This small, sub-tropical nation packs a real punch. From Michelin-star food stalls in overflowing night markets and thriving arts scenes to bubbling thermal springs and 286 peaks above 3000 meters, Taiwan has something for everyone. The below posts are packed with information on planning a round-island trip, so come find out why I’ve made Taiwan my adopted home!
After I wrote an article introducing tea in Taiwan in 2016, I was contacted by representatives from several Taiwanese tea-related companies and organizations. One of these was Sam, one of three permanent residents at Global Tea Hut (國際茶亭)’s headquarters Tea Sage Hut (通聖亭) in Miaoli (苗栗), a small county capital in Central-Western Taiwan. At first …
One of Taiwan’s hidden gems is Taroko Gorge‘s Wenshan Hot Spring (文山溫泉, also sometimes spelled Wunshan Hot Spring or Taroko National Park Hot Springs), located in Xiulin township of visually stunning Hualien County. The awe-inspiring scenery, hidden location within a famous national park, and relative inaccessibility of this Hualien hot spring make it, in my …
It was with great excitement that Lavender (3), Sage (5), my wife Emily, and I packed our bags and hopped into a yellow cab in from our neighborhood in New Taipei City, Taiwan. Our destination: Grand Hyatt Taipei (see on Agoda / Booking / Klook / official site), Taiwan’s original (and largest!) five-star resort, for …
Lion’s Head Mountain (also known as Shitoushan or 獅頭山) is one of the most underrated attractions in Taiwan. Whether you enjoy hiking, are interested in Taiwan’s Buddhist and folk religious culture, want to spend a night in a temple, or simply want to get off the beaten track in Taiwan, Lion’s Head Mountain should be …
Museums have never really been my thing. I lived in Taipei for five years before I ever stepped foot in the National Palace Museum, one of the most important museums in the Chinese-speaking world. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the comparatively small Museum of World Religions Taipei (世界宗教博物館), the only …
Taiwan’s oolong teas are so good that they have been described as the “champagne of tea.” In recent decades, Alishan High Mountain tea has stood out from the crowd as the most sought after of Taiwan’s impressive array of teas. In fact, my (Taiwanese) father-in-law, an avid tea drinker, turns his nose up at anything …
Burma Street (Mandarin: 緬甸街) goes by many names. Myanmar Street is derived from the country’s official name today, while many still prefer the Southeast Asian nation’s former name, Burma. The actual street in Zhonghe, a crowded district of New Taipei City, is called Huaxin Street (華新街), while the New Taipei City government officially goes with …
When it comes to Taiwanese tea, oolongs like Alishan High Mountain Tea, Dong Ding, and Oriental Beauty are internationally renowned, but fewer people are aware that the country also produces some excellent black teas. While many of Taiwan’s tea growing regions do produce a limited amount of black tea, Sun Moon Lake is practically synonymous …
In order to put one of my new favorite oolong/wulong teas, Ai-Want Formosa Tea‘s 2015 Winter Dong Ding oonlong tea, to the ultimate test, I’ve decided to take extreme measures. I am going to carry out a trial on the pickiest, most captious food and drink critic that I know: my Taiwanese father-in-law. You’ll have …
Ruby Red 18 was the first tea sample that I received as a part of my subscription to Global Tea Hut‘s monthly Tea and Tao Magazine. Read more about my visit to Global Tea Hut and my full guide to Miaoli, where the international organization is based. When I first started writing about the amazing …
