Guest Zack said:

I tried Jays SPA, most masseurs quite nice.  It is my recommandation.~

 

http://vincechen18.wixsite.com/index01/elite

 

can contact  LINE id: jayspa ,  wechat: fitman12 ,  whatsapp  +886906307793

 

 

So who did you try?

[sman.sg]

Will be in Taipei from Mon night to Friday night for work. Anyone in town? Maybe have dinner and just hang out at night?

[Guest Simon Ming]

You can read more on Huang Ding ( 皇鼎金尊 )  Hot Spring in this link below : 

http://simonlover83.blogspot.my/2017/06/all-male-all-nude-huang-ding-hot-spring.html

 

It's an "All-Male Nude Hot Spring" ( not "All-Gay Nude Hot Spring ) , which has become very popular among Taiwanese gays and visitors alike over the years

 

Even if you are shy, Beitou, Taipei, is a popular area for Hot Springs and it's easily accessible from MRT and Buses/Cabs from the city center. So, why not you just make it as part of your itinerary, have a good dip in the hot pool after a long, tiring travel ( It's open 24 hours ) and enjoy some people , or rather cock-watching as well? 

 

Cheers

[james28]

Taipei 21-24 June

 

Will be visiting TPE alone next Wed to Sat before flying to Okinawa. Hope to meet some friends there for shopping/ eating. 35 Chn 182/76. Staying at ximending area.

[anotherdaydreamer]

Going to Taipei mid-Aug, perhaps can hang out together. Feel free to pm me.

[tomcat]

On 6/9/2017 at 0:56 AM, armed83 said:

I'm gg Taipei 19th August.. Anyone gg there too? Maybe can go to the hot spring together.. Seems far from XiMenDing

 

Yes, the hot spring is about 1 hr away from down town taipei. It is not the most convenient to get to, take to Shipai or Qilian station, and then take taxi or if you daring, take a bus. 

 

My favourite routine is to climb Yang Ming Shan or nearby mountain, then go to hot spring on the way down to relax the muscles. This is definitely one of the best ways to enjoy hot spring, when you are aching and sore, but I also know the trekking/hiking part is not on the list for many Singaporeans.

[firefight]

39 minutes ago, tomcat said:

 

Yes, the hot spring is about 1 hr away from down town taipei. It is not the most convenient to get to, take to Shipai or Qilian station, and then take taxi or if you daring, take a bus. 

 

My favourite routine is to climb Yang Ming Shan or nearby mountain, then go to hot spring on the way down to relax the muscles. This is definitely one of the best ways to enjoy hot spring, when you are aching and sore, but I also know the trekking/hiking part is not on the list for many Singaporeans.

I walked from the university / cafe en route to YMS across the mount and went through a village to get to the hot springs.

 

But at Shipai there are many buses from the KFC stop. Just ask the people there or the bus driver. 

[eridc0]

Anyone going Taiwan this coming end June - early July? I'm travelling with straight friends.. I'm not sure can dive into gay experience haha

[XgymX]

Just now, firefight said:

I walked from the university / cafe en route to YMS across the mount and went through a village to get to the hot springs.

 

But at Shipai there are many buses from the KFC stop. Just ask the people there or the bus driver. 

 

maybe you can try to uber up

uber is affordable and convenient too

[firefight]

Just now, XgymX said:

 

maybe you can try to uber up

uber is affordable and convenient too

hahaha thanks XgymX but i deliberately walked over. I see other people jogging too. i used Uber in Kaohsiung...met a cute guy who drove me to Yida Shijie. 

Edited June 20, 2017 by firefight

[Guest Poster]

8 hours ago, tomcat said:

My favourite routine is to climb Yang Ming Shan or nearby mountain, then go to hot spring on the way down to relax the muscles. This is definitely one of the best ways to enjoy hot spring, when you are aching and sore, but I also know the trekking/hiking part is not on the list for many Singaporeans.

 

The trek is quite steep at some point, last i went was ill prepared, and got dark quite early cos i went near winter. Before YMS i actually trekked Fenchihu & Alishan, whole trip think i lost like 3kg.

[tomcat]

13 hours ago, Guest Poster said:

 

The trek is quite steep at some point, last i went was ill prepared, and got dark quite early cos i went near winter. Before YMS i actually trekked Fenchihu & Alishan, whole trip think i lost like 3kg.

 

yea, some trails are steep. but still okay if you have done Mt Ophir. we usually set off at 7am, reach Yang Ming Shan by 8am. up and down by 2pm, leisure pace. then explore a bit of nearby food while make the way down to hot spring ard 5pm and soak.

[quanjishou]

12 hours ago, tomcat said:

 

yea, some trails are steep. but still okay if you have done Mt Ophir. we usually set off at 7am, reach Yang Ming Shan by 8am. up and down by 2pm, leisure pace. then explore a bit of nearby food while make the way down to hot spring ard 5pm and soak.

i usually backpack alone when travel, possible to do alone without engaging local tour?

[firefight]

24 minutes ago, quanjishou said:

i usually backpack alone when travel, possible to do alone without engaging local tour?

