Taiwan travel guide

Step into our Taiwan travel guide and read how to make the most of your time in a country that bridges the gap between east and west without losing sight of its own intrinsically traditional ties with the past. From Taipei and Taroko Gorge, in the north, to Tainan and Kaohsiung, south of the Tropic of Cancer, there’s much more to Taiwan than simmering sibling spats with big brother China.

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Taiwan travel guide

Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, can create contemporary culture shocks although traditional Chinese heritage is never far from the shiny surface, especially in surrounding suburbs, like Neihu, just a short metro ride out of the city center. The beauty of Taiwan is that it’s not very large and has excellent transport links, which makes getting around really easy, either on your own or as part of a small guided group. English-speaking guides lift the lid on local hangouts as well as world-famous sites with urban cat cafés and karaoke bars combining with trips to Taroko Gorge and Sun Moon Lake to ensure you get the right balance of natural charm and modern magic.

Taiwan is one of the safest and friendliest places on the planet and you'll be hard pushed not to meet local people if you fancy discussing the ins and outs of bubble tea and baseball.

I can't reiterate enough how friendly and safe Taiwan is with neighbourhood lakes, parks and night markets the best places to capture an authentic, less familiar, slice of life away from the American influence often associated with parts of Taipei.

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Taiwan is...

a republic of China but has its own democratically elected government, its own military, and its own flag.

Taiwan isn't...

as far from the Western world as you may at first think.

Things to do in Taiwan...

Night markets in Taiwan are where everyone comes to meet, eat and shop as brightly-lit streets fizz to a sizzling, steaming, smoking soundtrack interspersed with hawker shouts and speakers blaring out folk classics and modern Mandopop. Shilin in Taipei, at Jiantan MRT station, is an excellent example with everything from soup, sausages and stinky tofu vendors to video-gamers and Hopi ear candle sellers making the most of the crowds until just after midnight. Aside from well publicised hiking trails in Taroko National Park and around Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan also boasts numerous hidden routes leading out of urban areas and into forest-clad hillsides where religious shrines, veggie plots and exercise equipment appears at the end of well worn and steep steps. If you’re looking for more of a hiking challenge, head to Yangmingshan National Park in the north or Yushan National Park in central Taiwan, and you won’t be disappointed. From mountain bends to corner stores - temples in Taiwan appear as readily as students riding scooters, and a guided temple tour is one of the best ways to learn more about Taiwan's devotion to Taoism, Buddhism and Chinese folklore. Wen Wu Temple on the shores of Sun Moon Lake and the Confucius Temple on Nanmen Road in Tainan are just a couple to keep a look out for, although stroll around city streets or hike up a mountain footpath and you’re bound to stumble upon a few more.

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Things not to do in Taiwan...

Stick to central Taipei. Some of the suburbs surrounding central Taipei are really worth investigating further with lakeside walks in Neihu on the Wenhu Line and hot springs at Beitou on the Tamsui-Xinyi Line certain to provide a much more authentic example of life outside the capital. Of course, getting out of Taipei, completely, is also essential with trips south to the cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung offering cultural contrasts as you cross the Tropic of Cancer. Avoid stinky tofu. Although it really does live up to its name, stinky tofu actually tastes ok, sort of, and if you’re looking to experience Taiwan, like a local, then hold your nose, shut your eyes and open your mouth to a weird and wonderful world of 'unique' cultural cuisine. Skewered duck tongues, deep-fried chicken feet and the far more palatable, bubble tea and coconut snow ice, are all worth trying, if you’re brave enough. Keep yourself to yourself. Taiwanese folk are so friendly and all you have to do to meet someone is open a map or Lonely Planet and stand with a confused look on your face and a smiley student will pop along in no time at all. Although some teens can be shy and avoid chatting, unless pushed, there are plenty more who’d love the opportunity to practise their English as they welcome you to Taiwan and ask you questions about your stay as well as your marital status.

Taiwan travel guide