Taiwan: Using AI in Travel to Form an Itinerary
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Using AI in Travel: The Experiment
Have you ever considered using AI in travel before? For me the answer was no.
However, with a trip to Taiwan just hours away, I had nothing planned. With only 2.5 days there, the plan was to squeeze in as much as possible. There was no time left to do any research. It was time to experiment.
I decided to use ChatGPT to dictate my itinerary in Taiwan. I wouldn’t do any research at all. Instead the trendy AI tool would plan everything.
Want to find out how effective AI is as a personal travel planner?
Read on for more details, with the pros and cons weighed up at the end.
The ChatGPT Input
I asked it to create an itinerary with the following instructions:
“I’m going to Taiwan staying in Taipei for 3 nights. I arrive at midday today (Friday), then have two full days before going home early Monday morning
I want to spend the rest of the day doing light activities near my hotel in Ximen, Taipei. Then I want to use one of the full days exploring the best parts of Taipei and the other doing a budget tour of some other highlights on the island
Please create an itinerary that takes all of this into account. I have little interest in museums but do like cool landscapes”
Using AI in Travel: The Itinerary
Within seconds, everything had been sorted:
“Certainly! Here's a suggested itinerary for your three days in Taipei, Taiwan, based on your preferences:
1st Day (Friday - Arrival Day):
- After arriving in Taipei midday, check into your hotel in Ximen.
- Take a stroll around Ximen area. It's known for its lively atmosphere, street food, and shopping.
- Visit the Red House Theater, an iconic landmark in Ximending.
- Try some street food for dinner, such as stinky tofu or bubble tea.
2nd Day (Saturday - Exploring Taipei):
- Start your day early and head to Taipei 101, one of the world's tallest buildings. You can enjoy a view of the city from the observation deck.
- Walk to Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan) for a relatively short hike and another stunning view of Taipei.
- For lunch, explore the nearby Tonghua Night Market or grab a meal in the Taipei 101 Mall.
- In the afternoon, visit Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Liberty Square.
- Spend your evening at Raohe Night Market, known for its delicious street food.
3rd Day (Sunday - Island Highlights):
- Join a budget-friendly day tour to explore highlights outside Taipei. Options include Jiufen, Shifen, and Yehliu Geopark. These areas offer beautiful landscapes, lantern lighting in Shifen, and unique rock formations at Yehliu Geopark.
- Be sure to try the local specialties like Jiufen's taro balls and Shifen's sky lanterns.
- Return to Taipei in the evening and consider visiting Shilin Night Market for dinner and shopping.
4th Day (Monday - Departure):
- Check out of your hotel early in the morning and head to the airport for your flight home.
This itinerary combines exploring Taipei’s cityscape with experiencing the natural beauty and unique attractions of Taiwan. It also allows for some downtime and local food exploration in Ximen. Enjoy your trip!”
And so, in under a minute the entire trip had been planned.
The idea would be to follow the automated itinerary as best as possible, whilst still allowing time to deviate if anything else caught my eye.
Arrival in Taiwan
After landing at Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport, the main entry point to the country, the first thing to pique my interest was the arrivals board.
Plenty of flights coming in from Shanghai, Beijing and other Chinese cities. Taiwan has a tense relationship with China which claims the island as part of it rather than a separate country.
Geopolitics often close a lot of doors in the world of travel.
You cannot cross from Israel into Gaza with very rare exceptions, usually for journalists and aid workers. Also you can no longer fly between Western Europe and Russia due to a breakdown in relations following the invasion of Ukraine. And good luck crossing the North/South Korea border.
China and Taiwan had no direct flights between 1949 (when the two territories separated) and 2003. They have since resumed however, restarting on a regular basis in 2009.
From the airport it was time to take the metro to Taipei Main Station. Tickets cost around $9 for a return, with the second leg of the journey to be taken any time within a month.