Do what alone?

[quanjishou]

possible to track YMS alone?

[firefight]

15 minutes ago, quanjishou said:

possible to track YMS alone?

Oh sure...Many tr@cks cut for u. Just wear good shoes, bring water, and have some prepacked food and you can try them out. And go early too. Tw nite starts at 5pm

[tomcat]

12 hours ago, quanjishou said:

i usually backpack alone when travel, possible to do alone without engaging local tour?

 

Yup, most people do it without tour. The trail is quite hard to deviate from, but if there are high mists it can be quite disorienting as you can only see a few metres ahead of you. You can pack a simple lunch, water, light jacket as it might get a bit chilly at the peaks. If you have stability issues or weaker knees, trekking stick will help. Otherwise, it might be a bit cumbersome.

 

For shoes, non slip ones are important, as mist or mountain dew (hah!) makes some of the rocks slippery. To date, there is no stretch of soil/mud trekking, everything is paved with rock slabs, cut rocks or are seasoned trails.

 

I would still recommend a friend for safety. There are some narrow edge trails with steep drops. Maybe can make friend if you are backpacking at hostel, or even strike up conversation with anyone along the trail. You never want to be wandering alone in wilderness, esp as a visitor. 

 

The Taiwanese are amongst the friendliest people in the world, very warm and happy to include visitors, and they are also proud of the nature and beauty of their island. 

Stay safe, have fun!

[quanjishou]

Thanks both for the information. ya i did same thing in other countries with friends i know from hostel.  it is nice but at the same time because i am slow kinda paiseh if i am slowing down the rest.

[wintersnow]

On 6/20/2017 at 10:22 PM, Guest Poster said:

 

The trek is quite steep at some point, last i went was ill prepared, and got dark quite early cos i went near winter. Before YMS i actually trekked Fenchihu & Alishan, whole trip think i lost like 3kg.

YMS has got alot of poisonous snakes. trekked from there to xin bei tou many years back and thats probably my only experience trekking down in the hot summer

[wintersnow]

On 6/22/2017 at 0:39 AM, quanjishou said:

possible to track YMS alone?

can lah if you are daring enough cos its quiet

[Guest Poster]

On 6/22/2017 at 0:39 AM, quanjishou said:

possible to track YMS alone?

 

I did my treks alone and it was my first trip to TW, like what tomcat had said, trails are quite clear with markers at regular intervals. I met and chat with an elderly man ~50+ at the top of Qi Xing Shan whois a regular trekker who advised to bring a towel or at least a cap to cover your head. Think it has something to do with preventing excess heat loss plus the cold and altitude with the huffin' and puffin' might cause headaches/dizziness. Some snacks or energy bar will be good too.

 

Am thinking of getting a trekking stick as well, which may also help in case of snakes.

[Guest Guest]

In Taipei right now. Just came back from a visit to a new spa place. Name is called Brand New Bodyspa. Really liked the place and the masseur I selected is named Luke. Visited him twice during this trip and all I can say is that he is a really sweet and nice guy. Great massage and really good service.

[Guest Taipei visit end Jul]

48 minutes ago, Guest Guest said:

In Taipei right now. Just came back from a visit to a new spa place. Name is called Brand New Bodyspa. Really liked the place and the masseur I selected is named Luke. Visited him twice during this trip and all I can say is that he is a really sweet and nice guy. Great massage and really good service.

 

I can't seem to find the website or the address. Could you elaborate on your post?

[Guest 2nd week of july]

will be going to taiwan on 2nd week of july... just wondering if anything attractive in kenting? 

[Guest Guest]

On 24/06/2017 at 6:33 PM, Guest Taipei visit end Jul said:

 

I can't seem to find the website or the address. Could you elaborate on your post?

 

The website is as follows

http://brandnewbodyspa.strikingly.com/

 

The environment is pretty nice and clean. And you can find photos of all the masseurs on the website, provided you can read Mandarin.

[Junhui]

.

Edited August 20, 2017 by Junhui

[JohnnyTW]

In Taiwan visiting this week and next week. Anyone want to go to Grand View Resort hot spring? 1000nt entry fee to use their public hot spring. Good place to relax, use the amenities, read a book, nap (lol), etc

 

Message me if u want to join me. 31yo/172cm/70kg Taiwanese

[TBuzzsaw]

2 hours ago, JohnnyTW said:

In Taiwan visiting this week and next week. Anyone want to go to Grand View Resort hot spring? 1000nt entry fee to use their public hot spring. Good place to relax, use the amenities, read a book, nap (lol), etc

 

Message me if u want to join me. 31yo/172cm/70kg Taiwanese

 

I'll be in Taipei for two weeks June 29th to July 12th. My Chinese is decent but I would like to have someone to hang out with out there when I'm away from visiting family.

 

Taiwanese 32yo/5'4"/130 lbs

[pipi]

On 24/06/2017 at 5:44 PM, Guest Guest said:

In Taipei right now. Just came back from a visit to a new spa place. Name is called Brand New Bodyspa. Really liked the place and the masseur I selected is named Luke. Visited him twice during this trip and all I can say is that he is a really sweet and nice guy. Great massage and really good service.

