If you’re looking for a new travel destination, you might want to consider visiting Taiwan. There are many things to do in Taipei that you can even plan an entire Taiwan road trip itinerary. But if time is scarce, you can swing by Capybara Knight, where you can enjoy an adorable capybara cafe experience.
The current exchange rate is TWD24.45 = ~S$1 as of 23rd August 2024.
Image credit: @william_5418 via Instagram
The cafe is located in the Tucheng District of Taipei, and is easily accessible from Taipei City. The quickest way to get there is by a 1-hour train ride to Tucheng station, which is just a 7-minute walk away from the cafe.
Even if you are indoors, you can still feel the capybaras presence with all the cute decor.
Image credit: @joenarckyn via Instagram
Despite its name, the cafe is also home to 2 resident rabbits, a goose, dog, and cat, so you can expect to see a diverse bunch of jovial animals. The interior itself is decked out in warm hues, capybara art, and cute plushies strewn about.
Image credit: @angeline_not_angelina via Instagram
It’s highly recommended to book a ticket in advance on the Capybara Knight ticketing app, as seats are limited and demand is high. Tickets start from TWD150/person for the interactive feeding session, which you can pay with cash on-site. The session is 15 minutes long, and you will be given some forages to feed them, along with some food and drinks after you’re done playing.
Image credit: 印仔 via Google Maps
All capybaras, in general, are super friendly and docile. You may remember the viral TikTok clips of capybaras blowing up last year, showing them being on good terms with basically every creature in the animal kingdom. Well, that’s how they’re like in real life, so you won’t have to worry about your kids’ safety around them.
Meet the stars of the show: a female capybara named Ba Li and a male one named Ga Bi. Watch them scurry their smol legs around the premises or go for a dip in the pond. All that moving around may get them feeling a bit peckish, and you can use this chance to feed them the complimentary forages.
While playing with them, you may also see the resident duck, Dake, swimming around and joining in the fun, playfully pecking the capybaras. Likewise, you can hand some duck feed to for Dake to nibble on too. But previous customers advise to watch out for his beak, so you may want to sprinkle it on the ground instead to play it safe.
Once you head back inside, you will find the rest of the animal gang laying around. Meet Soma and Nate, a maltese dog and tabby cat respectively. Feel free to give them a pet, although previous online reviews advise to not disturb them if they’re having a nap. There are also 2 rabbits, though they usually keep to themselves.
As part of the admission, you’ll get a complimentary drink and a capybara-shaped egg cake. Choose from either black or green tea, or get a shot of Americano coffee instead. You can get it either hot or cold as you enjoy watching the capybaras frolicking about from indoors.
Image credit: 張婉屏Rola via Google Maps
Keeping with the spirit of capybaras, you can also enjoy the Capybara Mochi Waffles (TWD200), a cute dessert with 3 mochi waffles, paired up with a dollop of ice cream.
Otherwise, you can choose from an array of other menu items, like their 8-inch pizzas (from TWD200) or fried food (from TWD80). There’s even alcoholic beverages (from TWD150) if you’re looking for a tipple.
Image credit: @maharu_0909 via Instagram
So, the next time you’re in Taiwan looking for a different form of pet therapy, check out Capybara Knight. With capybara-themed grub, docile resident capybaras, and other animals roaming around, you will feel like you’ve been transported to a farmlike experience.
If you’ve whipped out your travel itinerary planners for that mandatory end-of-year trip to Japan, you may want to check out Izu Resort Villa for a capybara-sleepover experience. But if you still want a unique pet therapy experience that’s closer to home, you can consider doing these puppy and cat yoga classes in Singapore.
Cover image adapted from: @ferrerochei, @8oshua via Instagram, 張婉屏Rola via Google Maps
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