The Best Taiwan Travel Guide for All Types of Travelers

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.” - Saint Augustine.

A shout-out to all the backpackers, travel enthusiasts and adventure lovers! The holiday season is approaching and we know you’re excited to embark on another thrilling vacation across the distant lands. If you’re wondering which should be your next holiday destination, you should definitely consider visiting Taiwan.                                                               

Taiwan (officially the Republic of China) is an island county in East Asia surrounded by the People’s Republic of China in the northwest, Japan in the northeast and the Philippines in the south. The capital of Taiwan is Taipei. Tourism in the country has seen a significant increase over the past few years. It is a country well-known for its hot spring resorts and intricately beautiful Chinese temples. If Taiwan is on your bucket list of “places to visit once in your lifetime”, then this is your cue to start planning out your travel itinerary and get packing. We are here to help you with your planning by giving you the complete travel guide for your next vacation.

What is the best month to visit Taiwan?

Let us start with the most important question to consider before planning a vacation - which is the best time of the year to visit Taiwan? The island of Taiwan offers a subtropical monsoon climate, with wet and humid summers and relatively mild winters. The coldest month in Taiwan is January when the temperatures drop to 13֯ C, which is not too cold, given the geographical location of the country.  When we talk weather-wise, the ideal time to visit Taiwan is between April to May and September to November, these months are the perfect blend of cool and dry weather. The humidity dissipates from the region, the south stays a bit warm but northern Taiwan begins to cool, making it a perfect time to visit. Once you decide to visit Taiwan, you could begin checking out various tour packages that are available online like Trip.com. Do consider using Trip.com 折扣碼 to avail discounts and offers. Traveling to a foreign country is a refreshing experience, but it should be done under proper guidance and beforehand planning.

Like most Asian cultures, Taiwanese culture is traditional and conservative, but to a greater degree than the rest of Asia, although the modern Taiwanese culture blends Chinese, Austronesian, Japanese and Western influence. There was never communist oppression in Taiwan, and therefore the visitors can witness even those traditions and religious practices which they can’t witness in mainland China. This is one of the reasons why Taiwan is considered “more Chinese than China.” 

For the people who are want to have a nice vacation in Taiwan, you need to be aware that if you wish to enter the country for a period of fewer than 90 days, you do not need a visa. Isn’t that good news! Now if you are tempted to plan your next holiday to Taiwan you should keep the following details in mind:

What is the best way to travel around Taiwan?

The best way to get around Taiwan is by public transport. Public transport is relatively cheaper, efficient, and well connected to cities and major tourist spots. There is a mountain range running down the island, which gives fewer transportation options across the island than moving up or down. Easily accessible modes of transport in the country are trains, buses, bicycles, cars or scooters and finally air travel. Trains in Taiwan are fast, cheap and reliable. There are both the High-Speed Rail (HSR) and the regular train link. The buses are comparatively slower and cheaper but since they move across the country, one can enjoy sightseeing without paying extra. Isn’t it a great way to enjoy your stay and spend less! To help you with travel and leisure planning visit Klook and apply Klook 折扣碼. You can also find a rental company and rent out a bicycle to explore the local areas near your accommodation, as bicycling around the island is one of the popular tourist activities. This way you won’t miss out on your fitness routine too! A rental company will also rent out a car or a scooter but you can move around in those only if you have an International Driver’s Permit. Air travel isn’t very popular if you only have to travel across the island, it is only really useful in case you’re planning to get to the outlying islands.

How much should I budget for a trip to Taiwan?

You should plan out your budget by comparing how costly is Taiwan compared to the place you’re traveling from. Your budget for a trip to Taiwan should be made by keeping in mind that you need an average of 105$ per day while on a vacation here. The average hotel price for a couple in the country is 130$.

How should I prepare for a trip to Taiwan?

The Taiwanese are a very tradition and culture respecting country, therefore good manners and polite behavior are an extreme necessity. If you’re are wondering how should you prepare yourself for a trip to Taiwan, we have got some tips for you. Keeping these few things in mind you can easily communicate with the local people and get even deeper insights into the culture.

