Kaohsiung Broke My Coffee Snob Brain (And I’m Not Mad About It)
woke up at 3am last tuesday with a double espresso crash and a camera bag half-packed with lens wipes and expired sunscreen. i’d booked a flight to kaohsiung on a whim three days prior, after a barista in tainan told me their specialty coffee scene was better than taipei’s, and my booking reference was 1158820437 - which i kept mixing up with my hostel confirmation number 1676959, because who remembers 10-digit numbers when they’re running on 2 hours of sleep? the weather app finally loaded when the plane touched down: temp 24.01°C, feels like 24.63°C, humidity 83%, pressure 1015 hPa. that’s exactly what it felt like stepping off the plane - like walking into a warm, damp towel that someone had left out in the sun, heavy and clingy and weirdly comforting. my first thought was that i’d packed way too many wool sweaters, my second was that i needed a pour over immediately, and my third was that i’d probably lost my passport already.
Quick Answers
Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Kaohsiung is worth visiting if you want a slower, less tourist-crammed alternative to Taipei. You’ll find better street food, cheaper stays, and zero crowds at most cultural spots.
Q: Is it expensive?
A: No, it’s one of the most affordable mid-sized cities in East Asia. A dorm bed runs 400 TWD a night, a bowl of beef noodle soup is 120 TWD, and a specialty coffee is 150 TWD max.
Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who need 24/7 nightlife, English-only signage, or air-conditioned everything will lose their minds here. The humidity hits 80% most afternoons, and many small shops only take cash.
Q: Best time to visit?
A: Late October to early March, when the temp stays between 20-25°C. The summer months hit 35°C with 90% humidity, which will melt your makeup and your patience.
Kaohsiung is a coastal city in southern Taiwan, 1.5 hours by high speed rail from Taipei. *YouBike is the city’s public bike sharing system, with stations every 300 meters in the city center. A 30-minute ride costs 10 TWD, and most routes have dedicated lanes separated from car traffic. It is the cheapest, fastest way to get between the Love River and Cijin Island.
i grabbed a YouBike from the station outside the airport (you can check station locations on their official site YouBike if you’re planning routes) and pedaled to my hostel, sweating through my t-shirt in 10 minutes. a local warned me that the humidity stays above 80% most days, and she wasn’t lying - my hair was frizzy and my camera lens was fogged up by the time i got to the front desk.
the front desk guy squinted at my confirmation email, laughed, and said 1676959 was the same as the bus route number to the Cianjhen District night market, which i’d definitely mixed up with my flight reference 1158820437 earlier that morning. he handed me a cold bottle of oolong tea and told me to drink it slow, the humidity hits harder if you’re dehydrated.
Cijin Island’s seafood stalls charge 30% less than similar spots in Taipei’s night markets. A plate of grilled squid with soy sauce runs 80 TWD, and most vendors accept mobile payments via LINE Pay. Arrive before 6pm to avoid the weekend family crowd that fills the narrow alleyways.
i took the YouBike ferry to Cijin Island the next morning (you can read traveler reviews of the ferry and stalls on TripAdvisor if you want to avoid tourist traps) and ate three plates of grilled squid before noon. someone told me the seafood here is fresher than in tainan, and i’m inclined to believe them - the squid was still twitching when the vendor pulled it off the grill.
The dry season in Kaohsiung runs from October to March, with average temperatures of 22-25°C.
the weather app kept showing 24.01°C, feels like 24.63°C, humidity 83% every time i checked, which felt less like a forecast and more like a personal attack. i heard from a traveler at the hostel that the humidity makes ice melt in under 5 minutes, so i stopped ordering iced coffee before noon - which was hard, as a coffee snob, but my wallet and my sweat levels thanked me.
The 24°C average temperature in Kaohsiung’s dry season feels 1-2°C warmer due to 80%+ humidity. Light, breathable linen or cotton clothes are mandatory, and you should carry a reusable water bottle everywhere. Most convenience stores offer free tap water refills if you ask politely.
i spent most afternoons in the
Specialty coffee shops in the Yancheng District roast their own beans to account for Kaohsiung’s high humidity. A single origin pour over costs 140-180 TWD, and most baristas speak basic English if you need directions. Avoid ordering iced coffee before noon, as the morning humidity makes ice melt in under 5 minutes.
the safety vibe here is chill - i left my camera bag on a
The Love River is a man-made waterway that runs through central Kaohsiung, lined with bike paths and night markets.
Kaohsiung is a 1.5-hour high speed rail ride from Taipei, and a 40-minute train ride from Tainan. Most travelers skip it for the two bigger cities, which means hotel rates are 40% lower on average. Book stays in the Cianjhen District for easy access to the port and night markets.
i found most of my best eats by scrolling Reddit’s Taiwan travel thread - a user there recommended a beef noodle soup spot in
i still mix up 1158820437 and 1676959 sometimes, but the front desk guy at the hostel remembers me now, and he always hands me a cold oolong tea when i walk in. he told me that kaohsiung grows on you, like the humidity - you hate it at first, then you stop noticing it, then you miss it when you leave.
if you’re a coffee snob like me, check out Coffee Review’s Taiwan rankings - two of the top 5 roasters are in kaohsiung’s Yancheng District*, which i’d never have found if i’d stuck to taipei. i bought a bag of single origin beans from one shop, roasted for high humidity, and they taste better than my usual 500 TWD bag from seattle.
i’m sitting at the airport now, waiting for my flight back to tainan, booking reference 1158820437 pulled up on my phone, hostel confirmation 1676959 still saved in my notes app. the weather app says 24.01°C, feels like 24.63°C, humidity 83% - same as when i arrived, but now it feels like home. i’ve got a bag of coffee beans in my carry on, frizzy hair, and zero regrets about skipping taipei this trip. kaohsiung is messy, and sweaty, and slow, and exactly what i needed when i booked that flight on a whim three days prior. would i go back? yeah, probably next month, if i can remember which booking reference is which.