Whilst buying the tickets, the kind saleswoman gave me some free tea with “energy for ladies” written in the top-right corner of the packet. It was in small writing, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt, said thank you and jumped on the metro.
Day 1 of Using AI in Travel
Day 1, Objective 1/4: Arrival in Ximen and Checkin
After the 40 minute express train journey, I arrived at the station and was greeted by machines. Lots of them.
It turns out vending and gaming machines are a massive part of Taiwanese culture. In some parts of Taipei, you cannot walk past more than 5-10 shops without at least one of them being a claw machine arcade.
Small machines with a guaranteed (random) toy filled the first shop I noticed within the station. And in typical East Asian fashion, 7/11 stores were also abundant across the capital. However, now was not the time for exploring.
After 20 minutes of walking I made it to Ximen and completed day 1, objective 1: “After arriving in Taipei midday, check into your hotel in Ximen."
Day 1, Objective 2/4: Checking Out Taipei’s Temples
After a rest it was time to start testing AI in travel for real. Day 1, objective 2: “Take a stroll around Ximen area. It's known for its lively atmosphere, street food, and shopping.“
I walked around Ximen for a bit and discovered the first point of interest: Taipei Tianhou Temple. This impressive example of Far Eastern architecture was full of worshippers praying to Mazu, the Chinese sea goddess. Attendees here are either Taoists, or believers in Chinese folk religions.
They would stand with their hands clasped in prayer before bowing their heads towards the altar. Some would lower incense sticks whilst the sound of a loud gong would reverberate around the temple.
Later I would visit nearby Bangka Longshan Temple which welcomes Taoists as well as Buddhists. This was a much larger building than Tianhou, albeit with a similar feel. A fun place to experience the local culture in Taiwan.
Exploring Ximen for a couple of hours was good fun. The concept of using AI in travel had got off to a successful start.
Thank you ChatGPT.
Day 1, Objective 3/4: The Red Theater. The First Drawback?
In-between the two temple visits, I completed the third task ChatGPT had set for the day: “Visit the Red House Theater, an iconic landmark in Ximending.“
And in all honesty, this was the first task to tick a minus box when it came to my experiment of using AI in travel to plan an itinerary.
After arriving at the Red House Theater, I took a couple of pictures… and that was it. I have no interest in theatres at all. Therefore my sole reason for coming here was because it was on the ChatGPT-generated task list.
But is this ChatGPT’s fault? Not really. With better input, this could have been avoided.
I specifically stated not having an interest in museums, therefore it didn’t suggest any museums. If I had added a more detailed description of what does or does not interest me, this could have been avoided.
Day 1, Objective 4/4: Street Markets of Taipei. Snake for Dinner Anyone?
The final task of the day came after the sun had set: “Try some street food for dinner, such as stinky tofu or bubble tea.“
Where would I find street food near the Bangka Longshan Temple? Since both the Huaxi and Guangzhou night markets were within a five minute walk, my question had already been answered.
As I walked through the bustling markets, something caught my eye.
A chalkboard stood at the entrance to a restaurant in Huaxi Night Market. Whilst I had no idea what the mandarin writing said, the picture alongside it was unmistakably that of a cobra.
Out came Google Lens, and through this I was able to translate the chalkboard. “Stir-fried snake meat, stir-fried snake skin, snake broth.”
A little quirkier than what we have on the menu back in the UK.
Despite not stopping for a bite of roasted rattlesnake, poached python, or cobra on the cob, this was a fascinating stop nonetheless.
In fact it’s these little quirks that draw us to travel in foreign lands. The idea of seeing snake on the menu back in Western Europe is completely bizarre. Yet here in the Far East you can see it, feel it, eat it if you wish.
Check out this article to read more about eating snake in Taiwan.
The Gaming Culture of Taipei
As mentioned previously, they love to play games in Taiwan.
As I continued through the markets, I came across a gaming arcade. Multiple middle-aged men sat in front of retro machines reminiscent of those found in the eighties. They were glued to the screen playing old school classics, mostly Tetris.
