Our Taiwan Trip as Online Freelancers: Traveling Without Leaving Work Behind

There are many things we are grateful for since becoming online freelancers, but one of the biggest gifts is flexibility.

We don’t always have to file for leave just to travel. As long as we plan our workload, communicate with our clients, meet our deadlines, and have a reliable internet connection, we can bring our work with us.

Of course, working while traveling isn’t always as dreamy as it looks online. There are still meetings to attend, tasks to finish, and responsibilities waiting on the laptop.

But being able to work from a different place... and explore a new country in between those responsibilities... is something we never want to take for granted.

And this Taiwan trip made us appreciate that freedom even more.

A Trip Full of Firsts

This trip was extra special because it came with so many firsts for us.

It was our first international trip.

Our first trip without our four kids.

And after 14 years, it was also our first international trip together as husband and wife—just the two of us.

That alone brought so many mixed emotions.

We were excited because we were finally doing something new together. At the same time, it felt strange leaving the kids behind. When you're used to doing almost everything as a family, traveling without them feels very different.

But we also wanted to experience Taiwan first as a couple.

Traveling with four kids can be crazy, tiring, expensive, and sometimes chaotic... but it's also one of the most fulfilling things we can do as parents. So before bringing the whole family abroad, we wanted to learn how everything worked first: the airport, immigration, transportation, food, accommodation, and getting around Taiwan.

We thought of this trip as our little "test run."

And spoiler alert: we hadn't even finished Day 1 when I was already thinking, "I want to come back here with the kids."

Preparing for Our First Taiwan Trip

Because it was our first time traveling internationally, we tried to prepare as much as possible.

For Filipino travelers, it's important to check the latest Taiwan entry requirements before your trip because immigration and visa policies can change.

For our trip, we prepared the important travel documents we might need, including our:

• Passports

• Round-trip flight tickets

• Hotel/accommodation booking confirmation

• Travel itinerary

• Proof of funds or financial capacity, when applicable

• Proof of work/income and documents related to our online freelancing work, just in case

• Other documents required under Taiwan's current entry rules

If you're an online freelancer or virtual assistant like us, I personally think it's better to have supporting documents ready even if you aren't asked to show everything.

We prepared documents that could help explain what we do for work and how we earn online. Being prepared gave us a little more confidence, especially because this was our first time facing Philippine immigration for an international trip.

Our First Immigration Experience

I'm not going to lie... immigration was one of the things we were most nervous about.

Since it was our first international trip, we did a lot of research beforehand. We watched videos, read other travelers' experiences, prepared our documents, and made sure we could confidently answer questions about our trip.

Our flight was around 6:00 AM, but we arrived at the airport at approximately 1:00 AM.

Yes, five hours early! 😂

We would rather have extra time than spend our first international trip running through the airport in panic.

We lined up and had our immigration interview at around 2:30 AM.

Thankfully, we got through it!

If it's also your first international trip, my biggest advice is simple: prepare your documents, know the details of your trip, answer honestly, and arrive early.

9:00 AM — We Finally Landed in Taiwan! 🇹🇼

At around 9:00 AM, we landed in Taiwan.

And this part was emotional for me.

We were finally there.

Standing in another country for the first time felt like another little milestone we had reached because of years of hard work as online freelancers.

Freelancing hasn't always been easy. There are deadlines, client expectations, long hours, uncertainty, and plenty of responsibilities behind the flexibility people see online.

That's why moments like this mean so much to us.

It wasn't simply, "We're in Taiwan!"

For me, it was also a reminder of how far we've come.

Online freelancing has given us more than an income. It has slowly given us options... the ability to work from home, spend more time with our family, and now, experience places we'd only seen online before.

And almost immediately after arriving, I told myself:

We have to come back here with the kids.

Our First "Office" in Taiwan: Taoyuan International Airport

We didn't leave the airport immediately because our hotel in Ximending wasn't available for check-in until around 3:00 PM.

So instead of rushing into Taipei with all our luggage, we decided to stay at Taoyuan International Airport for a few hours.

And honestly, we didn't mind.

We explored the airport, found beautiful spots for photos, ate, rested... and, of course, opened our laptops and did some work.

Welcome to the freelancer travel life. 😂

This is one of those moments that perfectly describes what "work from anywhere" actually looks like for us.

Sometimes, your office is your desk at home.

Sometimes, it's a coffee shop.

And sometimes, it's an airport in Taiwan while you're waiting for hotel check-in.

We also visited the Terminal 2 Observatory, which made our airport stay even more memorable.

As fans of the Taiwanese Meteor Garden, we were especially excited to be in places that reminded us of the series. That nostalgia would become an even bigger part of our Taiwan trip... but more about that on Day 2 and Day 3!

1:00 PM — Taking the Airport MRT to Taipei

At around 1:00 PM, we decided it was time to leave the airport and head toward Taipei.

For transportation, we took the Taoyuan Airport MRT going to Taipei Main Station.

If you're traveling from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei for the first time, you'll generally see two Airport MRT services: the Express Train and the Commuter Train.

The Express Train makes fewer stops, so it's the faster option for passengers heading toward central Taipei. The Commuter Train stops at more stations along the route.

We chose the Express Train.

For transportation around Taiwan, we also got EasyCards, which made using public transportation much more convenient.

💡 FIRST-TIMER TIP: You can order an EasyCard before your trip so you have one ready for your Taiwan adventure. We got ours here from Klook.

Depending on the option available, you may be able to purchase an EasyCard with or without preloaded credit, so check the details before booking.

The ride itself was easy and comfortable.

And this was when we started becoming seriously impressed with Taiwan's public transportation.

Everything felt organized and convenient, and figuring out the MRT system became part of the adventure for us.

