Kaohsiung, Taiwan | Day 1: Kaohsiung Train Travel, TRA Rail Tips & Night Breezes

After a gentle pause in Hinoki Village, it was time to head south. Leaving Chiayi meant saying goodbye to the quiet timber history of central Taiwan and stepping toward the maritime rhythm of Kaohsiung.

Standing inside Chiayi Railway Station evaluating my options, I realized that Kaohsiung train travel doesn’t always mean taking the fastest option on paper. While many fast-paced travelers opt for the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR), taking the bullet train from Chiayi TRA Station actually requires extra steps: Chiayi HSR station sits well outside the city center, requiring a BRT bus transfer, followed by another connection to the Kaohsiung MRT once you arrive at Zuoying Station.

The Journey: Chiayi to Kaohsiung via Local Rail 🚂

Inside Chiayi TRA Station, I walked up to the counter and bought a paper ticket for the Tze-Chiang Limited Express (自強號). Opting for a non-reserved (standing/open seat) ticket kept the cost down to just NT$220, cheaper and faster than the regular local interval trains (區間車, Qūjiānchē), and significantly less hassle than dealing with the HSR transfers. Call me old-fashioned, but there is a quiet satisfaction in holding that printed slip in your hand, a physical keepsake of every leg of the journey.

For this specific leg of the journey, sticking to the traditional Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) network made far more sense. TRA trains depart directly from downtown Chiayi TRA Station and drop you off right at Kaohsiung Main Station in the heart of the city.

Practical TRA Local Rail Tips for Solo Travelers 🎫

Navigating Taiwan’s local train network is delightfully straightforward once you know the basics. If you are planning a similar leg along the western line, keep these tips in mind:

The Local Train Ride Experience & Unexpected Connections 🚆

Though I’d ridden Taiwan’s trains before, I still felt like a beginner. I boarded with the locals and stood near the doors, waiting for a seat to free up. Around me, middle-aged men chatted in Mandarin, their voices blending with the steady rhythm of the track.

Chiayi slipped away on schedule, replaced by open fields and distant rooftops. Standing by the doors quickly became part of the charm—it gave me an unobstructed view of the countryside, room to stretch my legs, and a front-row seat to tiny local train stations I’d never even heard of flashing past the glass. It was a lively slice of daily life: announcements echoing overhead and commuters shifting past as we rolled through the southern flatlands.

I assumed I was the only foreigner in the car until a woman smiled at me and asked softly, “Indo? ”

“No, I’m Filipino,” I smiled.

She shared that she had been working in Taiwan for six years, admitting with refreshing honesty that she had never quite mastered Mandarin. I told her about my trip to Jakarta the year before, and suddenly, speaking English in a train car full of Mandarin felt like our own secret pocket of connection.

We chatted until her stop at Tainan Station. As she stepped off and I continued south toward Kaohsiung, I was left with that quiet, lingering warmth, a reminder of how travel stitches strangers together in the most unexpected places.

Arriving at Kaohsiung Main Station & Checking Into Trip GG Hostel 🏢

The countryside gradually surrendered to taller buildings, busier avenues, and the distinct pulse of a major southern city. By the time the train pulled into Kaohsiung Main Station, it was already past 4:00 PM. I joined the steady stream of passengers flowing off the platform and out into the late afternoon heat.

My accommodation for the next two nights, Trip GG Hostel, was located near Formosa Boulevard MRT Station, roughly a ten-minute walk from the main station hub. Following my favorite budget rule, I skipped the short one-stop MRT transfer inside the station and set out on foot instead.

It was nearly 4 PM when I arrived at Kaohsiung Main Station. My hotel was near Formosa Boulevard MRT, about a ten‑minute walk away. Following my budget hack, I skipped the transfer inside the station and walked instead. The streets were alive with scooters weaving past, shop signs glowing in Mandarin characters, and the faint aroma of fried snacks drifting from corner stalls. Walking was simple and efficient and gave me a small window to observe city life.