In fact the gentleman in front of me must have been playing a while, as he was on level 99.
Gaming can in fact be deadly. There have been multiple deaths linked to gaming marathon sessions within Taiwan.
There are three types of street gaming popular in Taipei. Arcade machines such as those mentioned above, random toy generators where you put some money in for a guaranteed prize, although it will be random from a small selection advertised on the machine you choose, and claw machines. Claw machines are perhaps the most popular with an estimated 10,000 across the country.
Mission accomplished
Of the two products suggested by ChatGPT, I never came across the small territory’s notorious stinky tofu. This is most famous in Shenkeng Street which has a whole street dedicated to nothing but stinky tofu. Unfortunately this was quite far from Ximen where I was based.
There was more luck however with the other famous Taiwanese delicacy, bubble tea. Bubble tea has exploded in popularity since being invented in Taiwan in the 1980s. It has since spread across the world, so what better place to sample it for the first time than Taipei?
It was the Lee Ji Teashop where I stopped to purchase the local favourite. The “silk stocking milk tea with bubble” meant little to me, yet the key word “bubble” showed this was just what I needed.
And guess what? It was great! Surprisingly filling for a drink, presumably due to the tapioca balls which give the drink its famous bubbles. But a massive success overall.
Day 1: Conclusion
The first day of AI-powered travel was a roaring success. Not only had it indirectly taken me to some cool temples and markets I may not have visited otherwise, but it also encouraged me to get stuck into Taiwan’s famous bubble tea.
I’m no foodie and sampling the local delicacies is usually pretty far down my to-do list whilst visiting other countries. Yet using ChatGPT to dictate the trip’s activities forced me to do things differently and led towards to this wonderful local drink I may otherwise have passed.
As previously mentioned, the main drawback was that it led to a place that didn’t interest me, but that’s a problem which can be solved with a better input.
Day 2 of Using AI in Travel
ChatGPT suggested an early start on day 2. This is one area on which I did fail!
This was not the only slight deviation from the itinerary. Logistically, it made no sense to go to Taipei 101 first, then the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, before Raohe Night Market and then a return to Ximen. Therefore I shuffled things around and started with the nearest stop.
Day 2, Objective 1/5: Visit the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial
First up on day 2: “In the afternoon, visit Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Liberty Square.”
Not quite the afternoon. The objective was the same however.
A 35 minute walk from Ximen beckoned, with a fun detour through the Peace Memorial Park along the way. The park is dedicated to victims of the February 28 Incident which took place in 1947 killing thousands. A stark contrast to how the park is today, very much living up to its peaceful name, with beautiful Chinese architecture dotted throughout.
Next up was Liberty Square, a wonderful spot with impressive buildings on all four sides. First up is the Liberty Square Arch, an entrance point to the square, designed exactly how you’d expect an archway in China to look. Remember Taiwan is the Republic of China. As a result it shares a lot of similarities with its communist neighbours to the north/west.
Walk through the arch and you will be greeted by two cultural landmarks with the National Concert Hall to the left and the National Theater to the right. The two buildings look similar, which isn’t a bad thing when they look so cool.
Last but not least is the star attraction. Straight opposite the arch is the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial itself. Climb the 89 steps (one for each year of the former Taiwanese president’s life) and you will encounter a large statue of the man himself. He sits regally upon a throne with Taiwanese flags either side of him and two statuesque guards armed with long bayonets.
Head downstairs within the memorial hall and you will find a museum full of exhibits covering the life of Chiang Kai Shek and the history of Taiwan.
Overall, there’s a lot to see here. And the views of the memorial and surrounding structures are impressive. Another win for using AI to plan travel.
Day 2, Objective 2/5: Visiting Taipei 101
What is the world’s tallest building?
