Have A Purr-fect Day In Taiwan’s Cat Village

If you are a hopeless cat lover, chances are you have heard of Taiwan’s Cat Village. Located in the northern hills of Taiwan, the small village of Houtong houses over 200 furry felines. They outnumber the humans in the village and are seen freely roaming around. Visitors take delight as they are free to take photos and even pet the cats.

Before 2010, not too many people have heard of this tiny village. During that year, around 500 visitors have been there. By 2016, that number has ballooned to around 870,000, mostly composed of international tourists.

“Houtong” literally means “monkey cave,” named so because of a cave full of monkeys found in the village. The monkeys are no longer there, and after coal mining became less profitable, people left for the cities. Only 100 people are left, according to the National Geographic.

How To Get To Taiwan’s Cat Village

Houtong is a one-hour train ride from Taipei, and is part of Ruifang District of New Taipei City. Trains going north leave almost every hour from the Taipei Main Station. A one-way ticket costs NTD 76 or around USD 3 per person.

Filipino travelers can include Houtong in their day-trip itinerary to Ruifang District. Other places of interest include the old gold mining town of Jiufen, which is said to be the one that inspired the town in Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film ‘Spirited Away.’ The village of Pingxi is another – this area is famous for the Lantern Festival where thousands of lanterns are released into the nighttime sky.

Filipino passport holders now enjoy visa-free entry to Taiwan, if they are staying for less than 14 days. The requirements are a regular passport with remaining validity of at least 6 months from the date of entry, a return ticket, no criminal record in Taiwan and proof of accommodations.

Budget airlines offer cheap fares from Manila to Taipei. With the help of travel aggregators, accommodations in Taipei can easily be arranged based on your budget.