Hi. Does their service include Happy ending?

[Guest Paul]

Any masseur recommendation from royal spa? Most of the masseurs mentioned here aren't in the website anymore. 

 

Its my my first time in taipei and I've heard a lot about royal spa. Mix reviews. Some say it's overpriced and doesn't live up to expectation. And some say it's the best spa they have experienced. 

I believe it all depends on the masseur you have there. So I'll be greatly thankful if you could recommend good masseurs from there that you have personally tried. 

 

Thank you very much

 

ps: If you have masseurs from other spas that you highly recommend, I'd be so happy to know/have it. 

[Guest Tizo]

I'm a chubby bear of Spanish-Asian heritage and I'm wondering how do chubby guys fare in saunas and hot springs. 

 

Specifically in aniki wow and soi 13 saunas. Also in Huang Ding Hot springs. 

 

Are they welcome to join in or at least look? Or generally frowned upon and they leave?

 

Visiting this July 7-9. Any chasers out there say hello!

[Guest Gay couple]

Is there any gay bar or club in kao showing?

[tomcat]

On 6/26/2017 at 4:32 PM, Junhui said:

Would anyone have any good outdoor onsens to recommend for taipei and Taichung? Naked Jap kind... Thank you!=)

 

For Taipei, it is Huang Ding and Chuan Tang. Both in the same area up at the foot of Yang Ming Shan mountain.

[yhtang]

16 hours ago, Guest Tizo said:

I'm a chubby bear of Spanish-Asian heritage and I'm wondering how do chubby guys fare in saunas and hot springs. 

 

Specifically in aniki wow and soi 13 saunas. Also in Huang Ding Hot springs. 

 

Are they welcome to join in or at least look? Or generally frowned upon and they leave?

 

Visiting this July 7-9. Any chasers out there say hello!

 

I understand Aniki attracts more gym fit boys and their followers.  Your pickings may be slim in here.

[C172]

18 hours ago, yhtang said:

 

I understand Aniki attracts more gym fit boys and their followers.  Your pickings may be slim in here.

Indeed, as yhtang indicates, Aniki is definitely a more fit crowd.  Soi 13 also.  Over the years, I've seen many, many sexy guys at Aniki, but had very poor luck finding chasers (those into chubby guys) - I didn't even go there on my last trip to Taiwan and instead went to Soi 13 twice: the first time I was there, I found a chaser who was very unhappy that there were so few chubby guys there (so we made each other very happy!).  But the second time I was there, it was all looking and no touching for me as I wasn't able to find anyone into me, but wow, if you're into chasers, I'd recommend going - so many sexy guys there!!  Aniki is a great facility, but pricing at Soi 13 is very competitive.

The one time I've been to Huang Ding (maybe 1.5 years ago) I was with some friends so didn't really see what trouble I could find.  However, I did see a lot of various body types there, though didn't really monitor if chubby guys were getting action with skinny guys.  Nearby is where most of the chubby/bearish guys go (Emperor (皇池)) and there are a number of chasers there - however, it's not as 'gay' as Huang Ding, so much less likelihood of getting some action.

There's a place called I/O that is more of a hattenba - it's supposed to have a fair number of bears/chubs - and those that chase them.  The one night I went was late Monday and the place was dead.  Talking with a chaser friend in Taipei about the place, supposedly on the weekend nights it's supposed to be pretty crowded and can be good for chubs/chasers.  So I'd definitely give that a shot, though the guys probably won't be as superficially hot as Aniki or Soi 13.

Over the years, I also had decent success at Han's in Ximending, but definitely not a sure bet.  Crowd was not as skinny or young as those at Aniki or 13 Soi.  

Hope this helps!  FYI, I’m a white, very chubby bear ~40 years old who used to live in Taiwan that can only speak basic Mandarin.

(See my posting from 15 May for more details)

[Sudu]

If only to oggle on the eye candy, i bet aniki would be the place to go. Definitely on my list. 

[tomcat]

3 minutes ago, Sudu said:

If only to oggle on the eye candy, i bet aniki would be the place to go. Definitely on my list. 

 

As far as visitor experience goes, Aniki is close to Cruise Club - lots of statues, and those who chase them. But the people are way more polite. 

[Guest Tizo]

Thank you so much c172

very insightful

 

 

[Guest Taipei updater]

Because of pricing the Aniki is now slumping. Soi 13 is the place to go. But go between 6.30 and 7.30when it is half price 250 NT for Taiwanese. Foreigners pay 500, they will check ID. V crowded sat 1 July night about 200 ppl.

[C172]

On 7/2/2017 at 1:03 AM, Guest Taipei updater said:

Because of pricing the Aniki is now slumping. Soi 13 is the place to go. But go between 6.30 and 7.30when it is half price 250 NT for Taiwanese. Foreigners pay 500, they will check ID. V crowded sat 1 July night about 200 ppl.

 

The local discount also applies 12:00 A (midnight) - 1:00 A for some late night fun ;-)