Sunday, January 07, 2018

The Best Things to Do in Taiwan in 2018

Lanhou Bed and Breakfast in Laiji below Alishan

Taiwan News lists The best things to do in Taiwan in 2018: 7 standout events to look forward to in Taiwan in 2018. These include watching the ship burning in Donggang, swimming Sun Moon Lake, getting bombarded by fireworks in Yenshui, and similar. So I thought I'd compile a list of my own.

1. Stay in a bed and breakfast in an aboriginal village. There are many such wonderful places to stay in the hills and mountains around Taiwan, including Smangus, Chimei, Laiji (pic above), and Mudan. Most of them offer hikes and other get back to nature options, and excellent food. Put that on your list.


2. Visit Lanyu (Orchid Island). This wonderful island is a great favorite of many long-term expats. Should be high on your list of things to do in 2018.


3. Hike Keelung. Keelung sits in a crater which on one side has collapsed, forming the harbor. The ridges are filled with excellent views of the city and many old military works built by the three colonial regimes, with a few left over from the siege of the city during the Sino-French War. The city itself, still very traditional, offers wonderful photo ops.


4. Visit Little Burma in Taipei. Little Burma is located on Huaxin Street in Taipei near the Nanshijiao MRT Station. Great food, desserts, and the famous coffee make a great afternoon trip. Go on a Saturday when the restaurants are filled with people chatting, the atmosphere is quite different from elsewhere in Taipei.


5. Explore the back roads of Kenting (and here too). Most people who go to Kenting hang out at the beach, but Kenting's real treasures are far away from the beach. The hilly back roads are great for scooter rental or bike riding, offering stunning views of mountains and sea, aboriginal villages, and tastes of the complex history of the Kenting peninsula.


6. Ride or scooter the Rift Valley side roads. The small roads like the Zhuofu Industry Road on the west side of the Rift, the 193, and the 197 provide excellent quiet and scenic alternatives to the heavily trafficked 9.


7. Visit the east side of Pingtung County. Pingtung's many wonderful places are often neglected because everyone is rushing to Taitung or Kenting. But places like Wanluan with its mix of religons and cultures, the aboriginal village of Duona, the 24 out to Wutai with its staggering views and long climb up through Sandimen are well worth a visit. Many nearby aboriginal villages offer interesting places to stay. The 185 that runs north-south from Gaosu to Fangliao is an enjoyable and largely flat ride, perfect for scootering or biking.

8. Something you haven't done yet. Because I know that list is both long, and long in the tooth.
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Nice list, I didn't know about that Little Burma place. More like this please!