Introducing Taiwan
Ilha Formosa – Beautiful Island. This is what a group of Portuguese sailors, said to have been the first Westerners to lay eyes on the island, uttered upon seeing Taiwan for the first time. We imagine they must have been pretty enamoured. While not every Westerner has the same love-at-first-sight reaction to Taiwan, our Portuguese seafaring friends were just the first of many. With the lush mountains of Wulai, pulsating cities like Taipei, the stunning basalt cliffs of Penghu , excellent hiking in Taroko Gorge, not to mention some of the world’s best hot springs (we especially like the Taian Hot Springs), Taiwan cuts a figure as one of the most diverse destinations in Asia.
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True, Taiwan hasn’t yet made it to the top of everybody’s ‘to visit’ list, but we think this is partially a result of people not quite knowing what Taiwan has to offer. But within the borders of this small, sweet-potato-shaped island barely the size of many American states lies a world of contrasts and a melange of cultural influences you’re not likely to find anywhere else on the planet.
In the first decade of the 21st century, Taiwan is increasingly drawing travellers of all stripes: from spiritual seekers looking to experience the island’s religious heritage to gourmands in search of the perfect night-market meal to computer geeks scanning the horizon for the latest high-tech gadgets. Taiwan offers visitors a hypermodern skin, an ancient Chinese skeleton and an aboriginal soul. And more than that, Taiwan has some of the world’s warmest people, affable to a fault and so filled with rénqíng wèi (which, roughly translated, means ‘personal affection’) that few who come to Taiwan a stranger leave that way.
Much has changed in the centuries since the Portuguese first saw Taiwan. Still, we think if the same group of sailors came back in the present day, they’d call it Ilha Formosa all over again.
Make it happen
Ready to go? These recommended partners make it easy:
- See one of the seven wonders of Asia, the Taroko Gorge
- Discover Taipei by night
- Drive along scenic mountain roads to the Wulai Aboriginal Village
- Visit the hot springs of Yangmingshan National Park
Last updated: Jan 19, 2012
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Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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8 day itininerary
by toofmek 14 September 2011
My wife and I are in our mid fifties and will be visiting Taiwan on our own. We are overseas Chinese from Malaysia. We will be touching…
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Re: Visiting Taipei in Oct
by from_australia 14 September 2011
Hey RJ - wow, i'll be in Taipei as well from 5th - 12th October, I didn't even realise that Taiwan's National Day was 10th October! Oh…
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Mandarin question
by JasonInJapan 13 September 2011
I was in Taiwan a couple of weeks ago and despite the typhoon had a fantastic time. During the typhoon I'd rented a bicycle and was riding…
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Make it happen
Our Top Picks For Taiwan
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1 Taipei
Inspirational temples, edifying museums and sublime food; Taiwan’s capital has soul to spare
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2 Wulai
Lush green mountains, swimmable rivers, monkeys, reptiles, ancient hiking trails - and so close to Taipei
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3 Penghu
The Hawaii of Taiwan; a windswept archipelago of breathtaking beaches and scores of ostentatiously awe-inspiring temples
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4 Lanyu
Homeland of Taiwan's Yami tribe; if you want off the beaten track look no further
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5 Tainan
The old capital and a treasure house of temples, historical relics and traditional foods
Fast Facts about Taiwan
- Number of street vendors in Taiwan (2003)
291, 064
- Mobile phones in use
22.1 million
- Estimated percentage of population (including infants) without mobile phones
5%
- Percentage of population under 14
19.4%
- Percentage of Taiwanese who shop online
45%
- Number of betel-nut vendors in Taiwan (2003)
17, 604
- Percentage of male population who chew betel nut
25%
- Highest Point
Yu Shan (Jade Mountain) 3952 m
- Population of Taiwan (July 2006)
23, 036, 100
- Percentage of homes connected to the internet
75%
Our favourite Taiwan Blogs (beta)
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Taiwan Culinary Tour Day Three: Buried Chicken and Betel Nut
Blog: Snarky Tofu - 5 February 2012
Photo by Mark A. ThompsonFlesh falls from the bones of several large chickens freshly pulled from the covered pit in which they’d been cooking.
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Taroko Gorge - We Came. We Saw. We Took Photos
Blog: Travel Adventures of Newman - 22 January 2012
Eternal Springs shrineThough not averse to guided bus tours, the 6am scheduled pickup at our hotel seemed daunting, as well as the whole day itinerary that would see us arriving back in Taipei around dinner time.
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Rob Schneider ♥s Taiwan
Blog: Snarky Tofu - 10 January 2012
“Jia ba bei?” Rob Schneider is a dude with some serious love for Taiwan. Ascending the stage at a press conference hosted by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau to promote the island at a hotel in Universal City, the SNL alumni, film star and di
