Had the delightful privilege of visiting Taiwan in the most local way possible, thanks to a friend of mine who's lived there for 30 years. Would absolutely recommend trying to capture the whole island as we did, if you ever have the opportunity.
The whole trip took 12 days including arrival and departure days, so ten days of actual travelling. We started in Taipei for a quick hotel stay and set off for Nanzhuang (pic 2). It was the very first destination on our itinerary and it blew me away. I'm used to the European climate, with the Mediterranean being the most tropical I've ever seen. Though located more the north-west, the Miaoli region is a good representation of the Central Taiwan jungle scenery. The thickness of the humid air (quite strange, given that we were in a mountainous region), the buzzing of the cicadas and the lush evergreen bushes really let you notice that Taiwan is indeed a tropical island. I had my first Beef Noodle (staple dish) in the nearby old town. Slightly to the north, in Yuanlin Village, we have noticed a beautiful submerged forest in a local reservoir. The trees resembled Cedars, as far as my limited arboreal knowledge goes. Still in the Miaoli region, in the old town, I had discovered a surprising local delicacy - the Osmanthus tea. Sold ice-cold by the locals, perfect for the scorching, tropical August heat.
Our route led us down south via the West coast of Taiwan in the direction of Taichung. A "must see" location, as it appears, turned out to be the historic region of Lukang. Visiting on August 16 seemed to be a lucky coincidence, as we have stumbled upon a scene of religious celebration (pic 1). Anyone more oriented in the religious customs of the Taiwanese, feel free to tell me about the festivity. After the hottest day (or so I thought) of the trip, we have eventually reached Taichung. The city was very surprising, reminding me of Chicago and New York, due to its clear urban grid layout and newly-built skyscrapers (pic 5). It seems to be a wealthy and well-developed city. The nightlife feels very safe, the city is impressively clean. And yet it doesn't seem like it has much more to offer besides a one-day visit on the way towards the southern Taiwan.
Continuing down south, a quick stop was made in the Monster Village (pic 6), where you can try some local noodle-based dishes (sometimes with crickets and other icky creatures) surrounded by a serene forest that emits a haunted vibe due to the name of the location. My biggest regret of the trip is not having the time to visit Tainan, the OG capital. But the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum sort of evened out the downside. As far as places of worship go, the Buddha Museum was stunning. Featuring a massive Buddha statue (108 meters tall!) (pic 7), a golden Buddha and a jade Buddha, the collection walks you through the importance of Buddhism for its worshippers. The temple staff was full of the nicest religious advocates I've ever had the pleasure of talking to. A line from a monk struck out to me: you don't have to believe in Him, we just want you to be tolerant.
One of the key destinations of our trip was Kenting, of course. The tourist heaven, and subjectively speaking the most overrated area in Taiwan, but it could very well be the impression of a European tourist used to the retiree communities in southern European coastal towns. Don't get me wrong - it still is a beautiful place with a stunning view of the ocean and a very fun night market (pic 9), where you can try everything Taiwan has to offer in the street food department, but compared to some other places in Taiwan and the PR Kenting receives, it's a bit underwhelming (pic 8, admittedly beautiful sunset at the Kenting region coast). The Longpan Park offers the - again, subjectively speaking - most interesting views you will see in the area, as it showcases a combination of lush evergreen palm shrubs and arid clay deserts (pic 10), reminding of the Roland Garros court.
Halfway across Taiwan and the journey, our next stop was Taitung - for whatever reason, the city of Doraemon (or Xiao Ding Dang, as they call him). You will find a decommissioned train station dedicated to the blue fella (pic 11) in Taitung. The area also has a hot-air balloon festival, but the weather conditions were unfortunate when we tried to get a view at the festival grounds. The city felt oddly empty, but it featured some interesting urban spots. Had my only McDonald's meal in Taiwan in the city. Highly recommended, as you can get premium quality unsweetened Taiwanese tea as an option. Side note at this point - with the amount of 7-Eleven and Family Mart spots spread out in Taiwan, it is highly recommended to use them as a base for refilling your essentials for the trip. Ice-cold unsweetened tea and the Taiwanese take on the onigiri (I think it's called Fan Tuan) make great companions in the hot humid hell Taiwan can sometimes be. Back to the itinerary.
North of Taitung, following the stunning east coast of Taiwan, you will find yourself blissfuly enjoying the most beautiful oceanside you will ever experience (according to myself) - and nothing else, for at least a hundred kilometres. Three hours of a road trip later, we have finally arrived at the destination which makes my eyes water whenever I think of it - the town of Hualien (pic 12). All due respect to Malibu, which up until that point was my favourite oceanside place, but Hualien is breathtaking. The little, quiet paradise makes you wonder how is it possible that so few people visit and inhabit it. As with many such destinations, its location is at the same time a privilege and a curse. The east coast of Taiwan is notorious for hurricane and tsunami activity. No later than two months after we visited, two massive earthquakes hit the area and took several lives. The region is beautiful, but tends to be lethal.
At this point of the trip I was already tired of the emotional toll Hualien and other places took on me. Needless to say, I was less than prepared for Taroko - the best national park on Earth (again, according to myself). You enter the park through a long and unsettling tunnel only to find yourself emerging in the Jurassic Park (pics 13, 14). Featured in Taroko: more temples, more evergreen landscape (this time in the shape of enormous mountain formations), beautiful tunnels and, above everything else, monkeys (pic 15). It's exciting to see monkeys literally walk right beside you, but beware of the little buggers - if you have any food on you, they will follow you until you give them everything. My friend lost a bucket of tofu this way.
Taipei was our final destination and we spent the last two days exploring the city. Obligatory trip to Taipei 101, absolutely not recommended to those with the fear of heights, but recommended to virtually everyone else as it features the best view of the city (pics 17, 18). The Chang Kai-shek memorial (pic 16) makes you appreciate the history of Taiwan at least a little more. And finally, saving a top 3 spot for the very last day of the trip, we have made our way to Jiufen. Located at the northern tip of the island, the old town makes you feel like you're in Spirited Away. Overcrowded, but definitely not overrated, it should be an obligatory destination on your travel list, if you're planning on visiting.
Summing up the experience, if you can enjoy travel destination with all of their pros and cons, and if you're not afraid of stepping off the beaten track, Taiwan can be the trip of a lifetime (obviously speaking from the experience of a western tourist). It's worth having a local guide of some sort, as the locals hardly ever speak English. You're more likely to see a Taiwanese person speak Chinese in your direction, expecting you to fully understand them, rather than hear English. Not a flaw, but a feature. The food comes in a plethora of varieties, but it mostly boils down to soups, noodles and snacks. If you like meat, prepare to eat fatty meat. If you're vegan, you will like it even more, as the majority of choices seem to be vegan-friendly. Don't go too heavy on the tea, although it's very tempting. Experienced a mild overdose first-hand. Sun Moon Lake (unfortunately not featured in any pictures) is the home of Taiwanese tea and you can find the best tea in the world in the area, worth every last Taiwanese Dollar you might have. The hotels can be a bit outdated, compared to European standards, but you will find perfect AC in every room, which seems to be the only requirement after a long day of traveling in the climate. A car is heavily recommended for the trip.