If you haven’t visited Taiwan yet, make sure to include it in one of your stops if ever you have decided to take a trip this year. Taiwan is well known for its tourist friendly attitude, cultural attractions and scenic beauty.

Taiwan

Formerly known as “Llha Formosa”, derived from the Portuguese language which means “Beautiful Island”; Taiwan sits in the east of Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located in the southeastern coast of mainland China. Taiwan has so much to offer not only when it comes to the beautiful sceneries, but also tasty and exotic food.

Taiwan offers a multitude of options for accommodation ranging from international hotels, mid-range, budget, and private rentals. While the international hotels offer a number of amenities like fine dining, gym facilities and shopping arcades, there are also a variety of options for budget travelers like youth hostels and budget hotels.

When it comes to Taiwanese cuisine, there are a number of options to choose from. The Taiwanese cuisine carries influences from the Chinese, Japanese and even the Dutch cultures. The Hakka cuisine is more oily and spicy as compared to the Taiwanese cuisine which is relatively simple and light. Taiwan has opened up to more western cuisine in recent years, and there are now more and more cafes and restaurants with western style menus if that is what you prefer.

There are a number of places to see in Taiwan like Taipei 101, National Palace Museum, Taipei night markets and Toroko National park.

The Taipei 101 Tower is touted as one of the worlds tallest building, and up until recently was the holder of the title.

The National Palace Museum is situated in the suburbs of Taipei and houses a great collection of works of arts, calligraphy, paintings and world famous antiques.

Nature lovers can visit the Taroko National Park which has magnificent gorges made of marble and sandstone. You can also walk on the Liushue-Heliu Trail which has some great trails and tunnels and a glimpse of the magnificent flora and fauna.

Whether you are a nature enthusiast or a modern city dweller or a person who prefers to explore the past eras, Taiwan has something for everyone who visits this beautiful country.

Forget about peanuts, popcorn and Cracker Jack. Forget about pretzels and potato chips. Here in Taiwan, from the toothy reddish grins to scarlet splashes of spit on the ground, Taiwanese chewing gum (“binlang”) is the national craze. Betel nuts are the island’s second largest cash-crop after rice, worth about four billion dollars a year. Betel nut users absorb a heavy dose of arecoline, a stimulant in the binlang that causes a buzz and is equal to about six cups of coffee. It alleviates boredom and keeps drivers alert without blowing smoke in anyone’s face. Users look like Asian vampires, with sanguine saliva dripping from blood red teeth and dripping down their chins.

Of course, the attraction of buying betelnuts is not just in the quality and taste and sheer addictive nature of the nuts themselves. Much of the attraction is the prospect of buying your nuts from one of Taiwan’s many beautiful “Betel Nut Girls”. These girls, some as young as fifteen years old, sit in small glass booths at a raised counter in full view of the traffic, always available to run out to a vehicle and provide “roadside service” for betel nuts and drinks. They provide a highly desired product for truck drivers, car chauffeurs, taxi businessmen, blue collar workers, and scooter pilots alike.

Interestingly, as the number of betel nuts stands increases, the greater the competition for driver attention, and therefore the sexy salesladies wear fewer and more revealing clothes. However, though they dress like Harlem hookers, they are not selling sex. There is no “adult entertainment” in Taiwan — no strip bars, no red-light districts. These scantily-clad sexy girls may be sitting in their bra and panty and garterbelt underwear in the window across from a MacDonald’s restaurant, in full view of children’s playlands, but the Taiwanese don’t care – it’s part of the local landscape.