Taiwan Travel Guide – Tips & Advice
5 Minute Read
Taiwan is a country in South East Asia. It is one of the next best destinations in Asia for world travellers and backpackers. Year on year it continues to grow in popularity. In this Taiwan travel guide, I’m going to tell you how you can visit the country yourself!
The country has a tropical climate, with 70% of Taiwan covered in mountains and rainforests. It is a great spot for adventure seekers with many serene hiking spots, gorges to explore, and waterfalls to swim in.
The east coast is a particular hotspot for its surfing beaches and chilled out villages.
Taiwan is relatively small and most of the sites can be seen in 2-weeks (although longer would do you no harm)!
It is inexpensive with delicious foods and plenty of incredible night markets. Taipei is one of the great cities of Asia and the friendly atmosphere that permeates the whole country makes it a wonderful place for backpackers.
Here’s what I’m going to discuss in this Taiwan travel guide:
- How to Get There?
- How to Get Around?
- Where to Stay?
- What to See?
- Food & Drink?
- Is it Safe?
- What to Pack?
- Suggested Itinerary
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See also:
Top 10 Tips for Adventure Travellers
1. Taiwan Travel Guide: How to Get There?
Taiwan is slightly tricky to get to. The main way to access the island is via plane. Taipei is the main transport hub providing flight paths from a number of Asian countries. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is the major airport.
There are a small number of flights direct from Europe and North America to Taiwan, but for the most part, a stop-over will be required. The majority of flights come directly from China, South Korea, and Japan.
Once at the airport it’s an easy case of taking a metro into the Taipei central station!
It’s possible to get to Taiwan via boat using the fast ferry from Pingtan (China) to Taichung (Taiwan) in 3 hours or the overnight ferry from Xiamen (China) to Keelung (Taiwan).
There are no bridges to Taiwan and it’s not possible to drive to the island under normal circumstances.
2. Taiwan Travel Guide: How to Get Around?
Taiwan is a small country and it can be travelled around with relative ease. The main barrier is its geography due to the mountains and jungles in its centre. Most of the transport options go from town to city all the way around the island via the coast.
The most popular way to travel around Taiwan is via train. The trains are fairly regular, cheap, and connect most major locations on the island. See train options here.
There are also some bus options to get to the smaller towns inland. The bus is generally slower and slightly less efficient but is still a good option. Here are the intercity bus timetables.
A popular choice with many backpackers is to hire a moped or scooter and to do a road-trip down the famous Route 11 on the east side of the country, stopping at all the surfer communities along the way.
It is a single coastline that hugs the coast heading south between Hualien and Taitung. The road is very easy to drive, the traffic is manageable, and it’s hard to get lost.
Having your own mode of transport allows you to manoeuvre around the island easier, free from transport restrictions. It is also great fun driving along the coast road with jungle on one side and sweeping beaches and ocean on the other.
Make sure you have an International Driver’s Licence if you hire a scooter. They aren’t always asked for but it’s good to have one just in case. I hired an electric scooter without one but you need it for the petrol/gasoline scooters. Oh and you need travel insurance too!
I hitch-hiked a few times on the Route 11, it’s a straight road connecting beach towns and it’s really easy to catch a ride 20 minutes down the coast to your next destination.
3. Taiwan Travel Guide: Where to Stay?
The main way I found accommodation in Taiwan, is by using Hostelworld. I stayed in hostels in most of the big cities. Taiwan has some great hostels with excellent facilities and a fun backpacker atmosphere.
In some of the smaller towns, there were no hostels, so I used booking.com to check into guesthouses. I like these because they’re smaller, more low key, and intimate. They provide you with a good chance to meet locals and other travellers in a homely environment.
If you are looking to rent an apartment or room with somewhere that has its own space, Airbnb is a good option. There’s a wide range of choice particularly in Taipei and the other major cities such as Tainan.
There are hotels and guesthouses that can be found by simply walking into them and asking for a room. It just so happened that my visit coincided with a public holiday. I spent a day walking around Taitung and being turned away from every accommodation option I could find because they were full.
I ended up booking a night at a town further south then returning to Taitung the following day. It was all a bit of a hassle.
To avoid this from happening to you, it’s worth booking in advance during the high season and over the weekends.
4. Taiwan Travel Guide: What to See?
Many of the best things to see in Taiwan are nature spots and outdoor landscapes. However, the cities also have lots of interesting culture and delicious food sites to visit too.
Although these are the “top sites” there are so many small waterfalls, jungle paths, hidden beaches, curious temples, old towns, and blue rivers, that it’s better to explore them for yourself. That’s one of the great things about Taiwan, there are a seemingly endless number of things to discover!
