December 17, 2025

Taiwan 2025: The early bird goes back to sleep

Hello hello from Taipei!

I’m writing from our stay for the next few days, exhausted beyond all words. It was about an 11 hour flight from SEA to TPE, and unfortunately I could not sleep through much of it. It was our first time flying Starlux Airlines, and for the most part the experience was very pleasant. Some things to note:

Starlux Airlines is partnered with Alaska Airlines! More points!

Amenities (toiletries, slippers, water bottle) were very much appreciated

Your carry-on suitcase will be weighed at the gate, and cannot exceed 10kg. Very nerve-wracking with my heavy camera gear.

Economy class did not have access to Wi-Fi. Only First, Business, and Economy Plus had complimentary wi-fi, and no pay options were available. We did have free texting, though.

Somehow, I managed to survive the long flight with no wi-fi, but it was rough, for sure… Especially when CSP relies on wi-fi. I’m starting to think I need an alternative drawing program for situations like these.

Everything was Peanuts-themed, and it was so cute! Snoopy is shooting for the stars!

Our meals were pretty hardy, often a protein with rice, bread, fruit, a side, and desserts. So yummy!

For the breakfast, we had a quiche with a delicious creamy sauce, whole mushrooms, and brussel sprouts. I think I would’ve liked the mushrooms sliced, however…

We landed around 4-5AM with little issue. I’m always amazed at how fast and efficient airport security is in other countries. It becomes more and more frustrating thinking about how the US could be so much more efficient and considerate of its travelers and citizens, but I digress….

The taxi ride to the hotel was very quiet. It was still dark, so at most there were vague shadows in the distance. I’m so used to seeing city lights always on, that I was surprised to see many of the buildings were completely dark.

It was about 40-50 minutes to our hotel — Christmas decorations were everywhere! We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Taipei, and the lobby reminded me a bit of the Hyatt Regency Tokyo. Once again, not an #ad, but being able to pay for international stays just by using points is so, so nice.

Our room was not yet available, so we waited until breakfast was open to both eat and kill some time.

The Grand Hyatt buffet selection was really impressive – so many different stations dedicated to different cuisines! I went straight for the congee and dimsum lol. The steamed humbao was so sweet and flavorful, and wasn’t anything like I’ve had in the US. I also liked that the shumai was smaller and more delicate – I think shumai in the US tends to be bigger and more compacted (and consequently harder to eat in one bite).

Something I noticed also is that their papaya is so sweet and soft and big! While eating it, I couldn’t help but google the differences from Hawaiian papaya. One of the managers, Elsa, came over and gave us suggestions on what to try, see, and experience. She was really funny and energetic, and made us feel so welcome.