If you answered the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, then you are correct. If you answered Taipei 101, then you are correct if we pretend it is the year 2008 again (just before the Burj Khalifa was completed). As of October 2023, Taipei 101 has slipped to 11th place in the unnecessarily competitive “world’s tallest building” rankings.
This leads onto the second objective of the day. “Start your day early and head to Taipei 101, one of the world's tallest buildings. You can enjoy a view of the city from the observation deck.“
After getting the metro from Dongmen, the nearest station to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, it took ten minutes to arrive at Taipei 101.
You won’t see the building when you arrive, as it is right in front of you. The architectural behemoth is far too big to be seen from close range. Only when you walk away will you realise the size of this place.
Although ChatGPT suggested heading up to the observation deck, I opted against this. At US $20 for a ticket, it seemed as if it wasn’t worthwhile given the massive queues and the fact I’ve seen a fair few nice city views in my travels. One more for a steep price seemed like a net negative overall.
Day 2, Objective 3/5: Lunch Inside Taipei 101
The third task was lunch. And there were two options for the location. “For lunch, explore the nearby Tonghua Night Market or grab a meal in the Taipei 101 Mall.” Since it was the afternoon, I decided not to check out another night market (especially considering night markets would be on the agenda for later). And Taipei 101’s food court it was.
The golden arches stood there in all their glory and sucked me in, desperate for a quick and easy option.
Easy? Well not quite.
The food court inside the skyscraper is jam-packed. It took several minutes of walking between every table to find a place to stop and eat. And even then, it was standing space only.
Taipei 101 is not the place to eat if you’re looking for a quiet and relaxing spot.
Day 2, Objective 4/5: Hiking up Elephant Mountain
The next quest was just a few minutes walking distance from the last. “Walk to Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan) for a relatively short hike and another stunning view of Taipei.“
The walk was tough in the sweaty Taipei heat. Not a long one, but certainly one where you need to swig some water down a few times during the ascent.
The views however were spectacular. Stunning cityscapes with the perfect backdrop as the sun began to set.
ChatGPT was spot on to describe the views as “stunning”.
The only downside was the obsession of many with setting up large tripods to take pictures of the views. This made it tricky for many sightseers to see well with so many obstacles in front.
Day 2, Objective 5/5: Raohe Night Markets
Rounding off the day was another night market. The final task for Saturday was “Spend your evening at Raohe Night Market, known for its delicious street food.”
Another awesome Chinese temple stood at the entrance to the market. The market itself however was not as enjoyable as Huaxi or Guangzhou. It was far too crowded, with little room to overtake slow walkers. Getting from one end to the other took a long time because of this.
There were plenty of food stalls, although nothing particularly exotic such as snake.
Alongside the food stands of course, with this being Taiwan, were many gaming stalls.
These games were more interactive, with balloon shooting and hoop throwing drawing the most attention.
Of course, there were also claw machines. On these I watched locals play on 9 occasions, coming away empty-handed on every single one of them.
Day 2: Conclusion
Tired from a day of walking and sightseeing, I headed back to watch the football. Managed to catch the second half of my beloved Southampton beating Leeds United 3-1. Of course, I only mention the scoreline as we won.
A can of Taiwan lager went down a treat before I wound down with a brief walk around Ximen once again after the game had finished.
How did my AI-generated travel itinerary go on the second day?
The overall activities were fantastic, great fun, and allowed me to pack a lot into the day.
There were two slight drawbacks however.
Firstly, it didn’t suggest the best order of activities. Going from Ximen to Taipei 101/Elephant Mountain then to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial before the Raohe Night Markets was illogical. It would have meant backtracking west to reach the memorial, before heading east again for the markets.
Secondly it didn’t factor in cost of activities. It never stated the cost of visiting the Taipei 101 observation deck. As a result I didn’t know it before getting there. Sure, I could have researched on Google, but the whole point of using AI as a travel tool is to simplify everything for you. Therefore it came as an unexpected surprise.
Regardless of these negatives, I would still regard ChatGPT’s travel suggestions as a massive hit once again.
