Dotted around Tainan are several ‘Old House Inn’ Xie Houses 謝宅. They are old Japanese Western housing. The owner is dedicated to preserving Tainan’s past by restoring his old family homes and turning them into Inns. There’s no website, so best message them on Instagram @oldhouseinn2008.

To book a room in the Inn you must book in advance. When checking in, one of the guides will meet you on the street and takes you to the house. The rooms have Japanese bedding and german engineered baths – a very tranquil place to stay.

A very cool place tucked away in an old market. They only serve two items:

Shaved Ice and Butter Beer. A ‘Majikku’  type of place. Very fun and quick, and a much needed cooling stop from the hot weather. At night, the lights go down, and they serve their selection of whisky. Shaved Ice, Butter Beer and Whisky what more could you want from a place.

It’s not the easiest place to find, so if you are lost – head towards Mi Shi Coffee 秘式咖啡

An old favourite, and so simple – the most moist and oily turkey over freshly plump steamed chi shiang rice and a little pickle. Recent trips have not been as good as used to be.  If you visit, grab a small bowl to share between two and move onto the next Xiao Chi.

Walk down from Ching Ji Fruit shop and look out for a queue for ‘No name spicy Wonton. ‘Hong You Chao Shou’. As with anything good, there will be a queue, but it is worth it. Situated on Fu Qian Road. Order the spicy wontons and the yang chun noodle, which means ‘simplest noodle’.

A vintage Japanese kissaten (which means tea-drinking-shop’). It has a shop on the ground floor, a cafe on the first floor and an apartment that you can rent on the top floor.

Just opposite is a good value sushi shop Zyuu Tsubo, with only ten seats. Arrive before it opens to get a spot or you will be faced with a very long wait time.

One of the nicest things about Tainan, is the mini trails around the city. One of our favourite trails is Guo Hua Street.

You’ll see an old indoor market tucked away off the street, start there. It doesn’t look like much but inside there is a very good Shaved Ice Shop, Jiang Hsui Hao, serving traditional shaved ice. Just behind this shop is a Yi Mien Shop serving Wonton Yi Mian Noodles with a serving of it’s homemade special (very spicy) chilli sauce.

Venture out and right outside is a Squid Noodle Stall, serving a very light and clean broth. A stones throw away, just around the corner is the Almond Milk stall.

Tainan is like the Kyoto of Japan. It’s an older city that is great to just walk around. Wander through the city, going through the tiny alleys and find hidden gems. Dotted around the city are all types of temples.

If it’s your first time in Tainan, try Shennong Street 神農街. It’s a nice area to walk around. However it’s quite touristy, so don’t expect hidden gems and quality food. Instead go to experience a nicely preserved street capturing the history of Tainan.