What are some cool places to visit in Taiwan outside of Taipei? I may go there for a bit to work remotely and hang out. I like history, archaeology, museums, hiking and the outdoors, and good food (but game for anything). - ThreadSky

faineg.bsky.social • 63 days ago

What are some cool places to visit in Taiwan outside of Taipei? I may go there for a bit to work remotely and hang out.

I like history, archaeology, museums, hiking and the outdoors, and good food (but game for anything).

Comments

2krebecca.bsky.social•63 days ago

I spent a month in Taiwan last year. I loved the whole place-the people the scenery the food-Alishan is awesome, Tainan, Khaosuing, Hualin, Fenqihu. The whole country was fantasic

xunlingau.bsky.social•63 days ago

@spectralcodex.com may have a few suggestions that are a bit more off the beaten path.

He got a big list of places sorted partly thematically here:
https://spectralcodex.com/

faineg.bsky.social•63 days ago

Yesssss this is perfect

spectralcodex.com•63 days ago

Bear in mind this project runs the gamut from National Palace Museum to Some Weird Rock or Unusual Hole In The Ground 😵‍💫 but if you're up for obscura, have at it!

xunlingau.bsky.social•63 days ago

Exactly why I recommended it 😄

faineg.bsky.social•62 days ago

Obscura is exactly why I travel! I love a weird rock

6pnonethewiser.bsky.social•62 days ago

If I legally change my name to 奇怪石 can I get free obscure travel tips?

stephaniecarvin.bsky.social•63 days ago

I went to Yilan this past summer and it is gorgeous. Stayed at the Hotel Royal Jiao Xi. Lots of stuff to do in the region. I went to the Kavalan Distillery and the National Centre for Traditional Arts.

stephaniecarvin.bsky.social•63 days ago

But I would also ask @aimenlau.bsky.social

faineg.bsky.social•63 days ago

Yessss

aimenlau.bsky.social•63 days ago

Will get back to you with an extensive list!!!

faineg.bsky.social•63 days ago

Omg thank you so much!! I’m thinking of spending 3 weeks there

aimenlau.bsky.social•63 days ago

For hiking:

@taiwantrailsandtales.com has a great guide on hiking that can be found here https://taiwantrailsandtales.com/

There’s Parkbus Taiwan that organizes hiking trips to trails that are inaccessible by public transport and also deals with the required permits https://parkbus.com.tw/C/us/home

mirthfulisles.bsky.social•63 days ago

Kavalan distills solid whiskey!

leshij.bsky.social•63 days ago

It’s honestly all great, but in no particular order

1) I feel like Kaohsiung is underrated as a city and is quite cool, at least to visit

2) echoing what other people said re: the entire east coast, but taitung is particularly chill

3) kinmen is probably too out of the way but def interesting

selina3sticks.bsky.social•63 days ago

@pitbullallie.bsky.social ?

pitbullallie.bsky.social•63 days ago

I've never been to Taiwan! Glad you thought of me though, lol.

rshean.bsky.social•62 days ago

1. Kinmen or matsu: extensive abandoned bunkers and fortifications. General cold war historical vibes and some museums of mixed quality 😅. Jinmen has lots of cows , old buildings and some cool hikes. You can see xiamen across the water

rshean.bsky.social•62 days ago

2. Tainan. Sooo mucch history! Loads of Japanese colonial era buildings, traditional Chinese architecture, museums, temples, old dutch forts, and meandering little alleys. The food is yummy and cheap. The art museum consistently has some of the weirdest wonderfulest most thought provoking exhibits.

rshean.bsky.social•62 days ago

3. Orchid island has completely different culture, language and lifestyle from the rest of Taiwan. It's home to an aboriginal group that only very recently came under Taiwan's influence. Great water activities, cool hikes, fun little book stores/coffee shops and yummy flying fish.

rshean.bsky.social•62 days ago

It's also where the government secretly hid nuclear waste. (I forget the whole story but I think they lied and said the facility was a fish cannery or something) Not sure if you can visit if you arrange in advance but you can definitely walk by the outside of it.

rshean.bsky.social•62 days ago

4. If you're biking , the section north from kending, through xuhai to shouka, is my favourite stretch of road in taiwan. It's desolate, it's super green. There are monkeys. You can see the ocean from the mountains and then you're on a narrow little road with waves practically breaking on the road.

rshean.bsky.social•62 days ago

5. Speaking of biking, Taiwan is amazing for biking. The whole island can be biked around in 1-1.5 weeks or if you have time, stretched into 5 weeks 😅. The east side and small roads into the mountains in the north are generally nicer than the busy roads along the west coast.

sonnyphoenix.bsky.social•62 days ago

Taichung is a great city with a lot going on. Hualien is a very chill town. Anywhere in the mountains is beautiful. Chiayi is on the down low a great city. Just hit the HSR, jump off in a few spots and ask a cabbie!

sonnyphoenix.bsky.social•62 days ago

Taiwan has incredible food. They seem to have a real knack for finding a food or concept they love, then co-opting and customizing it to make it their own. Eat on the street for cheap. The worst meals I’ve had have been the most expensive.

sonnyphoenix.bsky.social•62 days ago

Also, leave the cobra liquor for someone else. That’s not for you.

faineg.bsky.social•62 days ago

Hah, I used to live in Cambodia. I’ve already had that shit before. It it nasty. Tastes like mushrooms and death.

faineg.bsky.social•62 days ago

Yep, I loved the food in Taipei. Amazing street food.

markbirch.bsky.social•62 days ago

Hualien is a pretty chill town on the East Coast. Can be pretty quiet, but also helps for doing focused work.

