Taiwan > Taiwan Experience

Advantages: see review
Disadvantages: distance, language

...night, is 50 km from Taipei city and I was told that people shouldn’t speak hardly English and all is written in Chinese characters. Taipei was waiting with nice weather. I passed a gate, which checked my temperature by a calorimeter camera, a caveat against SARS. At the customs clearance I got a Visa for 1 month for free and near the exit was tourist information. There I was offered a free half-day sight seeing tour and I was supplied with a town ...
...with the half-day sightseeing tour. Taipei is a western stile modern city despite of the Chinese characters and the many motorbikes. At first we were visiting the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall (picture above). Chiang Kai Shek was a Chinese General, who was elected president of China. In 1945 he fled the Chinese mainland from the Communists with another 1, 5 Mio devotees to the isle of Taiwan. There he reigned for more than 25 years as a dictator. ... Read review

Advantages: Great chinese food
Disadvantages: humid weather

It's a lovely place. Although Taipei is the 8th most expensive living place in the world, but the costs of traffic and food are much cheaper than London, except those five star restaurants and famous western brand clothes in department stores. Lots of 24 HR 7-eleven stores, restaurants in towns, so you can't be bored. Night life in Taiwan is wonderful. There are traditional night markets, clubs, bars and KTVs in everywhere which are open till very ...
...and enjoy free bath, films, lounge and you can even sleep there overnight. Real Chinese food can be found in Taiwan. Not like in London, the Chinese food you can find is only some lousy Cantonese food. One precaution has to be noted. Don't ask any person if he is Chinese. That would be too politically sensitivity for Taiwanese people to answer. ... Read review

Advantages: Taipei lifestyle with a more provincial feel
Disadvantages: Hot, muggy, polluted, just like any other city

I've spent a lot of time in Kaohsiung. My grandparents on my mother's side are resident there, as are my Aunt, Uncle, and two little cousins. There's something of a language barrier, but I think we understand each other. At least well enough for them to know that I love their city. Like most Chinese cities (Taiwan being no different to the mainland in this respect) there is a constant bustle, a continuous sense of urgency, coupled with a relaxed ...
...to pull it off. Towering skyscrapers, crammed with apartments and massive department stores sit side by side with corrougated iron shacks; BMWs and Humvees ride alongside mopeds and rickshaws. The Dim Sum has to be tried to be understood - the melt-in-the-mouth texture of their turnip pancakes or the meaty, juicy explosion of suei jiow bought from one of the numerous markets, or roadside coconut juice drunk through a straw straight into the nut, ... Read review

Advantages: beautiful sunrise
Disadvantages: too crowded in the weekend

...slow train from Ja-Yi to Alishan and the view was just unbelievable great. It took almost 3 hoiurs to get to the top but it was quit lots of fun. The train was so tiny and slow full of tourists. The air was quite fresh and a little bit chilly though. We got up very early next morning to catch the first sight of the famous Alishan sunrise. Suprise to find that so many people on the top for the sunrise. We waited for a little while before we saw the ...
...but not very enjoyable as too many tourists around and they were very very noisy. after the sunrise we walked back to the lodge and had breakfast. We spent one day walking around the national park and found it quite enjoyable. It's a good place for a three-day trip, maybe avoid the weekend. ... Read review

Advantages: Cheap and beautiful
Disadvantages: Starting to become westernised

Penghu Islands was my first experience of what you would call tropical lifestyle and I loved it! Penghu Islands is relatively untouched by the western world. It does have a McDonalds though, which was handy for me because, to be honest, I'm not really a fan of anything but western food. I spent a weekend in Penghu Islands and my entire time there I didn't see a single foreigner. It's completely different to the hustle and bustle of Taipei. So as ...
...as well. It's lush! Penghu has it all to offer. White sandy beaches, clear blue water, and lush tropical fish for diving, breath taking views of other islands from the one you are standing on. Hopping islands on boats and enjoying the right outside the boat, catching the sun. Also Penghu offers side of all the temples and they are some amazing temples on this group of islands. Lovely stuff! The people there are very friendly, especially towards ... Read review