Taiwan - The Treat!

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Taiwan (Taipei & Central Regions)



Taiwan was a great surprise. We did not do too much research about the island because we had friends back home (in PEI) who helped us get connected to a Taiwan itinerary. As we travelled through Taiwan, we did not know Ron, Cindy, Michael K and his family, Michael, Molly and RC, Gary, or Dr. Liu at first, but when we left we felt like family with everyone and are so honoured to know them!





Taiwan has an incredible landscape and history. The main city, Taipei, offers all sorts of city delights a traveller might look for (e.g., shopping, food, skyscrapers, national parks, hot springs, night market). It also has a blend of old and new architecture and lovely to tour around. There is an excellent transit system in Taiwan. We also took a train east and were happily surprised to find a world of outdoor experiences – hiking, biking, and mountainous terrain. The island exists with a mountain in the centre, offering opportunity for outdoorsy opportunities (e.g., the south, where we did not go, has great beach areas). Cultural experiences abound, with the opportunity to visit various Buddhist temples, centers, and restorations, along with innovative organic shops (e.g., Leezen). There were also fun cultural activities that we saw on a daily basis, for example, students practicing dance routines, women groups doing exercise programs on the street at night, and karaoke at the night markets.



An extra note – there is amazing food in Taiwan (except the stinky tofu which was not for us). Taiwan has diverse food and traditional food, all of which was amazingly delightful and affordable! We probably gained five pounds in a week!





We would love to return to Taiwan, to see our new friends again and explore more of the outdoor terrain of the country! The south of the island we were told is beautiful and a great beach destination.



Note to travellers: don’t overlook Taiwan as an Asian destination in your travels!

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