8 Nights taiwan
- Includes accommodation (ex-Taipei), breakfast, transfers; all city tours are usually restricted to within city limits;
- Full day tours to Alishan, Sun Moon Lake, Taroko Gorge, Kaoshiung & Hsinchu respectively.
Beautiful Island. This is what a group of Portuguese sailors, said to have been the first Westerners to lay eyes on the island, uttered upon seeing Taiwan for the first time.
We imagine they must have been pretty enamoured. While not every Westerner has the same love-at-first-sight reaction to Taiwan,
our Portuguese seafaring friends were just the first of many. With the lush mountains of Wulai, pulsating cities like Taipei, the stunning basalt cliffs of Penghu ,
excellent hiking in Taroko Gorge, not to mention some of the world’s best hot springs (we especially like the Taian Hot Springs),
Taiwan cuts a figure as one of the most diverse destinations in Asia.
We imagine they must have been pretty enamoured. While not every Westerner has the same love-at-first-sight reaction to Taiwan,
our Portuguese seafaring friends were just the first of many. With the lush mountains of Wulai, pulsating cities like Taipei, the stunning basalt cliffs of Penghu ,
excellent hiking in Taroko Gorge, not to mention some of the world’s best hot springs (we especially like the Taian Hot Springs),
Taiwan cuts a figure as one of the most diverse destinations in Asia.
Not too long ago, the valley of the Danshui River Taipei, the bustling centre of Taiwan's commerce, government and culture. Over the last 20 years or so, Taipei has gone from being an ugly duckling of Asia to one of the region’s most dynamic, comfortable and liveable cities. Most important to the intrepid traveller, Taipei is also fun. If you take some time to explore, you’ll find that Taipei is a city that’s managed to strike a fine balance between business and beauty, and between chaos and convenience. Taipei is a city that works - i.e., it functions as a city should. It has a great transportation system, super safe streets, abundant green space, a world-class museum, a food culture second to none - and no one is too busy to stop and help if you look lost. Exercise is done day and night, visit the riverside bike paths and you will find people out cycling even after midnight. Good shooping for electronics, clothing, high quality tea, and cosmetics.
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Chiayi is best known as the access point of the scenic mountain area of Alishan. Some of the earliest pioneers from Zhangzhou in Fujian Province landed in Chiayi City and settled in the area near present Xingang. The inhabitants of the area remained loyal to the imperial govern-ment during the Lin Shuang-wen rebellion in 1786--a period of history recorded in artifacts preserved in Yimin Temple in Chiayi City. Chiayi Park and Botanical Gardens are a lovely way to spend the afternoon. The Botanical Gardens provide pleasant trails that weave you through a large variety of plants and trees native to the area. Alishan — "Mount Ali" — is Taiwan's most-visited national park. Sights around Alishan are signposted in Chinese, English and Japanese, and as you walk around the trails you'll find that nearly every tree of size, age or unusual shape has been dubbed with a fanciful moniker like "Elephant Trunk" or "Three Generation Tree".
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Nantou County is the second largest county of Taiwan. It is also the only landlocked county in Taiwan. Its mountainous area makes it a tourist destination; Sun Moon Lake is located in this county. Other well-known areas of the county are Hehuanshan and Sitou. Notable cities in Nantou: Nantou City, Puli. Nantou's Dongding Oolong tea is world-famous. Sun Moon Lake or Zintun in the Thao language, (also Lake Candidus) is the largest body of water in Taiwan as well as a tourist attraction. Situated in Yuchi, Nantou, the area around the Sun Moon Lake is home to the Thao tribe, one of aboriginal tribes in Taiwan. Sun Moon Lake surrounds a tiny island called Lalu. The east side of the lake resembles a sun while the west side resembles a moon, hence the name. The lake and its surrounding countryside have been designated one of thirteen National scenic areas in Taiwan. It's located 748 m above sea level. It is 27 m (89 ft) deep.
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Hualien is a city in Taiwan situated near the spectacular Taroko Gorge. Located on a strip of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Central Mountain Range, Hualien is considered one of the most pleasant cities in Taiwan. Many tourists visit the city to enjoy the scenery and fresh air and also to tour the famous Taroko Gorge, an impressive 19-km-long canyon, which is located a few miles north of the city. The area of the gorge is also identified as Taroko Gorge National Park. The Taroko Gorge is composed mainly metomorphic rocks, such as marble,gneiss, "schist",etc. The name, Taroko, means the "magnificent and splendid" in the language of Truku, the aboriginal tribe who resides in the area. The most phenomenal aspect of the park is the amazing relief. In a single afternoon you can travel from rugged coastal cliffs through a maze of subtropical forested canyons to high elevation subalpine coniferous forests.
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Kaohsiung is, with over 2.7 millions of inhabitants, the second most populated city in Taiwan after New Taipei and is located in the south of the island. Kaohsiung is known for its harbor, although more for commercial than tourism reasons. Hence it is also known as the Harbor Capital of Taiwan. Its year-round fine weather and the low cost of living makes Kaohsiung the place to visit. Kaohsiung is Taiwan's second largest city and its largest port. Although the ranking has declined steadily over the last few years, Kaohsiung is still the world's sixth largest cargo-container seaport. The Cijin District is a slender island in Kaohsiung harbor which serves as a natural breakwater for the harbor. The district is filled with seafood restaurants selling freshly caught seafood which can be prepared right after you pick it out. Cijin is connected to the rest of Kaohsiung City by underwater tunnels, besides the many ferries that traverse the harbor.
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A city in the north-western part of Taiwan. With a history of almost 400 years, Hsinchu is the oldest city in northern Taiwan. It was originally inhabited by an aboriginal tribe called Taokas who called the city 'Chuchang', and the present name, Hsinchu, was adopted at the end of the 19th century, during the reign of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Guangxu. It was also during the later Qing Dynasty that the city was expanded and the city's walls constructed, of which only the Eastern Gate remains. The average wage of the citizens of Hsinchu is now the highest in Taiwan, surpassing even that of the capital, Taipei. Hsinchu is a very pleasant city, though definitely not a tourist destination, and most overseas visitors travel here only to attend conferences or business meetings. However, with its abundance of hotels and good transportation links, the city is perhaps the best location to explore the beautiful mountain areas of Hsinchu County.
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