Going to Taipei? is Beitou in your itinerary? If it is, stay longer in the district than a quick day trip. A night or perhaps two. There's more to the place to explore than the hot springs it's recognized for.

Taipei. Search it once and the algorithm of the city’s best via the eyes of its creators will roll. Is Beitou in it? Perhaps it is, but chances are it’s for a day trip because of its easy accessibility from the city via MRT and bus service. But let me share why you should stay longer than a few hours.

Beitou is a charming district north of the bustling city. It’s a delightful destination at any time of year. Spring brings in the cherry blossoms, Summer dresses the valleys in its verdant hue, the mountains call in the hikers to tread its paths, the rivers become race tracks for dragon boats and the wetlands become a stage for birds, and come Autumn it turns the scenery into fields of gold, orange and red. But its popularity peaks when temperatures drop, when the warming and healing qualities of thermal springs and mineral baths are most sought after. The last is what Beitou is best known for.

It was during the Japanese Occupation when the hot springs were discovered and a public bathhouse was built, the largest of its kind in East Asia. With this attraction, tourism and business flourished, even the unique Taiwanese cuisine came about, it was said. 

Walking the narrow streets of inner Beitou is such a treat.The scene is relaxed, unhurried, devoid of the crowd, unlike many of Taipei’s popular areas. Quaint family-owned shops stand alongside new businesses. Streets will lead you to parks, like Beitou Fuxing Park, where a hot spring foot-soaking pool awaits to relieve tired soles—at no cost—egging you to explore farther and visit the birthplace of Taipei’s first “onsen” in the Hokoto Stream (now Beitou Stream). Today, the once Hokutō Public Bathhouse is the Beitou Hot Spring Museum whispering stories of the past along its halls and dipping pools. Beside it is the Beitou Library rising with pride with its impressive eco-friendly architectural features that earned its accolade as Taiwan’s first certified Green Building. A little farther is the breathtaking Beitou Thermal Valley blanketed by sulfuric steam all year round.

Exploring new paths for some time, the aroma and flavor of food will be the sweet, pacifying music to the growling gut. There is no shortage of restaurants and neighborhood eateries in the area, a few may even surprise you with the distinguishing red marks bearing a star, the Michelin Man licking his lips, or a recommendation. Peng Lai is acknowledged by Michelin for its good cooking. It would be when pork ribs are marinated for 20 hours before deep-frying to crispy-on-the-outside-tender-on-the-inside goodness. That’s just one among the many delectable dishes on the menu. You will crave for a second or even a third bout in this place. For that reason, among others, you will need a home base in Beitou. Let me point you to Aloft Beitou hotel.

Hop on a bus at the corner or take a quick walk to any of the two MRT stations, Aloft Beitou’s location makes it easy to tour the district and beyond it—after a recharging to full bar in the hotel’s unique urban-chic hotel retreat. Aloft room decor is sleek and vibrant, and fitted out with thoughtful amenities, plus, it captures the impressive views of the Beitou District and the mountain range beyond from its picture windows. It’s where you can plot your next destination in the neighborhood from.

Before heading out, power up with the hip hotel’s tasty delights. The sumptuous breakfast at Nook will delight you with authentic local dishes alongside the international fare. But if you’re I a rush, grab a gourmet treat and a cappuccino from the self-service grab-and-go pantry and make it in time for the scheduled bus or train to the day’s destinations.

Hike trails, discover hot springs and sulfur deposits, have a selfie with Qixing, Taiwan’s tallest dormant volcano, and a few things you can do to be one with nature, these you can do with a visit to the Yangmingshan National Park, which is accessible from your home base via a quick drive.

Towards day’s end, make your way down South to Shilin Market, just when the Night Market is stirring to wakefulness. You get first dibs on the popular bites minus the long queues, especially at the Michelin Bib Gourmand stamped Chung Chia Sheng Jian Bao, a long-standing stall that sells pan-fried buns with pork or cabbage fillings. The buns have crispy bottoms and fluffy tops. Just around the corner is another Bib Gourmand restaurant, the Good Friend Cold Noodles, serving an elevated version of simple noodle dishes.

Exhausted? A day well spent deserves a cocktail. Wind down and have a drink at Aloft’s W XYZ(SM) Bar and bob your head to the beat of the music, and perhaps meet new friends who can share travel tips of their own.

But before heading up to your room to recharge for the night, take a stroll around the residential area beside the hotel. The neighborhood is peaceful at night, a few home-based businesses may still be open to welcome guests —a couple of restaurants, a therapist— or grab a Japanese brand ice cream at the convenience store. It’s such a treat. 

Did I take a dip in any of the hot springs? As much as I’m a big fan of “onsens,” I have to forgo a healing soak on this visit. It’s summer in Taipei, hot and humid. However, expect me to be back in this area come cold season. Beitou is beautiful. 

Palaui Island’s Cape Engaño Lighthouse off the coast of Sta. Ana is a Cagayan treasure, one among its alluring islands and beaches. The town may be 147 kilometers from Tuguegarao City but it's a must-visit area for the adventure seekers and sun worshippers. 

To get to Cape Engaño in the Northern tip of Palaui Island, hop aboard a bangka (motorized boat) and enjoy the scenic views along the way. It may be an hour's trip to the destination but the wait is rewarding. 

It's a short trek from the shoreline to get to the summit, where the century-old, 11-meter high lighthouse within the weathered structures of the compound still stands tall to this day, and lights up (now solar-powered) the way for seafarers. The big plus is the 360 degree scenery the Cape's summit captures-- breathtaking vistas of the island’s coves and beaches, and the Dos Hermanos Islands.

The Baggao Bluewater Lagoon, about 60 kilometers south of Tuguegarao City, tops the town's list of popular attractions, which includes a number of canyons, gorges, waterfalls, hot springs and cave systems.

The waterway is named after the water’s hue and best enjoyed by trekking its length upstream. The walk on boulders and jagged rocks may be challenging but quite rewarding. Trekkers will come across 20 multi-tiered small cascades, rapids and pools of shallow waters, where a dip offers a refreshing break. The end point is the famed lagoon. The trek will take about 30 minutes to complete, however no one has ever achieved it. Why? There's a good number of IG-worthy spots along that not stopping to capture the scenery can end in a feeling of regret. 

About 44 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City is the town of Piat, seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, and home to the venerated ‘Apo Baket', "the beacon of charity and hope among the locals and devotees."

The image of the black Madonna traveled from Macau in 1604 to the town of Lal-lo and finally settling in Piat in 1616, where the centuries-old image is enshrined at the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat, a pilgrimage site (aka Pilgrimage Center of Northeast Luzon), which gets busy during festival season (Sambali Festival on June 23 to June 30 and the feast of Our Lady of Piat on July 1 and 2). Devotees attest to the miracles Apo Baket has granted. 

Constructed mainly of red bricks, the basilica sits on high ground, saving it from the seasonal floods caused by the Chico River overflowing. Quite unique, the pilgrimage site is accessed through an arched entrance gate at the basilica's rear. Within the church, the venerated image of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands encased in a glass case at the altar. While prayers may be offered fronting the altar, it can be offered behind it as well. A staircase at the back end leads to an upper floor where the glass case opening allows devotees to touch the dress of the Virgin Mary while kneeling in prayer.

Within the sanctuary is the Piat Basilica Museum, the parish convent and life-sized depiction of the Stations of the Cross.