On May 17, 2026, I found myself back in Taiwan.
This time, the goal was simple: find cats.
For five days, I would use my iPhone app, MeowSnap, to record the cats I encountered along the way.
I also wanted to see how well this style of travel would work in practice.
Taking photos and videos for the app. Going for a run in the morning. Working from cafes during the day.
Something closer to everyday life than a typical trip.
With limited time, I wanted to visit Houtong Cat Village, Hualien, and Yilan.
I also had another goal. I wanted to run through the streets of Taipei.
I spent quite a bit of time thinking about where to stay.
One option was to spend a few nights in Taipei, move to Hualien, stay there, then head to Yilan before returning to Taipei. It sounded reasonable.
But what if it rained when I visited Houtong? What if I couldn’t get the photos I wanted?
Running in the morning and changing hotels on the same day also felt like a lot. And carrying a backpack from hotel to hotel takes more energy than it sounds.
To be honest, I like trying different hotels whenever I travel.
Still, after thinking it through, I decided to stay near Taipei Main Station for the entire trip.
I called it my “Low-Energy Travel Strategy.”
Hotel moves consume more energy than expected. So this time, I chose a single base and kept things simple.
The hotel itself wasn’t particularly exciting. But I planned to work from cafés, and I’d be outside most of the day anyway.
A window, a shower, and a bed felt like enough.
The location made things easy.
- Trains to Hualien were nearby.
- The bus terminal for Yilan was within walking distance.
- Taipei Main Station was just around the corner.
- Getting to Taoyuan Airport on the final day would be simple.
For this trip, it felt like the right choice.
After dropping off my luggage, I grabbed my phone and started walking through the streets of Taipei.
Recording cats. Taking photos. Getting a feel for the city.
Five quiet days based around Taipei Main Station had begun.
Whether this strategy was the right one or not, I would find out five days later.
Next time, I’ll head out into Taipei at 6 a.m. for an early morning run.
The cats I met during this trip slowly found their way onto the map inside MeowSnap.
If you’d like to keep track of the cats you meet while traveling, feel free to give it a try.
