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Taiwan


Tawain is a mountainous island located in the Pacific Ocean, 100 miles to the South East of Mainland China, midway between Korea and Japan in the North, and Hong Kong and the Philippines in the South. The island boasts tropical beaches, to high mountains – in fact the highest mountains in North East Asia, if you don’t count the Himalayas! There are also numerous outlying islands. Most travellers to Taiwan will start their adventure in the city of Taipei, home to the world’s tallest building, Taipei 101. Here you can explore the contrasting attractions of the high tech eastern part of the city and the more historic western quarter. Away from Taipei, there are attractions and activities to suit all tastes and senses of adventure – hikers and climbers are well catered for in Alishan, and for the most experienced, an ascent of Mt Yushan is a must; Taiwan’s diving sites are a well kept secret, and the location right on the Tropic of Cancer ensures a plentiful array of sealife and reef to explore; there are also numerous cultural attractions to explore, as well as some culinary delights, great shopping, and a buzzing nightlife.  

 

 

Cities and places within Taiwan
Fast Facts
Capital City: Taipei
Population: 22.9 million of which around 2.6 million live in Taipei.
Area: 13,972 sq miles
Geography: The main island of Taiwan, also called Formosa, is located off the south east coast of Mainland China, south west of Japan, and north west of the Philippines.   The island is 245 miles long and 89 miles wide, and is primarily mountainous, with subtropical vegetation.
Climate: Taiwan has a subtropical climate, with the rainy season in the north lasting from January to the end of March. The whole of the island is hot and humid between June and September. The best time to visit Taiwan is in the autumn (October to December).
Language: Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese, and English is the first foreign language to be taught in schools.
Currency: New Taiwan Dollar Current rate £1 = TWD66.60
Time: GMT+8 hours
Visa Requirements: : British visitors to Taiwan do not need a visa, though they must be in possession of an outbound ticket.


Getting To Taiwan
By Air
The national airline is China Airlines, and the flight from London to Taipei takes around 15 hours including stopover. Taiwan’s main airports are Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, 25 miles south of the city of Taipei, and Kaohsiung International Airport, 4 miles from the Kaohsiung. There are buses from both airports into their respective cities, both of which take around 30 minutes.
 
Eva Air is the only airline offering direct flights from London to Taipei. Other airlines operating non-direct flights include China Airlines, Qantas Airways, Lufthansa, Alitalia, Korean Air, KLM Royal Dutch Airline, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, and Thai Airways.
 
Eva Air again is the only airline to operate direct flights from London to Kaohsiung. Other airlines operating non direct flights include Lufthansa, China Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airlines, and Thai Airways.
 
By Boat
The main ports in Taiwan are Kaohsiung and Keelung, and ferries run between them and Okinawa in Japan. There are also ferries between Kaohsiung and Macau.


Getting Around Taiwan
By Air
There are a number of airlines including Far Eastern Air Transport, Mandarin Airlines, Transasia Airways and Uni Air, operating flights within Taiwan. 
 
By Boat
There is a ferry service between the islands of Taiwan.
 
By Rail
There is a good rail network linking a large number of destinations across Taiwan. The main tourist routes include the Taipei-Taichung-Chiaya-Tainan-Kaohsiung route, the Taipei-Taichung-Sun Moon Lake (part of the journey is by bus), the Chiay-Alishan service, which passes through some beautiful mountain scenery, and the Taipei-new Hualian-Taitung route, which follows the coast. There is also a regular train service between Taipei and Kaohsiung.
 
By Road
There is a reasonable road network linking the major cities and towns in Taiwan, with a motorway running between Taipei and Kaohsiung. Car hire is available, but it is probably better to hire a car with a driver, as not all road signs are in English. There are plenty of local and long distance buses and coaches, and tickets for long distance journeys should be reserved 14 days in advance. There are unlicensed companies operating illegal buses and these must be avoided. There are plenty of taxis and these are generally cheap, though it is probably a good idea to have your destination written in Chinese, as many drivers will not understand English.


Top Ten Things to Do and See in Taiwan
 TAIPEI
Taipei ,Taiwan’s capital, is a busy, noisy and hectic city, but has numerous attractions for the visitor, as well as the best food in Taiwan. Notable attractions include the Longshan Temple, a colourful temples that has three times been destroyed – once by an earthquake, once by a typhoon and once by the US army. The National Palace Museum houses the largest collection of Chinese artefacts anywhere in the world, a collection that was begun in the 10th Century. The collection has survived numerous moves, usually to prevent it falling into the hands of enemies or invaders, but finally came to rest in Taipei in 1949. Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall contains the tomb and shrine of Taiwan’s most celebrated leader. And towering above all Taipei is Taipei 101, up until quite recently the world’s tallest building. There is a fast lift up to the observatory, from where you are rewarded with some amazing views over the city.
 