Coming from the Philippines, experiencing such an efficient train system also made us wish we had more transportation options like this back home.

From Taipei Main Station to Ximending

When we arrived at Taipei Main Station, we transferred to the Bannan Line, also known as the MRT Blue Line, because our destination was Ximen Station.

Ximen is just one station away from Taipei Main Station on the Blue Line, which made our hotel location very convenient.

After arriving in the Ximending area, it was only a short walk to our accommodation.

For first-time visitors, Taipei Main Station can feel overwhelming because it's huge. Don't panic if you need a few minutes to figure out where you're going. Follow the signs, check the MRT map, and give yourself extra time... especially when you're carrying luggage.

2:30 PM — Finally at Our Ximending Hotel

At around 2:30 PM, we reached our hotel.

We chose a budget-friendly accommodation in the Ximending area, and I'm so glad we decided to stay here for our first Taiwan trip.

We booked through Agoda, and one little habit I have before booking accommodation is to compare prices first.

I check different options, locations, room inclusions, reviews, and prices before deciding. I also check the Agoda app because sometimes I find app-specific deals that make the booking cheaper than what I initially saw.

What I especially loved was the location.

Being in Ximending meant we were close to food, shops, convenience stores, transportation, and the lively streets we wanted to experience.

But before we could explore any of that...

We slept. 😂

Remember, we'd been at the airport since 1:00 AM.

Between preparing for our flight, immigration, flying, arriving in Taiwan, exploring the airport, doing some online work, and traveling into Taipei, our bodies were officially asking us to stop.

So as soon as we settled into our room, we rested.

6:00 PM — Our First Night Exploring Ximending

We woke up at around 6:00 PM, feeling much better and finally ready to explore.

We stepped outside and experienced Ximending at night for the first time.

And wow.

We were amazed.

The bright lights, shops, restaurants, street food, people walking everywhere—it felt so alive.

Ximending is known as one of Taipei's popular shopping and entertainment districts, and you can really feel that energy once you're there.

There were so many things to look at and, more importantly for us...

so many things to eat!

😂

Trying Taiwanese street food was definitely part of our plan.

We walked around, looked through shops, checked out food stalls, and simply enjoyed being somewhere completely new together.

Another thing that stood out to us was how clean and organized everything felt despite how busy the area was.

For our first evening in another country, Ximending gave us exactly the kind of excitement we were hoping for.

8:00 PM — Food Trip... Then Back to Work

By around 8:00 PM, we found somewhere to eat.

But this wasn't going to be a completely work-free evening.

I had an online meeting scheduled for 9:00 PM and still had some work that needed to be done.

So while other travelers might have been thinking only about where to go next, we were also thinking about Wi-Fi, battery percentage, meetings, and deadlines. 😂

That's the reality of traveling while freelancing.

The freedom is real... but so is the responsibility.

Being able to work from anywhere doesn't mean we can simply forget about our clients once we board a plane. We still have commitments to fulfill.

So we ate, found time to work, attended the online meeting, and made sure our responsibilities were taken care of.

And after that?

Back to enjoying Taiwan.

For us, that's what work-from-anywhere looks like.

Work when you need to work. Explore when you can explore. And plan well enough that neither side gets completely neglected.

Midnight in Ximending

We finally returned to our hotel at around 12:00 midnight.

One thing we loved was that Ximending still felt alive even at that hour.

Some shops had already closed, but others were still open, and there were still plenty of tourists and locals walking around.

After such a long day, we were exhausted... but happy.

In just one day, we had experienced our first international flight, survived our first immigration interview, landed in Taiwan, worked from an airport, figured out Taiwan's MRT, checked into our first international hotel, explored Ximending, tried food, attended an online meeting, finished work, and still managed to enjoy our first night as a couple in Taipei.

Not bad for Day 1. ❤️

What Day 1 Taught Us About Traveling as Online Freelancers

This trip reminded us why we're so grateful for the life we're slowly building through online freelancing.

Yes, there's freedom.

But there's also discipline.

You can't enjoy the "work from anywhere" lifestyle without remembering the work part.

We still had clients waiting for us. We still had meetings. We still had tasks that needed to be completed.

The difference was that after closing the laptop, we weren't stepping out into our usual surroundings.

We were stepping out into Taipei.

And that's something we don't take for granted.

We managed to work, sightsee, eat, explore, spend time together, and make sure we didn't miss our responsibilities.

For us, that's the beauty of freelancing—not escaping work, but creating more flexibility around the life we want to live.

And That's Our Day 1 in Taiwan 🇹🇼

Our first day in Taipei was already full of unforgettable firsts.

Our first international trip.

Our first Taiwan adventure.

Our first time traveling abroad without our four kids.

And our first international trip together as husband and wife after 14 years.

It felt strange being away from the kids, but it also reminded us how important it is to make time for each other as a couple.

And while this was our trip for two, a part of my heart was already imagining what it would be like to walk these same streets with our four kids someday.

Hopefully, next time. ❤️

For now, we still had plenty of Taiwan left to explore.

And we were especially excited for Day 2, because we were going somewhere Meteor Garden fans might recognize...

BUBU Café—the iconic place connected to Dao Ming Si and Shan Cai's story! 😍

That's coming in our next Taiwan travel story.

For Day 1, though, we went to sleep tired, grateful, and proud.

We came to Taiwan as first-time international travelers and online freelancers.

We worked.

We explored.

We ate.

We spent time together.

We made memories.

And most importantly, no duties missed.

Because sometimes, freedom doesn't mean leaving work behind.

Sometimes, it means being able to bring your work with you... while still making room for the life and memories you're working so hard for in the first place. ❤️