Keelung Night Market (also called Miaokou Night Market) is one of the most famous night markets in Taiwan and by far the most popular of Keelung’s attractions. Many visitors, including myself, say it is their favorite night market in the whole country. Even Anthony Bourdain ate here when he visited Taiwan in 2013! It’s easy …
Kelowna is the third largest city in British Columbia (after Vancouver and Victoria) and the unofficial capital of the Okanagan wine growing region. As a resident of Edmonton, Alberta with family in BC, I have childhood memories of driving along Okanagan Lake on our annual BC holiday, trying to spot its resident serpentine monster, the …
Chishang (池上) is a rural township in northern Taitung, a remote but highly scenic county in the southeastern corner of Taiwan. Chishang features quintessential East Rift Valley scenery, with picturesque rice paddies between the inland and coastal mountain ranges, making it one of the most beautiful places to visit in Taitung. In the last decade, …
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 …
Where should you go if only visiting Taiwan for 1-2 weeks? Most say that if you like history and culture, stick to the west coast. If you like scenery and nature, head to the east coast of Taiwan. While this is a simplistic breakdown of Taiwan’s diverse and abundant attractions, but there’s no denying that …
Taroko Gorge, named after the Truku or Taroko aboriginal tribe, is arguably Taiwan’s top scenic attractions. Few people visit without being blown away by its sheer magnificence and raw natural beauty. It is the star attraction of Hualien, Taiwan’s largest county (see my Hualien guide and other places to visit in Hualien), on the wild …
My kids and I are huge cat lovers. My kids were born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan (where the world’s first cat café started!) and we’ve visited most of the cat cafés in Taipei. We’ve also been to a cat village in Taiwan, the cat temple in Tokyo, Tashirojima Cat Island in Japan, and met …
The Ollantaytambo Ruins (Ollantaytambo Archaeological Site) in Peru’s Sacred Valley is second in importance only to Machu Picchu itself. These prominent ruins overlooking Ollantaytambo townsite were the site of the only major Inca defeat of Spanish forces. Today, they are also one of the most accessible ruins around Cusco because you can walk to them …
Ollantaytambo is my favorite town in the Sacred Valley of Peru, and I’m not alone. So many visitors rush through Ollantaytambo on their way to Machu Picchu, or as a part of a Sacred Valley day tour like this one, and wish they had budgeted more time for it. Personally, I fell in love with …
Alishan (阿里山 or Mt. Ali) in Chiayi county is one of Taiwan’s top attractions and one of its most famous mountain resorts, along with Qingjing Farm. Many visitors try to include Alishan on their Taiwan itinerary, but it usually turns out to be the most complicated part of their trip, especially getting there. That’s why …
