Taipei recs

hiking 

- xiangshan/elephant mountain (pretty steep but short hike with great views) http://guidetotaipei.com/visit/elephant-mountain-%E8%B1%A1%E5%B1%B1-xiangshan

- qi xing shan/7 star mountain at yangmingshan (also great views, more challenging): http://thedailybubbletea.com/2007/10/28/qixing-mountain-trail/

- shui guan lu/old canal at yangmingshan (moderate hike)

http://www.taipeitravel.net/frontsite/en/sceneryEnListAction.do?method=doFindByPk&menuId=1030501&scenerySerNo=2011111300000010

Activities

- bitan (you can do some paddle boating. green lake is nice)

http://mykafkeasquelife.blogspot.com/2010/08/xindian-city-bitan.html

- mangroves (some ppl might find this boring but it's cool from an ecological perspective)

http://orangearchitecture.blogspot.com/2013/10/new-taipei-city-tamsui-mangroves.html  

- maokong gondola (pretty and cheap, good views)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293913-d662649-Reviews-Maokong_Gondola-Taipei.html

- beitou hot springs (i like hot springs hah)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293913-d552542-Reviews-Beitou_Hot_Spring-Taipei.html

- danshui (pretty and close to mangroves. good street food too)

http://theavidphotographer.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/taiwan-danshui-%E6%B7%A1%E6%B0%B4/

- jiu fen (day trip - cute old street with lots of food and where jiu fen yu yuen is from)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1432365-d1237188-Reviews-Chiufen_Jiufen_Old_Street-Xinbei.html

http://danielfooddiary.com/2014/05/19/jiufen/

- taroko gorge (farther out but pretty)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297907-d1380021-Reviews-Taroko_Gorge-Hualien.html

food places

- ice monster (mango snow, not sure if it has mango rite now tho...)

- addiction aquatic development for really good cheap sushi / seafood (https://www.yelp.com/biz/%E4%B8%8A%E5%BC%95%E6%B0%B4%E7%94%A2-%E4%B8%AD%E5%B1%B1%E5%8D%80)

- sunnyhills pineapple cakes

- unagi / eel rice: https://www.yelp.com/biz/%E8%82%A5%E5%89%8D%E5%B1%8B-%E5%8F%B0%E5%8C%97%E5%B8%82%E4%B8%AD%E5%B1%B1%E5%8D%80

- ding tai fung (og soup dumplings)

- chuen shui tang (where bubble tea was "made")

- shihlin night market