Taiwan Trip Report

[christianpfc]

I have been to Taiwan several times, the longest 3 months in 2018 to study Chinese. The gay sauna Soi13in is great, my favorite of over 50 gay saunas all over South-East Asia. But that didn't translate to online dating for me. There are cute boys on the apps, but it is mostly like a black hole, nothing comes back, I message 20 boys and get one reply. For comparison, in 7 days in Yangon I had 8 boys; in 3 months in Taipei I had 5 boys. None of the issues encountered in Thailand (sick grandmother, space-time confusion). I have no idea where this discrepancy to my experiences elsewhere in SEAsia, or other posters reporting from Taiwan, comes from.

The country is a great place for general travel (but I don't like winter which can be cold, and I have never been and will not go during monsoon season) and I will be back for general travel and hiking, but without expectations boy-wise.

[pasiontop]

I have been to Taiwan several times, the longest 3 months in 2018 to study Chinese. The gay sauna Soi13in is great, my favorite of over 50 gay saunas all over South-East Asia. But that didn't translate to online dating for me. There are cute boys on the apps, but it is mostly like a black hole, nothing comes back, I message 20 boys and get one reply. For comparison, in 7 days in Yangon I had 8 boys; in 3 months in Taipei I had 5 boys. None of the issues encountered in Thailand (sick grandmother, space-time confusion). I have no idea where this discrepancy to my experiences elsewhere in SEAsia, or other posters reporting from Taiwan, comes from.

The country is a great place for general travel (but I don't like winter which can be cold, and I have never been and will not go during monsoon season) and I will be back for general travel and hiking, but without expectations boy-wise.

I find your experience very interesting. Taiwan is the place that I got the most messages online. Actually, too many messages that I couldn't keep up with them and the guys were very pushy. In contrast, I didn't enjoy much my visit to Soi13in (I'll talk more about it in the last post of this trip report). I visited the sauna on the Gay Pride day, but I found the guys to be so shy and slow. A big difference on how they behave on online apps. I think this is because they want "to save face"; they are afraid of being perceived as sluts. Taiwanese care a lot about what other people think of it.

[Armando]

In contrast, I didn't enjoy much my visit to Soi13in (I'll talk more about it in the last post of this trip report). I visited the sauna on the Gay Pride day, but I found the guys to be so shy and slow. A big difference on how they behave on online apps. I think this is because they want "to save face"; they are afraid of being perceived as sluts. Taiwanese care a lot about what other people think of it.

I have not been to Soi13in. When I was at the Gay Pride Parade I mentioned earlier, my Macao friend had arranged to have dinner with his Macanese friends that evening. So I went out to the hot spring up the hill from the Shipai MRT station, the one that was then gay friendly (it changed its policy about 4 years ago when the owner felt it was becoming too gay!) I had been a few times in previous years. On this occasion, I bought my ticket. i was then surprised to find a queue outside. So many visitors for the Parade had had the same idea. It took about 20 minutes actually to get inside. The shoe lockers are at the entrance. From there it is only a matter of a few meters before you get to the lockers. But that took another 20 minutes. Once the main hot spring came into view, I was gobsmacked. I could not see the water! The pool was packed chock full of mostly gay and mostly young guys. There were even guys happily lounging in the altogether on the sides. It may have taken far longer than I expected to get inside, but once there it was almost a vision of heaven!

On another occasion, I was in that same pool when there were not nearly as many bathers. I noticed a rather small but aggressively cute Chinese enter the changing area. He was clearly at something of a loss as to how the lockers worked, so I quickly got out of the pool, smiled and helped him. Turned out he was Canadian Chinese and it was his first visit to Taipei. Once he had undressed, he displayed a much larger than average cock. So I led him through to the pool. As i did so, every pair of eyes in the hot spring was locked on to us (well, to him). Sadly I was not his type, but he certainly was a vision to behold!

[Armando]

Taiwan is the place that I got the most messages online. Actually, too many messages that I couldn't keep up with them and the guys were very pushy. In contrast, I didn't enjoy much my visit to Soi13in (I'll talk more about it in the last post of this trip report). I visited the sauna on the Gay Pride day, but I found the guys to be so shy and slow. A big difference on how they behave on online apps. I think this is because they want "to save face"; they are afraid of being perceived as sluts. Taiwanese care a lot about what other people think of it.

