Drinking the good black stuff at the 2024 Taiwan Coffee Festival
September 18th, 2024
Temples, mountains, tea plantations, markets… there’s so much to see and do in Taiwan. But even if you’re eager to soak up every experience this amazing destination can throw at you, there’s bound to be a time or two when you just want to sit down and enjoy a good cup of coffee. Taipei: A […]
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Taiwan tidies up after Typhoon Gaemi
July 29th, 2024
Less than four months after Taiwan was rocked by the region’s strongest earthquake in a quarter of a century, the island was soaked by torrential rains accompanying Typhoon Gaemi. Even though life has returned to normal for almost everyone, tourists heading to the Hualien area may have to adjust their plans. All of Taiwan’s counties […]
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Take the Train to Alishan: Full Service Resumes!
July 16th, 2024
The uplands of Taiwan are astonishing yet vulnerable. At least once a decade, typhoons blowing in from the Pacific dump such huge amounts of water on the island’s rugged interior that landslides destroy roads and cut off remote communities. One of the most serious typhoon disasters in the island’s history occurred in August 2009 when […]
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What’s the Best Time of Year to Visit Taiwan?
June 19th, 2024
Taiwan is as close to a year-round destination as exists on our planet. It’s never too cold to have fun, and even when the weather is at its hottest there are enough air-conditioned spaces and delectable cooling treats to keep everyone happy. Sometimes it’s wet, so wet in fact that forays into Taiwan’s spectacular mountains […]
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Taiwan Is a Fantastic Place to Bring Your Kids
June 11th, 2024
For those travelling with children, Taiwan is one of the world’s best destinations, and for many of the same reasons that make it a superb place for so many other tourists. It’s an exceptionally safe country with dazzling scenery, delicious food, rich culture, modern infrastructure, and welcoming people. Parents keen to visit Taiwan, but having […]
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Bigger and Better: Life of Taiwan’s Expanded Website
May 5th, 2024
We at Life of Taiwan are constantly updating, revising, and expanding the information and images we present on the 200-plus pages of our website. Some of these additions are made to save ourselves from answering the same questions again and again and to take some of the pressure off our hardworking itinerary-planning team. And from […]
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Is Taiwan Safe to Visit After the Earthquake? Yes! (Updated April 18, 2024)
April 8th, 2024
As most of the world now knows, just before 8 o’clock in the morning of April 3, the entire island of Taiwan was shaken by a powerful earthquake. The magnitude of the temblor was estimated at 7.2 by Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration and at 7.4 by the US Geological Survey, making it the strongest quake […]
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Let Snow-white Tung Blossoms Draw You into Taiwan’s Hakka Country
April 2nd, 2024
The Tropic of Cancer divides Taiwan into two parts. The south officially lies within the tropics, while two thirds of the island has a semi-tropical climate. The dampish conditions in the northwest have proved ideal for one particular tree species: Vernicia fordii, sometimes called the kalo nut tree but known to Taiwanese as the tung […]
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Six of the Best: Taiwan’s Most Amazing Churches
March 13th, 2024
Taiwan is one of the world’s most tolerant and religiously diverse societies. The majority of its nearly 24 million follow a mix of popular religion, Buddhism, and Taoism. Many of the gods and goddesses they worship are also venerated on the Chinese mainland and by ethnic Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Some practise a ‘purer’ […]
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A Short History of Taiwan’s Spectacular Teas
February 19th, 2024
Taiwanese people love coffee and they enjoy a far greater range of alcoholic beverages compared to just a few decades ago. Yet tea still holds a very special place in local culture. Per capita tea consumption has grown fivefold since 1980. In every supermarket and convenience store, you’ll see dozens of milk teas, black teas, […]
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Back on the Tourist Map! East Taiwan’s Sanxiantai Bridge
February 5th, 2024
One of East Taiwan’s major attractions is fully reopening to the public today (February 5, 2024) following more than a year of inspections and repairs that were made necessary by the earthquake which shook the region near the end of 2022. The distinctive eight-arch footbridge at Sanxiantai (‘Terraces of the Three Immortals’, a name with […]
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Shopping for Souvenirs During a Taiwan Private Tour
January 22nd, 2024
Because there’s so much to see and do in Taiwan — stunning mountains, intricate temples, and delicious food — it can be hard to find time to shop for gifts and souvenirs. Nonetheless, clients who sign up for Life of Taiwan private guided tours sometimes ask us what’s good to buy here and which places […]
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