TAINAN
Tainan is Taiwan’s oldest city, also names the City of 100 Temples – misleadingly as it turns out as there are 220 of them. Here you will find some of the best examples of Confucian temple architecture anywhere in Taiwan. Tainan is also a great place to experience Buddhist festivals and parades – at the Taoist Temples of East Mountain, Buddhists come to communicate with deceased members of their families, or to exorcise ghosts. 
 
ALISHAN
This mountain resort, the best in Taiwan, provides a welcome antidote to the frenetic pace of life of the capital Taipei. Alishan is best known for its traditional climb of Chushan Mountain, at dawn, though you can also opt for the steam train and climb to Yushan, the highest peak in Taiwan!
 
TAROKO GORGE
This is Taiwan’s most popular tourist destination, a stunning marble-walled gorge with lush vegetation and towering cliffs. The gorge is about 12 miles long, and covers an area of around 120,000 hectares, made up of mountains, the Liwu River, waterfalls and ravines. Hiking is popular here, and there are numerous other attractions, including the Eternal Spring Shrine, and the Wenshan Hot Springs.
 
ADVENTURE
There are plenty of adventurous sports on offer in Taiwan for those who crave a bit more excitement – the mountainous terrain and prevailing winds in Taiwan make it a great place fo paragliding and hang-gliding - try it out at Green Bay on the North Shore, and on the Luwe Plateau in Taitung. Hiking is also popular and there are many national parks that have well marked routes – for the keen mountaineer, there is Yushan, the highest mountain in North East Asia. The waters around Thailand, and in particular the south east coast boast excellent visibility and plenty of coral, making them a great place for diving or snorkelling.
 
SHOPPING
According to an internet survey by the Taipei Government, three of the top four tourist attractions in the city are shopping malls! This gives an indication as to the importance of shopping in Taiwan! Core Pacific City, the most popular, is a 12 storey high mall combining shops with restaurants and entertainment. Other malls include the Miramar Entertainment Park and Taipei 101. Typical souvenirs from Taiwan include bambooware, glass art, paper umbrellas, candied fruit and tea.
 
KENTING NATIONAL PARK
Popular with visitors and locals alike, the Kenting National Park is the ideal place for a spot of relaxation, perhaps at the end of your holiday. Set amongst the tropical coastal forests, it has some great beaches, lakes and a bird sanctuary, as well as excellent watersports facilities and a golf course.
 
 
CHUNG TAI CHAN TEMPLE
This massive temple was only completed in 2001, and is an international centre for Buddhist academic research, art and culture. It is open to the public and there are a number of westerners who live there, teaching English to the monks and nuns who provide the guided tours to visitors. The tour of the temple is different from others, as the focus is not purely on the religious and ritual aspects of Buddhism, rather you can explore it like a museum, concentrating on that which interests you most.
 
FOOD
Eating out is a national pastime in Taiwan, and once you have tasted the food on offer, it is not hard to see why! Great food is available all over Taiwan, but is at its best in Taipei. Taiwan’s island status means that fresh fish and seafood are a staple of the diet – from oysters to squid and everything in between. Best places for seafood are the port cities of Kaohsiung and Keelung. Noodles also figure predominantly in Taiwanese cuisine, and there is even a beef noodle festival where restaurants compete against each other for prizes for the best beef noodle dish in Taiwan!
 
SUN MOON LAKE
Sun Moon Lake, in Central Taiwan, is the most famous lake in the country, and very popular with tourists and locals, seeking a romantic getaway. It boasts startlingly blue water and spectacular mountain scenery, making it a truly stunning place to visit. You can take a boat tour around the lake, or even row yourself. Worth a visit is the Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village, part traditional, part modern day theme park! Climb a mountain to witness the sun set over the lake.
 
HOT SPRINGS
Taiwan’s position on the fault line between two continental plates means that there are hot springs all over the country. Largely thanks to the Japanese who popularised the custom whilst occupying Taiwan, hot spring bathing is now commonplace, mainly in winter – though this is the busiest time and visitors should avoid the most popular springs as these get very congested – the most popular ones are Wulai, Yangmingshan and Beitou in the Taipei region, Tainan Springs in Miaoli, and Chichpen near Taitung.  




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