I think it is much less an issue of face as it is of genuine shyness with a foreigner. I guess about half the boys I met had never been with a foreigner before and so were not sure how to behave and how to approach the sex part. I find it is useful to have a chat first so that I find out a bit more about them. Even though their English may be limited, there is usually enough to tell me that. I then take the initiative - but quite slowly. I always suggest a nice long shower together first with me giving him a gentle soap massage is a good way to get him in the mood!

[christianpfc]

I find your experience very interesting. Taiwan is the place that I got the most messages online. Actually, too many messages that I couldn't keep up with them and the guys were very pushy. In contrast, I didn't enjoy much my visit to Soi13in (I'll talk more about it in the last post of this trip report). I visited the sauna on the Gay Pride day, but I found the guys to be so shy and slow. A big difference on how they behave on online apps. I think this is because they want "to save face"; they are afraid of being perceived as sluts. Taiwanese care a lot about what other people think of it.

My experiences were exactly the opposite. On short (one week) trips to Taiwan I was amazed at Soi13in, finally a sauna that is clean by my standards, has boys who are my type, and group activities in the dark rooms (still enough light to see what/whom you are doing) where everyone can at least have a grope.

Contrast to Thailand gay saunas: mostly in need of cleaning/maintenance, rarely a cute boy to be seen, general attitude "don't touch me!", pitch-black dark rooms (where you wouldn't recognize your father).

Those overwhelmingly positive experiences at Soi13in were a significant contribution to my decision to spend 3 months in Taipei in 2018 to study Chinese as main occupation (with a bit of travelling and gay stuff on the side). But then came the disappointment: activities in sauna didn't mean any of them was interested in me (in online dating), it was just culturally different from Thailand (you wouldn't have such group activities where everyone can have a grope and more in Thailand).

After going to Babylon Sauna for Songkran 2013, I now avoid gay venues (actually all places of entertainment) on holidays. Too crowded (shapely boys are scarce, you mostly rub your body against old, fat, sweaty bodies), waiting time, and most importantly, most people seem to be there for general entertainment, not sex; whereas I go for sex.

Anyway, when I go to a gay venue I'm looking for an experience that I can repeat every day, or at least every week, not just once per year.

[infoarmor]

My experiences were exactly the opposite. On short (one week) trips to Taiwan I was amazed at Soi13in, finally a sauna that is clean by my standards, has boys who are my type, and group activities in the dark rooms (still enough light to see what/whom you are doing) where everyone can at least have a grope.

Contrast to Thailand gay saunas: mostly in need of cleaning/maintenance, rarely a cute boy to be seen, general attitude "don't touch me!", pitch-black dark rooms (where you wouldn't recognize your father).

Those overwhelmingly positive experiences at Soi13in were a significant contribution to my decision to spend 3 months in Taipei in 2018 to study Chinese as main occupation (with a bit of travelling and gay stuff on the side). But then came the disappointment: activities in sauna didn't mean any of them was interested in me (in online dating), it was just culturally different from Thailand (you wouldn't have such group activities where everyone can have a grope and more in Thailand).
.

I've been to Taiwan many times. The first time was in 2012 and I was in my early 20s. There weren't that many people on apps but I would still have a high success rate. I definitely loved the sauna scene in Taipei. Had lots of fun at Rainbow sauna and got amazed by how good and modern though a bit pricey Aniki was. The crowd was really hot and guys were not shy to invite you over for a threesome or group action.
Since then have I have returned to Taiwan quite a few times.

Taipei pride is definitely my favorite event in Asia as it attracts so many twinks, not just from Taiwan but from all over Asia.
I don't know if it's the age difference, but I have had a different experience in Soi 13 from that of Christian and pasiontop. Let just say that even on a normal weekend, Soi 13 is to me the best sauna in the world. Great and clean facilities with a lot of cabins available( remember reading somewhere that it used to be a karaoke bar before it), the crowd is around 70% smooth slim/muscular twinks and the icing on the cake: you have to go around naked, so there is so much eye candy.

