See the True Taiwan: an insiders guide

One of the greatest, and worst, things about Taipei is its basin-like structure ringed by mountains. On hot summer days the heat and smog linger for what feels like an eternity and even strong winds can't blow it all way. Yet go up any of those mountains at night and you'll be rewarded with a spectacular view. Enter one of the all time classic things to do in Taiwan: The night view. Despite some rather intense discussion about if "night view" actually means anything in proper English, it's definitely what it's called here. Elephant Mountain at night in 2013. The most popular spot to take in the city at night is Elephant Mountain. You make the short but steep ascent to the large stones, turn around and...prepare to be even more breathless! On a clear night you can see the whole city from east to west, as well as almost entirely from south to north. Pre-dusk back when Nanshan Plaza hadn't gotten to full height. Elephant mountain. ...

Here's the best practical advice for renting a scooter during your time in Taiwan. If you live in Taiwan and hold an Alien Resident Card: Get a local license when you get here and skip trying the IDL all together. There is a written test, in English, at the DMV and a simple driving test - if you actually know how to drive a scooter - and you can get up to a 250cc machine or e-bike. Now you can rent scooters without an issue anywhere and you're covered by the minimal insurance policy it has! Bonus local ID too. As a Tourist: 2022 Update: Many countries now have reciprocal license agreements with Taiwan. The list is continuing to grow as time goes on, but with few exceptions you'll need a copy of your original license, a Chinese translation, and your passport. The program is intended for short stays Bear in mind when actually acquiring a vehicle you're still far better off holding  an IDL. Here's the link to pdf's about reciprocal licenses Bring your International...

Spring has finally arrived in Taiwan, which means there is about a two week window to get out and enjoy what may be the best hiking weather on earth until the temperature cranks up to unbearable levels. If you want to go somewhere that's close to Taipei, doesn't involve cramming it into a train to cat town, and is not full of other foreign faces, get down to Shiding 石碇. This is a day trip isn't far down the road from Shenkeng, the self proclaimed stinky tofu capital of Taiwan, but you'll still be getting long looks for being a foreigner here. The river view west and slightly south of the old street. A tribute to the village's mining history. Highway 5 runs overhead, Tanlan trail below. Off the beaten path? Not really, anymore, but still a great place to be for a day out of the city. It features genuine hiking, low-tempo river walks, and old street, and is based around an old school mining community. The main draw here is the hike at Huangdidian ...

A short drive from Luodong is the Yi Nong farm, or 宜農牧場, a family friendly place to let your kids get up close and personal with some very cuddly farm animals. There is also a cafe and a little store on the grounds, as well as tables to enjoy a little rest during your trip through Yilan. If you've never been to a milk farm or fed animals it's a great visit, and it's good people watching with all the kids being cute and crazy around the animals. A taste of cold, hard steel. The farm can get busy on the weekend and holidays, especially the Chinese New Year, so don't be surprised if there is a bit of a crowd. There is free parking on site for cars and scooters, and it's close enough you can use pedal power to arrive too. The animals have been conditioned by all the visitation so they are as safe and tame as nature allows, but they're not shy in asking for food. Cute beggars. Adult visitors should pay 30NT to visit the farm, and payment ...

A lot of people who visit and relocate to Taiwan are curious about getting out on two wheel in what has been described as a cycling paradise. The idea this island is paradise is a misnomer and puts way too much pressure on this island to perform. Taiwan is most correctly called a good place to cycle. All of Taiwan's cities are easily biked because the infrastructure is set up for scooters. You'll be moving slower than scooters and you won't be treated the same way, but there is definitely more respect than you'd get in most western cities. Drivers in Taiwan rarely have issues with bikes, and they're not driving badly to piss you off or to make a statement about the place bikes have in society. If they're driving poorly it's just because they're bad drivers, plus the driving culture here is based on perceived privilege and the idea that might makes right. There are also some rather glaring flaws in the legal system for punishing drivers who hit ped...

The Shifen waterfall is a once-private-now-publicly managed waterfall which sits just outside of the small railroad town of Shifen 十分. This is a must-see destination for people who are coming to the Pingxi 平溪 area on a day trip. The weekends get crowded and riding the tourist train can be a bit intense, and this write up focuses mostly on the waterfall which should be one of many stops on a full day trip along the old Pingxi rail line. The main drag in Shifen was built with the railroad running right down the middle of it and you used to be free to walk the rail lines unless the train was coming. There are new crowd control barriers but there is only one track so rail service is slow so you shouldn't be afraid of a passing train. Don't be afraid to walk out and grab a few pictures in downtown, although being on the tracks is technically a punishable offence. Getting shots of yourself and a passing train mere feet behind you are also an obvious must.  This street is a f...

Yangming Mountain, hereafter to be called yangming shan (陽明山) is a volcanic area set in Taipei City's northern Shilin and Beitou districts. For anyone in the city the name implies a vast area of peaks and valleys which include entire communities, colleges, hot springs, farms, and basically any area shaded green on a map of Taipei. Getting up all of the lower mountains eventually leads you up to the ultimate peak at Qixing shan (七星山). View from the top on a nice day Climbing qixing shan is a rewarding experience for anyone looking to get to the top of the tallest point in northern Taiwan. The next highest peak, snow mountain, requires a permit to get into, so qixing shan becomes the defacto mountain that lay people must conquer. And conquer they do. On busy days everyone waits around to get a photo with this. Note the heavy fog. A view up towards the eastern peak. Weekends are rather busy on the trails and on the roads during the early spring flower season when th...