View from our balcony - Guesthouse Dulan
I have been living in Asia since 2011, although i did spend a year in Japan between 2006-7. For some reason Taiwan never really appealed to me as a place to visit. This was definitely naivety and ignorance on my part. I have visited most counties in the region since moving to Malaysia but I had never really researched Taiwan. I had seen a couple of films set in Taipei by Taiwanese Director Tsai Ming-liang, which I loved, but they didn't paint Taiwan as a holiday destination. Anyway, I have never been so wrong about a place and I would recommend Taiwan for so many reasons.
We flew into Taipei and I immediately sensed a difference from other places I had visited in SE Asia or Indochina. Taipei felt to me more like Hokkaido with it's wide boulevards and the distant mountains. It felt organised and ordered, somewhere between Japan and China, different than Ho Chi Minh or Phnom Penh, both of which I love in different ways.
Taipei
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Theatre and grounds
Anyway, from Taipei we headed down the east coast toward Taroko National Park. Another thing I loved about Taiwan was the public transport system. Like most of Asia the transport was cheap, but in Taiwan it was efficient, punctual and easy to understand for foreigners (Europeans).
On the train
We stopped at Xincheng for the night to explore Taroko gorge and the national park. This is where the raw beauty of Taiwan hits you in the solar plexus. The train ride down the east coast from Taipei to Taroko is breathtaking.
After a night in Hualien, which wasn't the best town (sorry Hualien, it's all subjective and we had a lovely guest house) we got the train to Doulan. I have to say I loved Doulln, with the moutain range behind cascading down through the tropical jungle to the ocean's expanse in the crisp clear taiwanese azure light, it was magical.
Moonlight Cafe - Doulan
Our place in Doulan
Doulan
Doulan
Doulan beach
Anyway, after a few days we tore ourselves away and headed toward Kenting. A more 'famous' tourist town, Kenting was teaming with Chinese tourists when we got there. It had a great stretch of golden beach, but you aren't allowed to swim in the sea except for a small designated area. Not that it stopped us or the Chinese tourists.
Sunset at Kenting Beach.
Kenting has night markets along the main road through the town. It's a bit of a pain because it's so busy with tourists and the traffic keeps coming and there isn't much space to move. But it is interesting nevertheless.
Kenting
The final leg of our trip took us to Kaohsiung. I have to say this city was a real surprise. Like Taipei it was open and expansive as well as clean and modern. There was a real feeling of a young city with a vibrant arts and cultural scene.
Kaohsiung
Sorry, I ran out of words. We were only in Taiwan for a couple of weeks as tourists, but you get a feel for a place. It was easy to get around on public transport. The people were cool in the sense that they were friendly but not in your face. The landscapes and nature was fantastic yet it felt environmentally friendly and balanced. In fact don't go... don't spoil it.