Why Taiwan
The island is four hundred kilometres long and its relief cuts it in two: a central range passing three thousand nine hundred metres, a western plain where most of the population lives, and a wild, thinly populated east coast.
Taipei in the north, dense and well connected. Taroko Gorge, marble and cliffs, on the east coast. Sun Moon Lake in the centre. Tainan, the old capital, in the south, with the island's oldest temples.
October to April: dry and temperate. From May to October it is typhoon season, peaking in August and September. Summer is hot and very humid.
Entry and stay
Requirements depend on nationality. Check yours with the local authorities before booking.
No duration is quoted here, for want of an official source verified at the time of writing — 22 September 2026.
Getting around
The high-speed line runs down the west coast and puts Taipei about an hour and a half from Kaohsiung. The conventional network loops the whole island, including the spectacular east coast.
The Taipei and Kaohsiung metros are modern and run on the EasyCard, which also works on buses, conventional trains and in many shops.
The scooter is the dominant local mode outside the big cities.
Money
The Taiwan dollar. Cash dominates more than you would expect for a country this developed: many small restaurants and night markets do not take cards.
Cash machines in the round-the-clock convenience stores accept foreign cards and are everywhere.
Health
No vaccination required from Europe. Malaria is absent.
The health system is excellent and inexpensive. Dengue appears in episodes in the south.
Before you go
Night markets are the country's food institution, not an attraction: Shilin and Raohe in Taipei, Liuhe in Kaohsiung. They open in the late afternoon and close late.
The round-the-clock convenience stores are a de facto public service: you pay bills there, withdraw cash, collect parcels and eat.
Typhoons stop everything — trains, flights, urban transport — and the authorities declare "typhoon days" that close offices and schools. Following official notices is essential from July to September.
Taroko suffered severe damage in the April 2024 earthquake and sections of the park remained closed for works. Check what is open before building a trip around it.