Taipei
Taipei has a range of amazing things on offer and you could easily spend a week here exploring them. Some of the highlights are Taipei 101, formally the world’s tallest skyscraper. This building soars 508 metres above the city and is iconic due to its stunning bamboo shape.
Next are the Taipei night markets. These are a must-visit if you’re interested in food and wish to immerse yourself amongst the locals. Some of the most popular night markets are the Raohe Night Market, the Ningxia Night Market, and the Lehua Night Market (although there are many more).
Make sure you go for a short hike up Elephant Mountain. You can explore some of the jungle trails whilst getting a stunning view over the city. It gets busy at sunset as crowds of people try to watch the skyscraper lights turning on around Taipei.
Hot Springs to the north of the city are a great place to visit. The Beitou Hot Spring (accessible via Xinbeitou metro station) is a popular spot to visit. You can walk along the creek to see the steaming water bubbling up from below before you enter one of the pools for a swim.
Be warned: there is a strict code for what you can wear in the pool. I was turned away for wearing board shorts and needed proper swimming attire to enter. Check the dress code before you arrive to make sure you’re not barred from entering.
If you have time, visiting Wulai Old Town to the south of Taiwan is a great idea. It is built from old wooden shacks and corrugated metal terraces that lean over the river. There are lots of waterfalls and hiking paths to explore in this area.
Taroko National Park
Just outside Hualien is the stunning Taroko National Park. Famous for its pristine waterfalls, clear tributaries and Liwu river, and the lush jungle. The Taroko Gorge is a main feature, with multiple walking paths winding amongst these steep granite walls.
Most people book a bus pass and hop on and off the shuttle bus that runs up and down the gorge. Some of the best spots to visit are the Shakadang trail, Swallow’s Grotto, and the Tunnel of Nine Turns.
Dulan
This is one of the coolest surfer towns in the whole of Taiwan. If you’re travelling along the east coast, you will likely stop in Dulan, and another popular village further north called Donghe.
It is a small hippy town with cafes, chilled hostels, and reggae bars. It feels like a mini Jamaica! Most people who come here do so for the surf, and there are plenty of places to book surfing lessons. The beach is quite rugged but that adds to the allure in my opinion!
Some sites are the old sugar factory which is now a cafe and a strange optical illusion called Water Running Upwards.
Kenting National Park
This is one of my favourite spots in the country. It is a volcanic national park of beaches, rocky coves, and palm trees on the southern tip of Taiwan.
Many travellers choose to stay in the city of Hengchun as it is accessible by train and has more accommodation options. It is inland from the coast but is a useful access point. Visit the ancient city walls during your stay and visit the Hengchun Night Market.
If possible, you can stay in Kenting which is right on the beach. I decided to hire a scooter and spend the days exploring all the beaches, snorkelling around the reefs, and walking around the black rock headlands and visiting the lighthouses.
Some of the best spots to visit are White Sand Bay, South Bay, Little Bay Beach, Eluanbi Lighthouse, and Sheding Natural Park – although there are many places to explore.
Sun Moon Lake
Southeast of Taichung, is the stunning Sun Moon Lake, set against the backdrop of Taiwanese mountains. The area is surrounded by many temples and lakeside retreats. It is a relaxing place to go and swim, walk, and sunbath in the idyllic mountains.
The best way to see the lake is by hiring a bike and cycling around its perimeter. There are well paved bike paths that skirt around the lake shores and bicycle rental stores in many of the towns.
The Taiwanese locals also visit this area as a popular holiday spot. It gets very busy during the holidays and on weekends. It is worth visiting in low-season to avoid the crowds.
Yushan National Park
A hiking haven home to the highest peak in the country, Yushan / Mount Jade (3,952 m). It is a remote area in the centre of the island and marks the Central Mountain Range. It’s accessible by a hiking trail to the east near the town of Yuli. It’s also accessible from the south by road and from the west coming from Chiayi City.
Many people who visit this area do so on tours due to its low footfall and secluded nature. If you want to go at it alone, there are visitor centres throughout the park offering info on trails and accommodation. Entrance to the park is free.
Green Island
Accessible by boat from Taitung, Green Island is a tropical paradise set in the Philippine Sea. There’s hiking around the volcanic mountain trails, excellent seafood to taste, and sunny beaches to lounge on. It’s similar to Kenting, just more remote! Some key spots to visit are the Lyudao Lighthouse, the eastern rock formations, and the Zhaori Hot Springs.
If you are interested in islands, Penghu Island off the west coast of Taiwan is another popular spot for holidays. Penghu Island is most commonly reached from Tainan.
Alishan National Forest Recreation Area
Alishan is a lovely area of natural beauty that boasts forested mountains and sweeping alpine views. Many people visit the park to hike then stay in one of the woodland lodges to watch the sunset over the mountains.
