TAIWAN
GREAT ESCAPE
ON THE ROAD
HOW TO GET THERE
There are direct flights to Taipei
Taoyuan International Airport from
both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur on
EVA Air (from US$255; evaair.com).
The inner-urban Songshan airport is
used by domestic and short-haul
flights only.
HOW TO GET AROUND
Most visitors to Taiwan use a
combination of trains, buses and taxis
to get around. Spacious, streamlined
High-Speed Rail trains run from Taipei
to the Kaohsiung suburb of Zuoying
in as little as 1h35min (from US$50
one-way; thsrc.com.tw). Local trains
complete the loop round the island’s
east coast (railway.gov.tw). A wide
network of tourist shuttle buses
covers the gaps between train
stations and major attractions
(taiwantrip.com.tw). The Kenting
Express Line, for example, runs from
Zuoying HSR station to Kenting
(US$13; 2¼ hours). Few visitors rent
cars for their stay, although Taiwan’s
highway network is good and
English-language road signs are
widespread. Scooter rentals, though,
are particularly popular in Kenting.
Taiwan has fallen for cycling in a big
way in the last decade, and rental
shops are widespread.
When navigating addresses, be
aware that different systems used
to transliterate Chinese characters
over the years have often left a
variety of spellings for the same
location: Taipei’s Zhongxiao Road, for
example, could also be written as
Jhongsiao or Chunghsiao.
HOW LONG TO SPEND
This itinerary can be covered in eight
days (including a day in Taipei to get
through jetlag) but a longer trip of up
to two weeks would allow more time
to explore, or to add in extra stops,
such as Sun Moon Lake in the central
mountains. For extended stays,
consider a short flight over to one of
Taiwan’s offshore islands, such as the
Penghu Archipelago or tropical Lanyu.
WHAT TO BUDGET
Mid-range hotel rooms start at
around US$100–US$125, with
high-end options costing US$266 or
more. Factor in weekend price spikes
for out-of-town locations popular
with tourists. Food can be very cheap,
with night-market dishes for around
US$2–US$3 apiece, and quality
multi-dish meals for US$15 a
head or less in many places. Taipei
commands a slight premium, and
fancier restaurant menus will
typically include both dishes priced
more cheaply than their UK
equivalents and also hugely inflated
prestige options, such as abalone.WHEN TO GO
Most of the island is warm and humid
year-round. Temperatures exceed
30°C in summer, before falling to
lows in the mid-teens from December
to February. Rainfall patterns vary
across the island, but also tend to
peak in summer. High season is in July
and August (and also around Chinese
New Year in January or February);
October and November are pleasant
months to visit.WHO CAN HELP
Wendy Wu Tours’ 11-day Taiwan
Uncovered private tour visits all the
locations in this article, plus Sun
Moon Lake and Kaohsiung city (from
US$4850; wendywutours.co.uk).
Regent Holidays also runs a small
selection of Taiwan group and private
tours, including one conducted by
train (from US$2640; regent-
holidays.co.uk). Both companies offer
tailor-made options.HOW TO PLAN
Our Taiwan (US$27.99) guidebook is
a comprehensive
guide to the island.
For more Taiwan
travel ideas, visit
eng.taiwan.net.tw.Eat
Island specialities like beef
noodle soup. Though food in
Taiwan includes dishes from all
across China, ones with a more
local identity include so-called
stinky tofu, with a taste close to
blue cheese.Step into
Taoist and other temples by the
correct door. Enter by the
right-hand dragon door (step over
the threshold, not on it) and leave
by the left-hand tiger door. The
middle gate is for high officials,
the god of the temple or other
deities paying a visit.Watch
Films by Taiwanese-
American director
Ang Lee, especially
1994 Taipei-based
family drama Eat
Drink Man Woman.
Many scenes from
Life of Pi were shot
in Kenting, not far
from his hometown
in Pingtung County.Drink
Bubble tea. In addition to
the classic cold milky black
tea with tapioca ‘pearls’,
most stalls present a
bewildering variety of
options: hot or cold with
fruit flavourings and
alternatives to tapioca.Say
‘Zi yue’ (‘Confucius said’)
Admire
The jadeite cabbage in
Taipei’s National
Palace Museum. This
block of green and
white stone, ground
into vegetable shape,
was a curio for
Chinese emperors
in the 19th century.