Kaohsiung on the southern tip is also chill, lots of beach areas and hiking trails and various museums.

markbirch.bsky.social•62 days ago

High speed rail (HSR) only takes 90 minutes between Taipei and Kaohsiung (Zuoying Station) on the fastest route.

For Taipei to Hualien, train is more like two hours.

ehundman.bsky.social•63 days ago

Kaohsiung has a great arts scene, with lots of historical sites nearby (Zuoying, esp)

rjpbrothermaynard.bsky.social•63 days ago

Watch the sunrise over the Alishan mountains.

rjpbrothermaynard.bsky.social•63 days ago

Also, they have a lot of hiking trails as well.

cmonmaque.bsky.social•63 days ago

Fiancée says excellent hiking and mountains but I’ve yet to be there

aimenlau.bsky.social•63 days ago

Tagging @spectralcodex.com also for any other ideas :)

wijama.bsky.social•62 days ago

If you make it down to Taichung you must go to NTMofA, I go to art museums in every city I visit and it is probably my favorite

probably.live•63 days ago

Kaohsiung City if you want more of the southern culture. To see more history go to Tainan

rjpbrothermaynard.bsky.social•63 days ago

You can also visit the Foguangshan Monastery outside Kaohsiung as well.

edithcharles.bsky.social•62 days ago

Sanyi, the wood carvings there are probably the most breathtaking art I've ever seen

faineg.bsky.social•63 days ago

I love Taipei but I’ve been before - would like to see more of the country!

mirthfulisles.bsky.social•63 days ago

Since you like ships, Tainan does have an old WW2 US destroyer that the ROC Navy got. It's upgraded with missile launchers. There used to be a replica of one of the sailing ships used in the Imperial Chinese expedition to kick the Dutch out of Taiwan nearby, but it may have been scrapped.

faineg.bsky.social•62 days ago

Ooh interesting

mirthfulisles.bsky.social•62 days ago

It's the ROCS De Yang/Te Yang

https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=469ae947-424e-41ed-87a3-b92a32d618d9&cp=22.98861~120.149158&lvl=16.48&pi=0&imgid=257caa2f-f462-4764-b17e-482bae5ca3d4&v=2&sV=2&form=S00027

mirthfulisles.bsky.social•62 days ago

There's a proper castle/fort across the street and two more a short taxi ride away.

kewl.bsky.social•63 days ago

Yilan is a bus trip away for hot springs or Drifter’s Pub near the beach. Or head up to Jiufen and stay at a bnb.

accidentalflyer.bsky.social•63 days ago

Definitely the East Coast. The whole coast.

madeleineodea.bsky.social•62 days ago

Tainan, the old capital, is chill central 😎Hand painted signs, art deco buildings, wonderful street food, especially at breakfast ☕️ It also has an excellent fine art museum. Kaohsiung has a great contemporary art etc scene. Also good for cycling, seafood, a swim in the Taiwan strait 😉

madeleineodea.bsky.social•62 days ago

#Tainan

peterdebode.bsky.social•63 days ago

Jiufen, the Miyazaki village, Fort Zeelandia..Kaosiung..

peterdebode.bsky.social•63 days ago

I think you can do east coast by train..

peterdebode.bsky.social•63 days ago

There's some bamboo forest hike..Chiayi ?

shuwanggong.bsky.social•63 days ago

Tainan for history and culture and excellent cafes for remote working. Taitung County for nature and indigenous Taiwan. Perhaps you could make the little surfing hangout Donghe your base there but get over into the Rift Valley to check out some of the little towns there. Like Chishang.

cindywan.bsky.social•63 days ago

Beware of the humid hot summers.
Plus the occasional earthquake and typhoon…

faineg.bsky.social•62 days ago

I’ll be going this February so I think I’ll be fine lol

spavel.bsky.social•63 days ago

I'll send you my lists

daryltractor.bsky.social•62 days ago

Jiufen! It’s such a delightful place. Unlike anywhere else, and not far from Taipei. Depending on who you listen to it’s called the Santorini of the west/Asia/Taiwan

armyofshadows.bsky.social•63 days ago

Go to Yilan for the hot springs and night market food, then drive down the incredible coast road on the East coast to Taroko gorge for hiking then onto Hualien

mattweber.bsky.social•62 days ago

I’m in Taiwan right now… but we’ve started mostly in Taipei. 😂 But we’d like to range farther next time, so 📌

aptronym.bsky.social•63 days ago

Apparently the East Coast train line is very scenic. Also Sun Moon Lake.