You can easily reach Alishan from Chiayi City. There is a 2 hour bus to get to the outskirts of the Alishan before following smaller hiking trails and shuttle busses deeper into the forests. Alternatively, it’s possible to get a bus from Chiayi City station to Alishan. Alishan also has a scenic forest railway.
5. Taiwan Travel Guide: Food & Drink
As mentioned above, if you want to sample the best Taiwanese food, you must visit the night markets. The evocative smells, chaotic noises, and delicious meals are not to be missed!
Taiwanese food is inspired by Chinese cuisine and I found it was also slightly similar to Japanese food.
In Taiwan, they eat a great deal of seafood due to the large stocks of fresh fish they can haul up from the surrounding waters.
Another really common dish is beef noodle soup. It is a rich broth with noodles, chunks of beef, and fresh vegetables on top.
Many of the youths eat Gua bao (also known as the Taiwanese Burger) as a popular street-side snack.
Scallion pancake (green onion pancake), oyster vermicelli noodles, pork buns, and stinky tofu can all also be sampled at the street markets.
Taiwan is graced with lush tea gardens. Oolong and green are two of the most popular teas the locals’ drink. As is the tapioca bubble tea. Beers are often drunk, generally in the form of light lagers.
6. Taiwan Travel Guide: Is it Safe?
Taiwan is a very relaxed country. On this trip, I traveled alone and I often walked around the streets at night and went into rural and remote areas. I rarely, if ever, found myself concerned for my wellbeing.
Many locals in shops, restaurants, and guesthouses were welcoming and kind to me. Lots of people spoke a bit of English which was a big help.
In fact, people came up to me quite often with friendly questions and helpful advice. I’d have locals signal me over to their BBQ and share their food on the beach with me.
A group of friends swimming at the same waterfall, asked me to join them for lunch. Locals at a hostel invited me for dinner with them. People came up to me on train platforms just interested about where I came from.
As you can probably tell, it’s such a friendly country and a real pleasure to travel in. I even felt confident enough to hitch-hike a few times. Twice in a car – with a surfer and then with a couple driving south in a 4×4 – and once on the back of a moped.
People were happy to offer rides, particularly along Route 11 between the surfing communities.
There was phone signal and wifi nearly everywhere I went and I didn’t feel isolated from the rest of the world if I needed to contact anyone!
If you’re ever worried about internet security whilst you’re travelling, it’s worth getting a VPN. I used Express VPN in China, Russia, and throughout Asia. It was excellent and it gave me that extra bit of privacy and security to know that all my data wasn’t being tracked and monitored by foreign officials!
If you’re hiring a moped or plan on hiking and doing outdoor activities it’s well worth getting travel insurance. I use World Nomads as I find they offer the best coverage for travellers and backpackers.
7. Taiwan Travel Guide: What to Pack?
Keep things lightweight for this trip. A single backpack of around 40-50 litres is plenty to travel around Taiwan. You don’t need to worry about bringing too many clothes.
The climate is tropical and warm. Bring beach things with you such as swimwear, vests, breathable t-shirts, hats, sunglasses, and suncream. It’s a good idea to bring a waterproof layer as downpours are common!
I recommend bringing a charging adaptor and a portable charger. They are always good to have with you when travelling.
Wear a pair of sturdy trainers as you will be using them for hiking and if you plan on driving a scooter. Flip flops and sandals are perfect for the beach!
I found myself reading a great deal in the hammocks at the hostels and on the beach. I recommend using an e-reader such as an Amazon Kindle whilst you’re out there to keep your collection of books lightweight.
Other than that, you should be good to go! The rest you can buy out there.
8. Taiwan Travel Guide: Suggested Itinerary
A two-week trip around Taiwan is the perfect amount of time. Of course, you can do it shorter and longer than that, but if you wish to see the highlights of the country without rushing around, two-weeks is about right.
Most backpackers aim to see the east coast as it has the most beautiful beaches and links the top of the country (Taipei) with the bottom (Kenting). If some of the other sites I recommend above interest you, then shuffle around the itinerary to include them!
Spend the first few days in Taipei exploring the capital city and visiting the cultural sites. Go to the night markets and visit Wulai and Beitou if you have time.
Head east along the coast by train Hualien to spend a day exploring Taroko National Park.
Spend the next few days travelling down Route 11 in whatever way suits you. Visit Donghe and Dulan for a couple of day’s chilling and surfing
Either stop on in Taitung to cycle around the beach to visit the Forest Park, or push on to Kenting.
Spend a couple of days snorkelling, and beach hopping around Kenting National Park.
Continue around the west coast stopping at Tainan, the country’s old capital, for a dose of history and architecture. If nature is on your mind, push on to Chiayi City and visit Alishan or spend a night at the gorgeous Sun Moon Lake.
On your final day, return to Taipei to fly home. Trip completed!
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