Taiwan: The Answer to All Your Travelling Wishes

If you’re looking for beautiful beaches, great markets, hot air balloons rides, adventure sports and exotic food - all in one place, look no further! Head to Taiwan.

From kayaking in the Sun Moon lake to the beauty of the North Coast; from shopping souvenirs at the Shilin night market, to experiencing the eccentric Toilet Restaurant (you read that right!), this country has it all. Here’s why you need to book your tickets to Taiwan right now!

Located in the happening city of Taipei, the National Palace Museum has a collection of over 696,000 pieces of ancient Chinese imperial artworks and artefacts, covering over 10,000 years of Chinese history.

The largest and the most famous market of Taipei, the Shilin night market houses over 500 stores and narrow side lanes lined with everything from video arcades to cinemas and karaoke bars. The market opens around four in the evening every day and travellers can help themselves to a huge variety of merchandise and food from local street vendors. We recommend you try the large pancake, the hot pot and the Shilin sausage.

Formerly known as ‘Formosa’, Taiwan was populated by native aborigines up until the 17^th century. Enjoy the heritage of this rich culture when you visit. There are also a number of traditional performances you can catch while in Taiwan when travelling around local festivals like the Chinese New Year, Lantern Festival and the Ami Harvest Festival.

The Sun Moon Lake is the only natural lake in Taiwan. Take time out to visit some of the famous sights around Sun Moon Lake like Itashao, Lalu Island, the Xuanzang Temple, the Ci-en Pagoda, and the Wenwu Temple. If you’re one for adventure sports, here’s where you can go kayaking and parasailing.

The Yehliu Geological National Park lies in one of the most geologically remarkable coastal areas in northern Taiwan, and is known for its rocky cliff overlooking the bay. Winds and waves have shaped the environment and made the entire landscape magnificent. Among the remarkable structures here are the ‘Queen's Head’ rock at Yehliu.

The Taiwanese are big on tea! Tea culture includes tea arts, traditional tea ceremonies, and even flower and incense arts. There are a number of tea house or ‘tea-art’ shops in Taiwan which are a must visit for travellers. Don’t forget to try some tea-inspired dishes like the tea jelly on your visit to Taiwan.

What else can you ask for from a country that is just 14,000 sq miles? If you still haven’t packed your bags, check out my next blog, where I will help you with an awesome itinerary to capture the essence of this amazing place in a few days. Stay tuned!