With Google Maps guiding the way, those ten minutes became my first real introduction to Kaohsiung. The streets were alive with scooters weaving past, glowing Mandarin storefront signs, and the faint, savory aroma of fried snacks drifting from corner stalls. Walking was simple, cost nothing, and gave me an immediate front-row view of daily life in the South.

Walking to Formosa Boulevard & Visiting Liuhe Night Market 🧋

As I neared Formosa Boulevard Station, the triangular glass canopy shimmered in the afternoon light. Excitement bubbled. I recognized familiar places: Liuhe Night Market; the milk tea shop with strictly Mandarin menu; MRT Formosa Boulevard Station Entrance and Exit 1; and the hotel building I stayed in back in 2023. My current hotel was just steps from the MRT entrance, tucked neatly among the bustle.

After checking in and charging my phone, I headed straight to Liuhe Night Market. Dinner was dumplings (NT$100). Steaming and savory, wrapped in delicate dough and paired with milk tea, sans boba pearls, from a local stall (NT$70).

For just NT$170 total, the meal was simple, comforting, and packed with Kaohsiung’s easygoing charm. Overhead, neon signs flickered to life, vendors called out their evening specials, and the crowd moved like a steady river through the narrow, food-filled lanes.

Exploring Kaohsiung at Night: Pier-2 Art Center & Great Harbor Bridge 🌃

The night was young, and so was my energy. I entered Formosa Boulevard Station to snap a photo of the Dome of Light. It is still mesmerizing no matter how many times I see it. After snapping a few photos, I hopped onto the MRT Orange Line (Hamasen-bound) toward Yanchengpu Station, the quickest walking access to Pier-2 Art Center, night market eats, and Great Harbor Bridge.

From Yanchengpu, I strolled toward Hamasen Station Circular Line (formerly known as Sizihwan Station), where old, retired locomotives rested quietly under the night sky on the former railway tracks. Since darkness had already settled over the open park, I made a mental note to return the following day to explore the outdoor museum grounds in full daylight.

Strolling Pier-2 Art Center & Taking the LRT Back 🌊

I continued walking through the vibrant paths of Pier-2 Art Center, where art installations meet the harbor’s edge. Nearby, the Great Harbor Bridge glowed in cool blue lights against the dark water. Crowds filled the open plazas, food stalls buzzed with late-night energy, and a gentle sea breeze carried the pulse of the bay. It felt youthful, warm, and comforting.

Eventually, my feet led me to Dayi Pier-2 LRT Station (C12). I tapped my EasyCard, hopped on the Light Rail back to Hamasen Station (C14/O1), and transferred seamlessly back onto the MRT Orange Line straight to Formosa Boulevard.

Night Breeze Reflections 🌙

Back at the hostel, as the city quieted down, I sat with the day’s journey. Returning to Kaohsiung felt less like exploring a new destination and more like reconnecting with a familiar cadence. My first night in Kaohsiung was simple, spontaneous, and exactly what I needed. A quiet reminder that returning to a place you love always feels a bit like coming home.

From watching small-town stations drift past the train window between Chiayi and Tainan to sharing a brief, warm conversation with a fellow traveler to standing beneath the cool blue glow of the Great Harbor Bridge, the day was a gentle reminder of why I travel solo.

Kaohsiung welcomed me back with open streets and sea breezes, reminding me why I keep returning to Taiwan: for the small stories tucked between the big destinations. It’s in these unhurried moments, moving at my own pace between local trains and night market lanes, that the quiet joy of the open road returns.

Next Destination: Kaohsiung, Taiwan | Day 2, Part 1: Lotus Pond, Dragon & Tiger Pagodas, Temples, and Pavilions—entering through the dragon’s mouth and exiting the tiger’s jaw into Kaohsiung’s most vibrant lakeside spiritual quarter. 🐉🐅