Photo by Rovin Ferrer on Unsplash

Taiwan is underrated — here’s why you should visit

Here are just a few reasons why Taiwan should be higher on your travel bucket list:

• Taiwan has a really interesting blend of cultural influences: Chinese, Japanese, Indigenous Taiwanese, even a little Dutch... nowhere else is quite like it.
• It’s not as well-known and less at risk of over-tourism. In fact, Taiwan’s Tourism Administration recently started rolling out discounted air and train fares to meet their tourism targets! The entire island of Taiwan had 6.5 million visitors in 2023 — that’s half of the tourists that went to Singapore, and a quarter of the tourists in Japan.

Raohe Night Market, Taipei // Photo by Vernon Raineil Cenzon on Unsplash

• Taiwan has excellent public transportation systems, including high-speed trains that can get you around the island in just a few hours.
• It has jaw-dropping landscapes and unspoiled national parks. Its Portuguese name, Formosa, translates to “Beautiful Island.” Beaches, mountains, hot springs, cherry blossoms— you name it, Taiwan has it.

Left: Taroko National Park, Hualien. The Hualien area suffered an earthquake in April 2024, you can help reinvigorate the local economy—like this local tour company I loved! // Middle: Wuji Tianyuan Temple, Taipei. Photo by Henry & Co. on Unsplash // Right: Qingshui Cliff, Hualien. Photo by Bells Mayer on Unsplash

• You get a lot of bang for your buck. Food, lodging, and attractions are all fairly cheap so you can treat yourself to extras.
• Taiwan’s food is aaaaahmazing, from the bustling night markets to the welcoming sit-down restaurants. You can find any type of Chinese or Japanese cuisine you want, and don’t forget the Taiwanese specialties. Just a few words to get your mouth watering: Beef noodle soup. Popcorn chicken with Sichuan pepper and fried basil. Mango shaved ice. Scallion pancakes. Pineapple cake. A four-story Din Tai Fung that really is better than the others. Bubble tea — which was invented in Taiwan!

Mango snow ice and custard from Smoothie House, Taipei

• Taiwanese people have promoted a culture of being very friendly, helpful, and welcoming — our hosts were all so kind to us.
• Taiwan is more progressive than many of its close neighbours. It was the first country in Asia to legalise gay marriage, it has a democratically elected president, including a female president from 2016–2024, it values freedom of expression, and it’s pretty vegetarian-friendly (although that’s not out of the ordinary for places with Buddhist influence).

A-Mei Teahouse, Jiufen // Photo by Y K on Unsplash

• Taiwan is also very safe. It’s been named one of the safest countries in the world, consistently recommended by solo female travellers, and ranked high among Asian countries for Black travellers (see more info here and here).
• There’s a fair amount of English signage and you can get around really well with Google Translate, although people appreciate the effort of learning basic Chinese phrases.

Woman in Indigenous dress // Photo by Makoto Lin & Taiwan Presidential Office via Flickr

• It has thousands of years of history — in fact, it was the origin place of the Austronesian expansion, a prehistoric migration across the sea which dispersed to islands such as the Philippines, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and Hawai’i.
• Taiwan’s nightlife is great. I’m not particularly a party person, but with multiple night markets in just about every city, there’s always something to do. There are many festivals too, from the Lantern Festival during Lunar New Year to the Dragon Boat Festival in June.

Photo by Charles Postiaux on Unsplash

• Taiwanese art is beautiful. I loved the traditional architecture, especially the Buddhist temples. But the modern art is just as good—in markets like Tainan’s Hayashi Department Store, I’ve never found so many cute magnets that I wanted to take home… I think we brought back 4!
• In my opinion, it doesn’t feel falsely glossy, like the tourist areas have been gussied up and real life hidden is from view. Taiwan’s cities have a refreshing modest beauty and the middle class seems stronger.

Morning in Alishan National Scenic Area

• There’s no shortage of active things to do. You can cycle any stretch of the thousands of kilometres of bike paths. You can wake up to see the Sunrise “Sea” at Alishan, then hike the cloud forests with no one but the odd macaque for company. You can go surfing in Pingtung, where the sport is relatively emerging.
• Lastly, Taiwanese people generally don’t have a dislike for tourists. They want Taiwan to be more well-known, and they appreciate when visitors recognise and respect the beauty of their home—which is impossible not to do when you see how amazing it is.

Taipei // Photo by Timo Volz on Unsplash

Enjoy your trip to Taiwan! ❤️🇹🇼

If you need any planning assistance, I highly recommend Nick Kembel’s website, which has detailed and easy-to-understand resources for English-speaking visitors to Taiwan.