Taiwan in Stijl

Taiwan is undoubtedly Asia’s best-kept secret. While most outsiders perceive the nation to be an endless sprawl of manufacturing plants and overcrowded cities, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Visitors are typically astonished to discover a fascinating and eclectic combination of cosmopolitan cities, a rich heritage and cutting-edge popular culture. What is perhaps most surprising of all are the vast areas of magnificent wilderness brimming with glorious beaches, breathtaking waterfalls, towering mountains, eight extensive national parks and a selection of alluring offshore islands. With its wonderful hot spring resorts, its innumerable temples, a remarkably varied culinary scene, and a night market culture that has become a central tenet of their national identity, this small island packs in a continent-sized list of fascinating attractions into one small, green and extraordinarily diverse little island.

Currency

New Taiwan Dollar (TWD; symbol NT$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of NT$TWD2,000, 1,000, 500, 200 and 100. Coins are in denominations of NT$50, 20, 10, 5 and 1.

The import and export of local currency is limited to NT$40,000 and a permit from the Ministry of Finance is required for amounts over NT$8,000. The import and export of foreign currency is unlimited, although amounts over NT$10,000 must be declared on arrival. All exchange receipts must be retained.

All travellers are required to make a currency declaration in writing together with the baggage declaration. Unused currency can be reconverted on departure, on production of exchange receipts.

Banking

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 09h00-15h30 and 08h30 to 11h00 on Saturdays (Closed Sundays and Public Holidays).

American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Diners Club credit cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops.

ATMs are found in all major towns, cities and airports and – with a few exceptions that only handle domestic accounts – are mostly compatible with international debit and credit cards. A lot of 7Eleven stores have cashpoints inside, which tend to be a safe bet for withdrawing with an international card.

Travellers cheques are cashed in most hotels, restaurants and shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars.

Various bureaux de change are on hand to convert international currency into New Taiwan Dollars, although the rate of exchange offered by ATMs is generally more attractive. If you do need to change notes, you’ll generally have no problem if you’re holding US dollars, British pounds, Hong Kong dollars or Japanese yen.

While there are a few domestic airlines that run services to local destinations from Songshan Airport, Taipei, the increase in high-speed rail services has reduced the need for air travel and has resulted in far fewer domestic flights than were previously available.

An adequate road system joins major cities. A highway links Taipei and Kaohsiung. Some main streets have English signs. Congestion can be a problem, and mudslides may block mountain roads. Bus and coach services between main centres are regular and cost-effective, often cheaper than trains.

Car hire is available in major towns. Most hire fees do not include insurance. The tourist board advises travellers to hire a car with a driver. Different rental companies have different minimum-age requirements, generally ranging from 20 to 25.Seat belts must be worn by the driver and the front seat passenger. An International Driving Permit is required.

Taxis are plentiful in the cities and larger towns. They are relatively inexpensive and metered. A 20% surcharge is charged between 23h00-06h00. An extra charge is made for a taxi ordered over the phone and for luggage put in the trunk. As most taxi drivers do not speak English it is advisable to have your destination address written in Chinese in order for the driver to understand it. It is not customary to tip taxi drivers.

Designated cycle paths have appeared all over the country, usually of a good quality, although in many cases they’ve been designed with ‘pleasure rides’ in mind rather than as a means of getting from A to B. Longer-distance touring is perfectly possible though, with the quieter East Coast particularly popular.

Private and public bus companies provide extensive services in Taipei. The MRT Mass Rapid Transit System (www.metro.taipei), Taipei's metro system, covers the major areas of the city. Trains are frequent, extremely reliable and run all day until midnight.

THSR (tel: +886 2 4066 3000; www.thsrc.com.tw) runs high-speed rail services down the west coast of Taiwan from Taipei to Zuoying. Services are also provided to destinations all over the island by the Taiwan Railways Administration (tel: +886 2 2381 5226; www.railway.gov.tw).

Standards of hygiene in relation to food health and safety in Taiwan, are generally high in upmarket hotels, restaurants, pubs and nightspots. Tap water in Taiwan is generally regarded as unsafe to drink as the pipes contain lead. Bottled water is widely available and usually well priced – a great number of hotels provide drinking water for guests as a matter of course. Milk is occasionally unpasteurised and should be boiled if necessary. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Vegetables should be cooked prior to consumption.

Much of Taiwan’s culinary heritage comes directly from China, which is good news for foodies. The Chinese, never at a loss for vivid description, refer to their cuisine as an 'ancient art of ultimate harmony: pleasing to the eye, mouth-watering and a delight to the palate'. Culinary styles come from all over China including Canton, Hunan, Mongolia, Peking, Shanghai and Szechuan, with Taiwan itself contributing a considerable amount of signature dishes in its own right. Fujian, the mainland Chinese province closest to Taiwan, has had the broadest effect on the overall food culture. Seafood is unsurprisingly a specialty across the nation.

Most hotels have restaurants offering both Western and Chinese cuisine and some of the larger hotels offer several styles of Chinese cooking.

Despite the island’s relatively small size, the fact that Taiwan is bisected by the Tropic of Cancer means weather conditions can vary considerably from the north to the south. There’s a subtropical climate with moderate temperatures in the north, where rain is common in the winter months. The southern areas, where temperatures are higher on average, are less prone to rain.

Summer can be uncomfortably hot across the island, making autumn and spring great times to visit. The typhoon season usually comes into effect in late summer and makes itself felt most forcefully on the east coast, although in some years the phenomenon is far more active than in others.

The summer months in Taiwan are extremely hot and humid so lightweight, cotton clothing and plenty of sunscreen is recommended. However, indoors in the main towns and cities and on buses and trains the air conditioning is often excessive so a light cardigan or scarf is useful.

Winter months can get chilly so if you are travelling at this time it is advisable to take warmer clothing. Taiwan experiences a surprising amount of rain year round so rainwear and a travel umbrella is always handy no matter what time of year you visit.

It’s not a good idea to wear overly skimpy clothing when visiting some of the stricter Buddhist temples, although light trousers and a t-shirt will always be considered perfectly acceptable for both sexes. It’s a wise idea to pack swimwear for the hot springs and the beaches although some single-sex hot springs require no costume to be worn. Bring a pair of sturdy shoes too – even if you’re not intending to go trekking, there are some enjoyable short walks to be had at natural attractions like Taroko Gorge.

Most upmarket accommodation offers Wifi (free or paid) in their business centres, rooms or restaurants. Internet cafés aren’t quite as simple to find as you might expect from such a tech-savvy destination. However the internet can be accessed at gaming centres which are ubiquitous in the main cities and larger towns. Internet connections are usually good. The Taiwan tourist office offers free internet access for tourists from abroad. Tourists can register online at: http://itaiwan.taiwan.net.tw

Electrical sockets (outlets) are in Taiwan are type A and type B and they usually supply electricity at between 110 and 120 volts AC. If you're plugging in a 120 volt appliance, or an appliance that is compatible with multiple voltages, then an adapter is all you need.

If your appliance is not compatible with 110-120 volt electricity, a travel plug adapter by itself won't be sufficient and you will require a voltage transformer.