By Lauren Juliff
I've been gushing about Taiwan for the past few weeks in my newsletter, so it's about time I sit down and share what makes this country so great, and why you should travel there.
The People are So Friendly
There are many
countries around the world where you could say they have the friendliest
people, but I bet you'll find that Taiwanese are the friendliest of
all.
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Taiwan is a place where a huge gang of teenagers will
approach you, break into huge smiles, and welcome you to their country.
It's a place where if you're looking lost, someone will approach you to
see if they can help you get to where you need to be -- and if they can,
they'll make themselves late in order to do so. It's a place where if
someone hears that you want to visit one of their tourist attractions
but can't figure out the public transport network in order to get there,
they'll take the day off work to drive you there to make sure you get
to see it. Yes, all of those happened to me on my first visit to the
country!
And I may have left claiming it was my favorite country in the world. It still is.
The Food is Incredible
Taiwanese
food isn't the most well-known cuisine in the world, but I can't figure
out why, as it ranks right at the top of my list of great food!
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has a thriving night market scene, where you can eat for a few dollars a
meal, full of unidentifiable goodies. Grilled squid on sticks, bright
purple sweet potatoes, dumplings, meaty soups, pancakes, egg tarts, and
dozens of tropical fruits are all on offer to buy, along with many other
foods I can't identify!
And if street food
isn't your thing, you can eat out at the restaurants and be guaranteed a
delicious meal at practically every one. It's not just Taiwanese food
-- you can find excellent Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, Spanish, Canadian,
British, and more, too!
The Scenery is Spectacular
When
you think of beautiful countries, Taiwan probably doesn't jump to mind,
but it's actually full of stunning scenery -- and it's very diverse,
too.
In the south you can find tropical beaches and islands to
explore, on the east coast there are mountain ranges and gorges, with
beaches to surf at, further inland you'll find Sun Moon Lake
-- a lake in the shape of a sun and a crescent moon. In the north there
are hot springs waiting to be discovered. And Taipei is a vibrant,
world-class city if you're more of an urban adventurer.
It's Easy to Get Around
There
isn't much of a language barrier in Taiwan, which makes it very easy to
navigate the country and get around. The transportation system has
announcements and signs in English so you can be sure you'll never miss
your stop, and it covers much of the country.
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One great
experience to have is to ride the high-speed rail from one end of the
country to the other -- it only takes a couple of hours and is one of
the fastest trains in the world!
It's Not Too Expensive
Taiwan
isn't as cheap as Southeast Asia, but it's still very affordable -- the
only major expense is accommodation. Dorm rooms at hostels tend to come
in at around $15 a night in well-rated places, with private rooms and Airbnb apartments coming in at around $50 a night.
Transportation
is cheap, with the local buses and trains only costing a few dollars
for each journey. The metro in Taipei doesn't cost more than $2 per
journey.
Food can be exceptionally cheap if you're looking to eat
local. Night markets offer plenty of options for filling your stomach
at low prices of several dollars, and the one-dish stalls you'll find
set up all over the city offer a similar price.
So, what are you waiting for?