1. Eat like a local - Taiwan is a great place for foodies; it offers great dining experiences. One of the ways you can interact with the locals is by choosing to eat at the small restaurants and street food stalls. This will also keep you on the cheaper side than dining at multi-starred hotels.  The food is clean and safe to eat everywhere in Taiwan, so you can keep worrying about your holiday vibe. When you are presented with the bill, make sure you take it to the front to pay it. (Tip- don’t ever call for the waiter/waitress if you don’t want serious stares targeted at you)
2. Drink like a local - You should definitely try the iced coffee when you are in Taiwan. For that, you should be prepared for two questions: how much bingkuai (ice) and tang (sugar) you want. Locals prefer Xiaobing (little ice), weibing (very little ice) or qubing (no ice) while the normal sugar for them will be extremely sweet for a tourist, so to stay on the less sugary side, go for wu tang or “no sugar.”
3. Walk on the left, stand on the right- Taiwanese follow the unwritten escalator rule that is the right side of the escalator is for standing while the left side is for people to move.
4. Dress as you like, within reason- Taiwan is pretty liberal when it comes to fashion and dressing sense, which is good news for the tourists. Except for the fanciest restaurants, you can easily carry casual clothes, mini-skirts, shorts, tank tops for women, sandals, and shorts for men are a common attire of the tourists. There are a lot of top fashion stores popular in Taiwan which are an ideal location for your shopping sprees.

What should I not do in Taiwan?

Apart from these, there are certain things which you should not do, so that you do not disrespect the culture and tradition:

1. Do not stick your chopsticks upright in your rice bowl. It looks like incense.
2. Don’t gift watches, clocks, scissors, knives, or white flowers or anything related to number four. Mostly the Mandarin words for these items sound like phrases related to parting or death.
3. Don’t open gifts as soon as you receive them.
4. Don’t sign your or other people’s name in red.
5. Be polite, always, but don’t get touchy.
6. Don’t talk about politics.
7. Do not whistle in public, never make jokes on death, and don’t point and talk, as these are things that are considered rude in Taiwan.
8. Remove your shoes when you visit someone’s house and shaking hands with a local is a norm and considered to be polite.
9. Getting angry in public isn’t acceptable.

Now that you have enough knowledge about the proper and improper etiquettes of Taiwan, we’ll come to the much-awaited part, which is what can you do on your vacation, what the places you can visit and how can you make your vacation a fun-filled and memorable one.

The Best Places to Visit in Taiwan 

Everyone needs a safe place for themselves and their belongings. You can choose any city of your choice and book a hotel using Hotel.com 折扣碼. The capital city of Taipei, Taichung, New Taipei City, Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Yuchi is the most tourist-friendly cities. These are the cities where the rich live in Taiwan. Once you get settled and are ready to explore the region, here are some places you can (and most definitely) visit:

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall: This monument was built to remember the life of the Chinese president Kai Shek in 1976. Located in the city of Taipei, this place has beautiful ponds, gardens, and walkways. Another name for this monument is Liberty Hall because it was built inside a walled complex.

Chihkan Tower: Located in the city of Tainan the Chihkan Tower was known as Fort Provincia before but now it is known as Red-topped Tower. This name is derived from the Taiwanese word ''Chakam''. Chihkan Tower is famous for various kinds of steles, stone horses, and weight lifting rocks. Nine stone tortoises were carrying royal stele which is carved in both Chinese and Manchurian.

Longshan Temple: This well-known temple in Taipei city and was built in the seventh century. People worship here the goddess of mercy, Guanshiyinand. Longstan Temple had been destroyed many times but it returned to its glory after restoration. The temple is divided into five parts as front hall, rear hall, left wing, main hall, right wing.

Confucian Temple: In the city of Taipei the Confucian Temple is over three hundred years old. The ancient architecture narrates the history of the temple and also a good venue for tourists.

Leafoo Village Theme Park: Taiwan beaches are the perfectly ideal places for kids to enjoy and forget about their hassle-bustle life. The golden sand and the rhythmic sound of big waves of beaches in Taiwan are simply breathtaking. FulongBeachin Taiwan is perfectly suitable for windsurfing and canoeing. Kids can enjoy jet skiing, diving, surfing, and boating over Kenting beach. Jibei Island is the most popular beach in Taiwan. Another exciting place for kids is Leofoo Village Theme Park.

Taipei Fine Arts Museum: Taipei Fine Arts Museum was built to host a modern and contemporary art exhibition. The museum has arts from Taiwan and abroad.

So now we come to an end to this guide, which we hope has been extremely fulfilling and helped you gain an insight to the Taiwanese culture. Give in to your wanderlust and indulge in the rich travel experience by staying up to date with the small details of a region you’re visiting.

Happy Vacations!

By: Vouchers Portal TW