Wenshan Hot Spring: Memories of Taroko Gorge’s Lost Secret

Wenshan Hot Spring, Taroko Gorge, Taiwan

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 …

Read more

A 2025 Guide to Taroko Gorge and Taroko National Park

Taroko Gorge Taiwan

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 …

Read more

Alishan, Taiwan: A Super Detailed 2025 Guide

A guide to Alishan National Scenic Area in Alishan Taiwan

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 …

Read more

22 Worthwhile Day Trips from Taichung City, Taiwan

The best Taiwan amusement parks, theme parks, and waterparks

Taichung is located on the central west coast of Taiwan and is the country’s second largest city. Most travelers used to give it a miss, but nowadays it is an increasingly popular stop on everyone’s Taiwan travel itinerary. While I was compiling my list of top things to do in Taichung, my article quickly became …

Read more

A Guide to Hiking in Taipei: My 21 Favorite Taipei Hikes

A guide to the best hikes in Taipei

In my opinion, Taipei is one of the great hiking cities of the world. The city sits in a basin, literally surrounded by mountains. They contain hundreds of walking and hiking trails, some of the best things to do in Taipei for nature lovers Hiking in Taipei typically entails panoramic city views (often with amazing …

Read more

15+ Fun Things to Do in Miaoli, Taiwan’s Slow Living County

Things to do in Miaoli Taiwan

Miaoli is a county in northern central Taiwan, between Hsinchu and Taichung. Not many tourists include it on their travel itinerary for Taiwan because it lacks the big-name attractions of other areas (although I put three Miaoli attractions on my list of best things to do in Taiwan!) The Taiwanese are certainly aware of Miaoli’s …

Read more

12 Awesome Jasper Winter Hikes (Easy & Difficult!)

The best hikes in winter in Jasper

Jasper National Park is a world-class hiking destination, and a Jasper winter hiking trip will never disappoint. Below I’m going to introduce my personal favourite winter hiking trails in Jasper National Park. Most of these are easy hikes or walking trails that become slightly more challenging in winter. I’ve even done a few of them …

Read more

Alishan High Mountain Tea: The Champagne of Taiwan Oolongs

A worker on a field where Alishan tea is grown

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 …

Read more