Are you planning a trip to Taiwan? In this travel guide, you can find the top things to do and see on this beautiful island.
Taiwan is probably not the first place that comes to your mind when you want to plan a trip to Asia. In Italy, my home country, very few people travel to the island for tourism.
While organizing my trip, some people asked me if I was about to visit Thailand or Tasmania… I don’t know about you, but Taiwan is not on many people’s bucket lists, at least in Europe.
The story is a bit different for people who live in Asia: Taipei, the capital, is among the Top 20 most visited cities in the world!
So, even if you, like many others, don’t know much about this beautiful island (actually a perfect place to become a digital nomad), keep reading this post: I bet you’ll fall in love with Taiwan.
General Info
Taiwan was known as Ilha Formosa, meaning beautiful island in Portuguese for centuries. Why this title? Taiwan has almost everything: tropical beaches, deep gorges, hundreds of natural hot springs, and beautiful mountains that, with an altitude of almost 4000 mt, will keep you busy for weeks if you love hiking.
There are many activities that you can do in Taiwan: surfing on the wild east coast, exploring the tropical jungle, sipping the tasty and expensive Oolong tea in one of the many Tea Houses, trying one of the many aboriginal dishes, and eating the famous street food. If you love shopping, wander in one of the numerous malls ever-present in every city.
Due to the tropical climate, there is also an incredible variety of tropical fruits and different species of butterflies. Every time you walk in the jungle, you’ll encounter something you’ve never seen before.
Things to do: night markets
One of the things that I liked the most about Taiwan is the culture, which, like many other Asian places, considers food an extremely important part of the heritage.
If you have the chance to visit one of the many night markets, one thing you have to try is the steamed dumplings: delicious. There are many different kinds of dumplings with different fillings; try them all.
If you are brave enough, try the stinky tofu, a super-smelly fermented version of regular tofu. Some people love it, some don’t. I think it’s quite disgusting, but hey, to each his own. If you like stinky food, try the Durian, a fruit famous for its terrible smell.
If you are in Taipei, don’t miss Snake Alley, a tourist street where you can drink local liquor with a bit of snake venom.
After spending several years in Asia, I can say that Taiwanese food is one of the best street foods.
The other good thing is that no matter where you go, you can always eat a lot without spending a fortune. Don’t miss this article where I talk about one of the best night markets in Kaohsiung: Ruifeng.
Relax in one of the many hot springs
So what can you do after eating so much? Relaxing in a natural hot spring! Taiwan is a seismic island, meaning natural hot springs are quite common. Many are scattered around the forests, but it will be difficult to find unless you know a local.
Aboriginal people care for many of these “secret” hot springs, so please remember to respect nature.
A trip to Taroko Gorge
One of Taiwan’s most famous destinations is Taroko Gorge. This natural gorge penetrates the mountains for many kilometers, starting from the East coast.
Since my hometown in Italy is close to the Alps, and I already visited other beautiful places like Verdon in France, Taroko didn’t impress me that much, but I think it’s still worth a visit.
If you want to get to Taroko from Taipei, take the train to Hualien (it takes about 2.5 hours). Once in Hualien, it’s a good idea to rent a scooter and ride it to the gorge end stop whenever you want to.
You can also swim in the river and visit the many temples in the gorge. Don’t forget to bring a raincoat because sudden downpours are common every season.
If possible, avoid the weekends: the number of people can be overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time in Asia.
Northern Taiwan
The Yehliu Geopark, which is not far from Taipei, is fascinating. You’ll see tons of weirdly shaped rocks. The most famous is The Queen because it resembles the Egyptian queen Nefertiti. The best portion of this park is the north: there are fewer tourists, and it is quieter. Half a day would be more than enough.
Another place very well worth a visit is Jiufen, an old village briefly ruled by the Japanese during the war. The views of the Pacific Ocean, especially around sunset, are stunning.
Taipei vs Kaohsiung
Taipei is also worth a visit. It has changed a lot in the past few years. It was once considered one of the ugliest cities in Asia, but today, it’s completely different. Taipei 101 is the symbol of the change that this island has gone through in recent years.
In my opinion, one of the most underrated cities in Asia is Kaohsiung, in Southern Taiwan. Some highlights of the cities include the Lotus Pond and Shoushan: Monkey Mountain.
What I like the most about Kaohsiung, especially compared to Taipei, is the vibe: lots of artists and modern museums, slightly better weather, and the city is right in front of the Ocean. At least for me, Kaohsiung wins hands down. But I’d love to hear your feedback if you have visited both cities.
Where to sleep
Hotels in Taiwan are generally cheap. I usually book the room on Booking.com. Another good option is Trip.com.
Is Taiwan safe?
Yes. Taiwan is very safe. It ranks at the top of the list of places with fewer crimes. The real dangers in Taiwan are the frequent earthquakes and the numerous typhoons that hit the island regularly every summer.
Photographic tips and final thoughts
I visited Taiwan for the first time in August, which was probably the worst time of the year: it was too hot and rainy. If you can, I suggest you visit in Autumn or Spring.
A lens like 24-105mm will usually be enough, but if you want to photograph tall buildings, you’ll need a wide-angle lens. In spring, there are many migratory birds in Taiwan, so if you like taking pictures of birds, you’ll need a long lens.
After spending a year on this beautiful Island, I can honestly say it’s an amazing place. The people are some of the friendliest I have ever met. I’m not the only one saying this: Taiwan is often considered one of the friendliest places in the world.
The main challenge is communication: unless you speak Mandarin, it’s quite hard to have a meaningful conversation, but many young people will try to use their basic English to talk to you.
If you fly into Taiwan and have a stopover in Dubai, you can find my travel guide here.