drlynnchiu.bsky.social•62 days ago

Sun-Link-Sea Forest and Nature ecological park. See my photo below ;)

faineg.bsky.social•62 days ago

Wow!

drlynnchiu.bsky.social•62 days ago

Another pic from that hike :)

9mac2.bsky.social•63 days ago

If New Taipei City / Yangmingshan counts, I enjoyed my trip to Shifen last February. There's a shipping street nearby where you can purchase and release sky balloons too.
https://bsky.app/profile/9mac2.bsky.social/post/3kl5w3la4wr2j

bodhiexplorers.bsky.social•54 days ago

This naked hot spring resort is awesome with amazing views. Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort. It’s affordable and so relaxing. Forget the private rooms, the public naked hot spring room is so much better. This isn’t too far away from Taipei either.

https://youtube.com/shorts/yCpL3hawwXY?si=1hFL5OUvNbnsDOT3

ytsl.bsky.social•63 days ago

I've been eyeing Jiufen (because of the "City of Sadness" connection) but a Hong Kong friend got me lukewarm re it by describing it "Like Lei Yue Mun, but on a hill"!

anniepanda.bsky.social•63 days ago

If it's baseball season, definitely go to a game. Even if you're not a sports fan - it will be epic.

Oh, and drink the tea. ☕️ All the tea.

gemmy.bsky.social•61 days ago

I'll put my vote towards Kaohsiung. Super easy to get to from Taipei with the HSR. Such a great city, excellent seafood, fun arts scene, just a beautiful place. Take the ferry over to Cijin and enjoy the beach art and food!

tobbinatorscw.bsky.social•62 days ago

I always think Chiayi is underrated as a city to visit, it's small, a little chaotic, but underneath the modern signs it feels (to me) like the most preserved Japanese colonial-era major city. Also near lots of forests and Alishan ofc.

tobbinatorscw.bsky.social•62 days ago

Other people have said Kinmen, and I'd add the Matsu Islands as another fascinating and unique trip, especially if you take the overnight ferry from Keelung (or just fly, about twice the price but takes about an hour).

alicemuwu.bsky.social•63 days ago

I went to Jiaoxi, Yilan and Taitung last week, which are all good. Taitung you need car/scooter.

Previously went to Taipingshan near Yilan. It has hot springs, hiking and a bit of history. There’s a coach trip from Yilan but it helps if you speak Chinese.

Tainan is good for temples and history.

6pnonethewiser.bsky.social•63 days ago

The National Museum of Prehistory in Taitung is excellent. A lot of archaeology but also a lot about the modern lives of Taiwanese aboriginals and their cultural ties to other Austronesian peoples.

faineg.bsky.social•63 days ago

Ooh that’s exactly what I like seeing

htheaker.bsky.social•62 days ago

Cihu Memorial Sculpture Park - its a lovely spot, and where else can you see hundreds of Chiang Kai-shek statues looking at each other? https://travel.tycg.gov.tw/en/Travel/Attraction/718

uthoese.bsky.social•62 days ago

📌

accidentalflyer.bsky.social•63 days ago

Jioufen for sure. Also Cat Village, Houtong

accidentalflyer.bsky.social•63 days ago

Beitou

quellesurprisenz.bsky.social•63 days ago

Taroko national park is stunning.

6pnonethewiser.bsky.social•63 days ago

Most of Taroko, unfortunately, is still closed because of the big earthquake back in April.

quellesurprisenz.bsky.social•62 days ago

Ah, of course.

terencelau.bsky.social•62 days ago

I’ve been to Taiwan 50+ times - alas it’s probably 40 times to Taipei and almost all for work - just meetings in the office or retail store. So I’ve only heard about Keelung but I’ve been kind of obsessed with going to eat my weight in seafood

reben.bsky.social•62 days ago

📌

jknep.bsky.social•61 days ago

Kenting (explore the national park) and Hualien

lesvachesdutour.bsky.social•60 days ago

📌

hemsco.bsky.social•62 days ago

For museums definitely the old cliche: national palace museum.
All other museums I loved: Taipei fine arts museum, modern art museum (small one but the adjacent neighborhood is a trove of old architecture/font sightseeing), Tina Keng Gallery always have interesting shows, and Jut Art Museum

hemsco.bsky.social•62 days ago

Oops, just noticed these are all in Taipei haha

Definitely if you have the chance do a bike road trip down the east coast (highway 11 or 9). We did that a few years back and it was one of the most memorable trips in my life

chrischiu.bsky.social•62 days ago

Tainan and Kaohsiung.

khakhalin.bsky.social•63 days ago

Just yesterday I discovered this account, and their photos are absolutely magical!

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