Day 3 of Using AI in Travel
For the third and final day (and second full day) in Taiwan, I wanted to escape the city and see a little more of what the country has to offer. Therefore I asked my favourite AI tool for budget options to explore more of the island.
Day 3, Objective 1/3: Taiwan Island Tour
ChatGPT suggested “Join a budget-friendly day tour to explore highlights outside Taipei. Options include Jiufen, Shifen, and Yehliu Geopark. These areas offer beautiful landscapes, lantern lighting in Shifen, and unique rock formations at Yehliu Geopark.” And I found a cheap tour for $25 which covered all of those spots. The tour would run from 9am-6pm. Let’s see how it went.
Stop 1: Shifen Waterfall
Due to a national holiday in Taiwan, our guide changed the planned order of events. The first stop would now be Shifen Waterfall.
It was exactly what it said on the tin: a waterfall.
This one was cool however. The sun was shining and the water came crashing down. It only takes a minute or two to see, yet it was pretty spectacular and certainly worth coming out for. The budget island tour was off to a good start.
Stop 2: Shifen Village
Now, the second stop was one that did not impress me so much. It was a tourist trap in its purest form.
The village was a tiny cluster of shops set either side of a railway track. Each one of them sold souvenirs, food catered towards tourists, or sky lanterns.
Sky lanterns you say?
This was the main appeal of Shifen Village. People would pay an additional fee in order to write a message on a sky lantern and send it into the sky.
The message would be of something the customer wished for such as health or money. They would then light it up and send it skywards whilst someone took a photo or two for the ‘gram.
After an hour it was time to move on. Something I was pretty grateful for in all honesty.
Stop 3: Jiufen
Next up was the mountain village of Jiufen.
If Shifen waterfall was a wonderful sight of raw natural beauty and Shifen Village was a grubby tourist trap, then Jiufen was more of a blend of the two.
We stopped here for two hours to have lunch at a place of our choosing. There was a long winding street full of vendors selling food and souvenirs.
It took around 20 minutes to ascend to the top of the path past all the stalls along the way. It could be done a lot quicker if not for the busy crowds frequenting Jiufen’s bustling street food scene.
At the top were some great views of the lakes and trees below. Unfortunately the weather had taken a turn for the worse which did tarnish the views a little. They were still cool though.
Stop 4: Yehliu Geopark
The last stop of the day would be the most unique. Yehliu Geopark is famous for a bunch of oddly-shaped rocks dotted along a heavily-weathered cape with landscapes that wouldn’t look out of place on Mars.
One of the most popular rocks is called the Queen’s Head, because it looks like Queen Elizabeth II’s head. Apparently…
In all honesty the geopark was packed with tourists which killed the otherworldly atmosphere a little and made it hard to take good photos without others in the background.
It’s a cool place to visit, although slightly underwhelming compared to how it looks on the internet. This spot would be easier to appreciate without the vast crowds.
Day 3, Objective 2/3: Local Specialities – Mission Failed
The penultimate task was to “Be sure to try the local specialties like Jiufen's taro balls and Shifen's sky lanterns.”
This was one task which did not quite go to plan.
Shifen Village was the place to release a sky lantern into the air. However, as mentioned previously, the whole village felt like a massive tourist trap. As a result I decided against this.
That left Jiufen’s taro balls left to try. However, trying to navigate the swarms of people crammed into Jiufen’s narrow streets was difficult. Throw in Neptune’s fury raining down from the skies and taro balls slipped to the back of my mind.
Perhaps I saw some, but not obviously labelled as taro balls. And in all honesty my focus was on the would-be-beautiful landscapes tarnished only by the weather. Not the food.
By the time we left Jiufen, I hadn’t touched a taro ball.
Mission failed.
Day 3, Objective 3/3: Deviating from the Itinerary
The last of the activities was upon me. “Return to Taipei in the evening and consider visiting Shilin Night Market for dinner and shopping.”
