Not to be Missed: Taiwan Is a Beautiful, Yet Often Overlooked Destination

Taiwan is a diverse country and although most people believe it to be a smaller version of China, it has its own culture that makes it unique. This beautiful island is filled with a variety of cultures, from its strong native community of Taiwanese aborigines, to the Chinese and Japanese settlers bringing with them a rich source of mixed heritage. The variety of people, sounds and smells can be compared to a spice rack filled with a colorful array of beautiful blended colors, textures and flavors that define the essence of Taiwan.

Just like the Taiwanese culture, the city of Taipei is full of wonderful surprises where one can walk through the markets and get a taste of both the country’s agriculture and its local businesses. The smell of the fresh fish market is just one of many sensations arising from the markets where different shops sell beautiful jade rings and necklaces. One can shop for hours at the different night markets and buy everything from a late night snack to underwear.

The metro system was easy to use and many of the most famous sites such as Taipei 101, the night markets, the Taipei Zoo and many temples were easily accessible by public transportation. You could spend a week alone just discovering the city as it is very affordable and the shops were one-third the price of the Korean markets in Seoul. Many of the shops were also promoting Korean clothing brands, so if you missed Korea, you could purchase some Korean delights for around the same price.

When you are tired of the city and seek the natural world, Taiwan has some beautiful hot springs to enjoy. Similar to Korea, the hot springs have separate female and male spas in which you are expected to be fully naked. These natural hot spring spas are located partly outdoors with a view of the surrounding mountains and so provide a refreshing view of nature while you soak in the rejuvenating waters.

My favorite part of my trip was visiting Hualien County. I took the fast train, which followed an inspirational coastal route, so every once in a while you got a glimpse of the bright blue ocean hitting the stony shorelines. Hualien County is not to be missed. The natural beauty will overwhelm you as its majestic views of the foggy mountain tops seem to come out of a painting and are reminiscent of the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, with the rocks being shaped by nature.

So although Taiwan simply looks like a rather small island south of Korea and one could easily overlook it as a vacation destination, this island definitely has more to offer than just a view from Taipei 101. While most people spend their winter vacations going to some island paradise with sandy beaches, I picked Taiwan instead, because in Taiwan, one can truly experience the delicate yin and yang balance between the urban and the natural worlds.