Taiwan
December 22, 2023 - January 6, 2024
There is so much to explore and appreciate in Ivan’s home country, we want to give our girls the grand tour around the island and show them what Taiwan has to offer!
Taipei is the capital and the largest city in Taiwan. The east side is more secluded by the mountains that run down the center of Taiwan and is less populated, but filled with natural beauty everywhere you look. The southern tip, Kenting, with warm weather and sandy beaches, is a popular tourist destination. The westside has more cities along the coast, each with its unique flavor. The center vertical strip is mountainous, with several gorgeous sceneries and national parks.
A few words on night markets: This is a must-do in Taiwan! You can find some amazing food in night markets, and they are perfectly safe to eat. There are too many to choose from in Taipei, so here are some tips: Ningxia and Raohe are two very popular and big ones. Ximending is great for shopping in addition to food and is extremely popular for younger folks. Our favorite was Nanya night market in terms of amazing food. Shilin is probably the most famous, but several locals we talked to said it’s in the decline and urged us to avoid it.
If you’re in Taichung, Fenjia night market is extremely popular and a great one to visit, but my favorite is still the traditional foods available at Zhongxiao Road night market.
Day 1 - Fly to TPE, Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen Old Street, Shifen Sky Lantern
Day 3 - Taipei 101 & Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial
Day 4 - Wuliaojiang Hike & Nanya Night Market
Day 5 - Ximending Shopping & Massage
Day 8 - Drive from Hualian to Taitung
Day 9 - Explore Taitung, Drive to Kenting
Day 13 - Alisha National Forest & Sunset
Day 15 - Sun Moon Lake to Taichung
Voyagers tips:
Itinerary: The trip starts in Taipei, then we head down along the east coast to the southern tip of Taiwan, before heading back up on the west side. You can easily reverse the order and head the other direction after flying into the TPE airport.
Our trip around the island covered everything from the city life to the rural mountain tops, giving us an appreciation of all that is Taiwan! Two weeks is fairly tight for a round-the-island tour, doable but at a fast pace.
Transportation: The metro in Taipei is very convenient, clean and well managed. For harder-to-reach areas, taxis are also readily available and the prices are very reasonable, cheaper than just about any other developed countries I’ve visited. Most taxi drivers don’t speak English, however, so be sure to have the address (in Chinese) written for the taxi drivers. Buses are convenient too but we did not try this option.
Beyond Taipei, public transportation is more limited. We opted to rent a car ourselves, but this is not recommended for foreigners who don’t read Chinese. Instead, take high speed rail or train to the cities and pre-arrange private drivers to take you anywhere you need to go. Costs are around $150 for a full 11-hour day for a regular sedan, and $250 for an 8-passenger van. Taxis are also widely available in every city, just wave them down on the street. Taxis are all regulated so the prices are standard, just make sure they run the meter.