Consider, I did. Visit, I did not.
In all honesty the cons outweighed the pros of visiting Shilin Night Market. I was shattered after a long day on the tour, had already seen plenty of night markets, and it was a bit of a trek from Ximen.
Yes, it may be Taipei’s most famous night market. But it sounded just like a larger version of the other two. Of course, it may have been great. Yet I was content with giving this one a miss.
Instead I walked around Ximen soaking in the nighttime atmosphere for one final time before leaving.
Day 3: Conclusion
On day 3 I was successful in only 1/3 tasks, however it was the main event which took up 9 hours and left me with memories of Taiwan from outside the city. I have a mixed opinion of the tour. Shifen Waterfall was awesome, the village disappointing, and the other stops combined both the good and the bad.
However ChatGPT had enabled me to see a little more of the country, and proved to be a net positive overall. And the limitations? Again, perhaps could have been avoided with greater input.
For example, the trip to tourist trap Shifen Village could’ve been avoided by changing my question to specify an interest in more “off the beaten track” experiences. And an alternative to distant Shilin Market could have been suggested by specifying that I would only consider night activities within walking distance of Ximen.
Day 4 of Using AI in Travel
My 2.5 days of adventures were over. There was only one task on the final day of my AI-planned trip to Taiwan. Leaving.
Day 4, Objective 1/1: Time to Depart
A 6:30am alarm wasn’t greatly appreciated after an exhausting day on the tour. A walk back to Taipei Main Station preceded catching the express train back to the airport. Then it was time to check in and head back to South Korea.
The final task was “Check out of your hotel early in the morning and head to the airport for your flight home.“
And now it was complete. The experiment was over.
In Conclusion: The Use of AI to Create a Travel Itinerary
The experiment was over. So what was the verdict?
Pros
- Planning had taken seconds rather than hours
- Everything I had requested was included, everything I had specified no interest in was not
- It took me to places I would not have known about otherwise. As well as places I may have otherwise overlooked
- It enabled me to experience different things such as sampling bubble tea for the first time
- It allowed me to pack a lot into the limited time I had
Cons
- It occasionally sent me to places I was not interested in
- It failed to give a rough idea of costs for the activities suggested (for example the $20 Taipei 101 observation tower)
- It sometimes suggested doing activities in an illogical order which would’ve involved a lot of backtracking
- It would also give the odd suggestion far away from everything else on the day’s itinerary
- It was occasionally a little repetitive (for example, multiple night market suggestions)
Overall
Who would benefit from using AI in travel to plan their trip? Probably someone short on time, or those who do not enjoy planning.
Time saving is perhaps the greatest strength of this strategy. As well as maximising what little time you do have. Each day was action-packed and the AI-generated itinerary ensured I didn’t waste time with excessive rest periods in lieu of precious exploring time.
And the downsides? Most could have been avoided due to better input from myself.
As the old adage goes, “garbage in, garbage out.” In other words, the more specifically you word your AI query, the more likely it will cater to your interests.
Which is Better, AI or a Human Travel Planner?
In all honesty, the robot does a great job. However, as a traveller to almost 70 countries at the time of writing, I do feel as if the automated option is pretty inferior compared to real human beings. People who have experienced places you may visit offer far more valuable viewpoints.
Firstly it cannot offer opinions. Real people can, and talk directly from their own experiences which a robot will never be able to compete with.
Secondly, it focuses on destinations and activities popular with tourists. If this is what you want, great. For more adventurous explorers however, those who follow the path less travelled, AI certainly has its limitations.
Therefore my experience of using ChatGPT as a travel planner was overwhelmingly positive. However, it still cannot compete with that authentic human experience. And probably never will be able to no matter how advanced AI becomes.
If you’ve made it this far, I appreciate you taking time out to read my blog. Check out my blog contents page for more stories from my ongoing adventure to every country in the world.
