The surprising Asian island that should be on your travel wish list

With affordable new rail passes making travel around Taiwan easier than ever, here’s how to get the most out of your visit

Taiwan – llha Formosa (“the beautiful island”) to 16th-century Portuguese explorers – has everything you could want from an Asian destination: towering mountain ranges blanketed with cherry blossom; tropical beaches; cities where brightly coloured temples dot every corner; and excellent food – from street-side offerings at its famed night markets to gourmet dishes at its Michelin-starred restaurants.
And yet, the island has historically been a rare stop on the tourist trail – its appeal long limited by an association with geopolitical tension, despite being designated safe to visit by the Foreign Office. But now, at last, its charms are coming to the fore, with the number of foreign travellers surging (the island saw 47,000 British visitors this summer – 33 per cent more than last year) and holiday operators responding in kind.
Tempted? With an affordable new rail pass and an increasingly tourist-friendly landscape, there’s never been a better time to plan your trip. Here, we explain where to go, what to book, and how to discover one of Asia’s best-kept secrets, before the rest of the world does too.
Taipei is a bustling metropolis of three million people, surrounded by mountainous, subtropical jungle. The city is a tech hub and a creative centre, meaning that art is easy to find, whether at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, a vast tobacco warehouse repurposed into pop-up exhibition and crafts spaces, or in the murals on America Street.
Head to Taipei 101, once the world’s tallest building, to admire its earthquake-proofing “mass damper” and take in 360-degree views over the city, before stopping at the original branch of dim sum chain Din Tai Fung (dintaifung.com), whose xiaolongbao (signature soup dumplings) have been dubbed the world’s best.
Next, visit the National Palace Museum for ancient Chinese artefacts, and the imposing Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, where a museum explores the complex legacy of the leader who imposed martial law for decades. Later, browse for souvenirs in baroque-facade stores on Taipei’s oldest throughway, Dihua Street, or set out hiking the short Elephant Mountain trail at the edge of Xinyi District, where you can watch a magnificent sunset over the skyscrapers as you’re serenaded by cicadas. At night, check out Zhongshan district’s Japanese-style bars and the lively Yongkang area around Da’an Park.
Taipei’s food scene is legendary, centring around multiple night markets, where locals play funfair-style games while eating flaky scallion pancakes and guava sprinkled with plum powder (Raohe Street is a highlight). For something more formal, opt for hotpot – where you’ll cook raw ingredients in a steaming pot of medicinal broth (three-Michelin-starred Taïrroir is a sound choice).
Taiwanese culture is a unique fusion of Chinese, Japanese and indigenous influences. The Japanese established onsen towns when they colonised the island in the early 20th century, and today bathing in natural geothermal springs is a popular ritual. Taipei residents regularly take the 30-minute train to Beitou in Yangmingshan National Park, where you can relax in sulphuric springs for just £15. For a more upmarket experience, head to Wulai via the magical hilltop Yinhe Cave Temple and waterfall, where the springs are believed to be skin-enhancing.
Tainan – just 110 minutes from Taipei by high-speed train – is perhaps Taiwan’s most remarkable city. The island’s former capital, it is home to more than 2,000 Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist temples, and their aura seems to have seeped into the city’s bones, with gems to discover down every small, curved alleyway.
Start with a wander down historic Fuzhong Street to the Tainan Confucius Temple, stopping to sample the best vegetarian bao at Klin Tainan Baozi, before heading on to the architecturally splendid Tainan Art Museum Building 2. From there, wend your way to Shennong Street – a shop-lined passageway dating back to the Qing Dynasty – and over to the Anping district, where the Dutch colonial-era Anping Fort and 19th-century Eternal Golden Castle sit by the harbour front. If you’re a fan of current It drink bubble tea, make time for a stop at Hanlin Tea Room, one of two rival teahouses that claims to have invented the beverage in 1986.
Kenting, on the southern tip of the island, is a go-to spot for snorkelling with green turtles, but if you’re after a true escape, head for the volcanic Green Island on the south-east coast (home to the saltwater Zhaori Hot Springs), or better still, Penghu’s 90-island archipelago in the Taiwan Strait, where you’ll find crystal-clear waters and lilac reefs.
Taiwan’s central belt is mountainous, with 268 peaks – among them East Asia’s tallest mountain, 12,966ft Yushan (“Jade Mountain”, as its snowy peak glows green in winter). Hiking Yushan requires a permit and takes several days (though it’s well worth it), but equally impressive – if less strenuous – hikes are plentiful in nearby Alishan National Park, where you can wander the Alishan Sakura Trail’s cherry blossom-lined, lantern-lit pathways, taste oolong tea straight from the slopes (load Google Translate and do a tasting with the wonderful couple at Sing Sun Oolongtea), and ride the newly reopened Alishan Forest Railway.
Alternatively, make use of the excellent cycling trails at Sun Moon Lake (famous for the towering, ornate Ci’en Pagoda), or take the train from Taipei to Taroko Gorge National Park, where a bus will take you along the Qingshui Cliffs and up to dramatic views and beautiful hiking routes.
Taiwan has two distinct climates: subtropical in the north and tropical in the south (meaning summer monsoons). Spring and autumn are ideal times to visit, when all regions tend to have good weather and low humidity. Early March is peak cherry blossom season.
China Airlines (china-airlines.com) offers direct flights between London and Taipei from £830 return. An Uber from Taipei Taoyuan International Airport into the city costs around £25.
Palais de Chine Hotel in Taipei’s Zhongzheng District (near Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall) has rooms from £118 per night. Lakeshore Hotel Tainan has rooms from £61 per night. Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort in Wulai has rooms from £452 per night. Book a package trip to Penghu or Green Island for better hotel rates.
The country has just launched the Taiwan Pass, which includes a three-day high-speed rail pass, valid for travel around the whole island, with transfers to top attractions and a metro ticket, all for £60 per person.

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