Taiwan is an intriguing East Asian island with unique scenery. Steep mountains, lush tropical forests, national parks, beautiful beaches, hills, and valleys all offer good opportunities for exciting sports activities in Taiwan. The crowded Taiwanese cities are home to fabulous temples and palaces, colorful night markets, excellent eateries, and a wide entertainment scene. If you want to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the cities and breathe the fresh mountain air, head to the numerous hot springs in Taiwan.
For nature lovers and those interested in outdoor activities there are several scenic national parks in Taiwan. A popular tourism destination, Kenting National Park is home to pleasant tropical climate and magnificent scenery with beautiful beaches, blue sea, coral reefs, lush forests, and hot springs. Peaceful, almost untouched tropical beaches fringed with coconut palms can be found in Southern Taiwan.
Scenic mountains. Taiwan also hosts scenic mountain areas such as Alishan that are popular for hiking holidays. The famous, impressive Taroko Gorge in Eastern Taiwan is a good place for trekking or river rafting and contains rich flora and fauna. Lishan is a popular mountain resort on Pear Mountain, and the scenic Sun Moon Lake is also a popular attraction in Taiwan.
Visitor services. Taiwan has a wide selection of hostels, motels and hotels offering all modern facilities and accommodation to every budget and taste. Local restaurants serve a variety of Asian cuisines. The biggest cities in Taiwan have lively nightlife with western-style bars and clubs, while karaoke bars, beer houses and tea houses are popular among locals.
How to get there. The easiest way to travel to Taiwan is by air. The majority of the international flights to Taiwan arrive at the Taiwan Taoyan International Airport located 40 kilometers from Taipei. The airport receives flights from all over the world except mainland China and has good connections to major cities in Taiwan. There are several smaller international and domestic airports in Taiwan.
Busy cities, national parks and tropical beaches in Taiwan
One of the most densely populated countries in the world, the island of Taiwan hosts numerous large cities and towns. The capital of Taiwan, the busy business city of Taipei is home to modern malls, bustling night markets, excellent museums, and spectacular temples. Surrounded by magnificent mountains, Taipei offers good opportunities for recreational activities. There are numerous hot springs and spas around Taipei. The city provides many activities for families with children. You can also visit the second-biggest city in Taiwan, Kaohsiung that offers modern shopping as well as traditional temples and even tropical beaches, or the historical city of Tainan.For nature lovers and those interested in outdoor activities there are several scenic national parks in Taiwan. A popular tourism destination, Kenting National Park is home to pleasant tropical climate and magnificent scenery with beautiful beaches, blue sea, coral reefs, lush forests, and hot springs. Peaceful, almost untouched tropical beaches fringed with coconut palms can be found in Southern Taiwan.
Scenic mountains. Taiwan also hosts scenic mountain areas such as Alishan that are popular for hiking holidays. The famous, impressive Taroko Gorge in Eastern Taiwan is a good place for trekking or river rafting and contains rich flora and fauna. Lishan is a popular mountain resort on Pear Mountain, and the scenic Sun Moon Lake is also a popular attraction in Taiwan.
Practical information for your trip to Taiwan
Also known as the Republic of China, Taiwan is an island nation located in Eastern Asia off the coast of mainland China bordering the East China Sea, Pacific Ocean and South China Sea. Taiwan's terrain consists of rugged mountains in the east and plains in the west. The island enjoys a pleasant tropical climate with hot, humid summers and cool winters. There is a rainy season in Taiwan that lasts from June to August. In winter, snowfall can be expected in the mountainous regions of Taiwan, and the weather in mountains can be chilly even in summer.Visitor services. Taiwan has a wide selection of hostels, motels and hotels offering all modern facilities and accommodation to every budget and taste. Local restaurants serve a variety of Asian cuisines. The biggest cities in Taiwan have lively nightlife with western-style bars and clubs, while karaoke bars, beer houses and tea houses are popular among locals.
How to get there. The easiest way to travel to Taiwan is by air. The majority of the international flights to Taiwan arrive at the Taiwan Taoyan International Airport located 40 kilometers from Taipei. The airport receives flights from all over the world except mainland China and has good connections to major cities in Taiwan. There are several smaller international and domestic airports in Taiwan.
Photo: anyberry, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)
There are also regular ferry connections from Japan to Keelung and Kaohsiung in Taiwan.
Getting around. Taiwan has excellent train connections between its major cities. The outlying islands are connected to the main island by regular ferries and flights. The major cities in Taiwan have an extensive network of local buses, and Taipei and Kaohsiung also have metro systems. The highways in Taiwan are in excellent condition but unfortunately many road signs are in Chinese only. Taiwanese highways can also be very crowded. Car rental agencies can be easily found at the airports and in the biggest cities of Taiwan. Taxis are cheap and very easy to find in the cities and they can be hailed on a street. As taxi drivers do not necessarily understand English it is advisable to have your destination written in Chinese.
Safety. Taiwan is a very safe travel destination where crime is rare. However, it is advisable to be aware of pickpockets and other petty crimes in crowded places. Natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons are not rare in Taiwan.
History and culture of Taiwan
Taiwan was inhabited for thousands of years by numerous indigenous tribes until settled by Chinese immigrants. The island originally known as Formosa was colonized by the Dutch and the Spaniards in the 17th century. Taiwan was conquered by the Chinese in 1662, and ruled by Japan from 1895 to 1945. It became a refuge of the nationalist Republic of China in 1949 after the Chinese Civil War. Since then, Taiwan has become a wealthy industrial nation and one of the strongest economies of Asia. Although being de facto independent for half of a century, the area is still regarded by China as a province which must be united with the mainland.Taiwanese culture. The majority of the population in Taiwan is of Han Chinese ethnicity, while the culture of Taiwan is a blend of Han Chinese, Japanese and European traditions. There are also indigenous minorities in some mountain areas of Taiwan. English is spoken and understood mainly in tourist attractions, museums, hotels, popular restaurants, and at the airports in Taiwan.
hint See also these nearby destinations: Alishan, Taroko Gorge, Kaohsiung, Taipei