However during pride it just gets to another level, the closest thing to heaven I've experienced. There is a non-stop influx of young smooth bodies and butts that it gets almost overwhelming. So much fondling, body touch, kissing, etc. Didn't find the guys to be that shy, only few if you wanted to talk to them because their English skills might not be the best, but it was never a problem when you showed your intent for them to join you in a cabin.
I usually go around 5:30PM and stay till 11:00PM. Get completely drained (in many senses) but it's such a great time. I think one night I even had like 6 guys in Soi 13 (though only 3 happy endings). Would exchange line ids and meet some of them for lunch or coffee the next day. as I said, it's not just Taiwanese. Last pride I was there in 2019 I met: 1 Viet, 1 Thai, 2 Japanese, 1 Filipino, 1 Singaporean and 1 HK in there.

I would say though I noticed what Christian described during the Songran foam parties at Babylon. Lots of guys but not many wanted to have action and when you found, most of the cabins were occupied. Had much better experience at R3's foam party but that's probably something to write about in another post.

Taiwan will remove their travel restrictions on October 13. I'm really tempted to go there for pride week (October 22-29) as the flights from/to LA are still reasonable (though almost double what they were before Covid). However their rules are still kinda blurry, you don't have to quarantine but you need to do a self-test on the first and second day and also if you want to go around so might end up skipping it.

Will definitely return by early next year. If anyone else visits Taiwan, please post your travel report in here.

[Dragonman]

Taiwan will remove their travel restrictions on October 13. I'm really tempted to go there for pride week (October 22-29) as the flights from/to LA are still reasonable (though almost double what they were before Covid). However their rules are still kinda blurry, you don't have to quarantine but you need to do a self-test on the first and second day and also if you want to go around so might end up skipping it.

Will definitely return by early next year. If anyone else visits Taiwan, please post your travel report in here.

The latest rules are for a 0+7 system in place, i.e., "Quarantine duration: the day of arrival counts as Day 0. A seven-day period of self-initiated prevention will be required." and there will be a cap of 150,000 incoming arrivals weekly - on a trial basis.

You can read the official statement in English at https://www.cdc.gov.tw/En/Bulletin/D...Wvg?typeid=158.

Self-initiated prevention has been stated to be: "An arrival can undergo self-initiated epidemic prevention at his or her home or a residence of his friend or family that meets the one person per room rule. This rule means a room used to undergo self-initiated epidemic prevention, in principle, should have a bathroom. An arrival cannot stay at a general hotel."

As of today (Wednesday October 5), the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) confirmed 54,874 local COVID cases, 55 imported cases, and 48 deaths.

[infoarmor]

The latest rules are for a 0+7 system in place, i.e., "Quarantine duration: the day of arrival counts as Day 0. A seven-day period of self-initiated prevention will be required." and there will be a cap of 150,000 incoming arrivals weekly - on a trial basis.

You can read the official statement in English at https://www.cdc.gov.tw/En/Bulletin/D...Wvg?typeid=158.

Self-initiated prevention has been stated to be: "An arrival can undergo self-initiated epidemic prevention at his or her home or a residence of his friend or family that meets the one person per room rule. This rule means a room used to undergo self-initiated epidemic prevention, in principle, should have a bathroom. An arrival cannot stay at a general hotel."

As of today (Wednesday October 5), the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) confirmed 54,874 local COVID cases, 55 imported cases, and 48 deaths.

Yeah, I read the details earlier and decided to skip it. I guess it will be for 2023 pride , though I'm going to World Pride in Sydney next march and that for sure will be a mini Taipei pride considering the high number of Taiwanese in Australia.

I'm still looking at the option of going to Taiwan on the second week of January, as I'll spend Xmas and NYE in Bangkok. Thinking of going to Kaohsiung, as Tainan is as south as I've been to and then a few days in Taipei to meet friends. If they are not reopened by then, I'll just go to Vietnam.

I wonder if any you, Dragonman, Christian or others have been to the Hi-Man sauna in Kaosiung?
The reviews look really good. Similar to Soi 13 in Taipei.

[Dragonman]

I have not visited Hi-Man as I am not in its demographic.