24 Hours in Taichung, the Heart of Central Taiwan
May 25th, 2023
Taichung, a boom town in the central part of the island, often features in our private tours of Taiwan. Especially popular with those planning a family tour or a food tour, the city offers an endearing blend of modernity and character — and it’s a launchpad for excursions to Sun Moon Lake and other destinations […]
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Food for Thought: The 2023 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition
May 4th, 2023
Great food is at the heart of any memorable travel experience, and a Life of Taiwan guided tour is no exception. Our regular guides and itinerary planners have a combined 200-plus years of eating out in Taiwan under their belts. We can bring you to places known for exceptional fine dining and hidden secret spots […]
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Small Town Portraits: Kezailiao near Kaohsiung
April 25th, 2023
Compared to the busy modern metropolis that lies a short distance to the south, the quaint coastal village of Kezailiao is a different world. Many of the fishermen’s cottages, built using rough chunks of coral stone or mud bricks more than 100 years ago, have fallen into the kind of picturesque decrepitude that delights photographers. […]
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Small Town Portraits: Dajia and the Million-Pilgrim March
April 18th, 2023
Thanks to its famous temple and a remarkable annual pilgrimage that begins and ends at the shrine’s entrance, Dajia (sometimes spelled Tachia) holds a preeminent place in Taiwan’s religious culture. Supporters of Jenn Lann Temple claim it is the island’s richest and most important shrine to Matsu, the sea goddess worshipped throughout Taiwan. Each spring, […]
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24 Hours in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s Maritime Metropolis
March 31st, 2023
You’ve spent several days revelling in the natural splendour of Taiwan’s unspoiled east or you’ve just finished exploring Tainan, the island’s historic former capital, and now you have a whole day in Kaohsiung before your fly out from this southern metropolis. Unlike Taroko Gorge and Taipei 101, Kaohsiung doesn’t have much of an international profile. […]
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Taiwan is Surrounded by Undersea Beauty: Scuba Photographer Wesley Oosthuizen
March 23rd, 2023
‘There’s so much to love about Taiwan. The mountains here are incredible, but I’m definitely more drawn to the ocean’, says Wesley Oosthuizen, a South African who’s made his home here for almost two decades. Wesley first travelled to Taiwan to teach English before leaving and then returning to work as a video editor. When […]
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Must-Try Taiwanese Breakfasts: Taipei
January 15th, 2023
When you’re in Taipei, why start the day with a generic hotel breakfast? Thanks to the winds and vagaries of history, Taiwan’s capital is home to more than its share of must-try Taiwanese breakfasts. More than a hundred years ago, breakfast for the inhabitants of the Taipei Basin would have looked very similar to their […]
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International Mountain Day and the Glories of Taiwan’s Uplands
December 9th, 2021
International Mountain Day, December 11, is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of mountains and their ecosystems to the entire planet — and in few places is this more relevant than in Taiwan. It’s often said that Taiwan is two thirds mountains. Rugged hills surround Taipei, and on a clear day you can see […]
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Why You Should Choose Train Travel in Taiwan
November 14th, 2021
Deciding on a mode of transport in a chosen travel destination is a more important decision than you might first think. In Taiwan, planes, boats, private vehicles, and bicycles are all highly feasible ways of exploring the island. Depending on your travel style and length of trip, all have their benefits and tradeoffs. But have […]
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A Rising Destination: History of Taiwan Tourism
September 27th, 2021
Taiwan has long been a place familiar to business travelers, but only in the past decade or so have people in Europe and North America begun thinking of this dynamic East Asian island as a vacation spot. The first effort to attract foreign tourists to Taiwan was made more than a century ago. During the […]
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Taiwan in 100 Books
November 2nd, 2020
Hoping to visit Taiwan when the pandemic eventually ends, and thinking of reading up on the island in the meantime? There’s no shortage of English-language books about this East Asia country. In fact, there are so many you may not know where to start. Since moving to Taiwan from his native New Zealand in the […]
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Taiwan In Colours: Yellow
September 22nd, 2020
Here in Taiwan, the hottest part of the year is coming to an end and we can begin to look forward to autumn. Yellow is the colour traditionally associated with the end of summer, and also a prominent feature in temples and shrines, especially those on the Buddhist end of the religious spectrum. The reasons why […]
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