In my travels, I’ve always been attracted to hot springs, going all the way back to family trips in the Rocky Mountains of Canada as a kid.
The Beitou Hot Spring (or Xinbeitou hot spring) area is my favorite neighborhood in Taipei City, and I’ve probably been there over 20 times. In fact, my wife and I went on our first date there after we met in Taipei in 2009! And while hot springs are the focus, meaning you’ll definitely want to …
Read moreBeitou Hot Spring & Thermal Valley: A Detailed 2020 Guide
Wulai (烏來, Tayal language: Ulay) is the largest district of New Taipei City, but only has around 6000 residents, by far the lowest population density. Officially the only “mountain indigenous district” of New Taipei City, it is home to the closest aboriginal Taiwanese village to Taipei City. Wulai has loads going for it. Thermal water …
Jiaoxi Hot Spring (礁溪溫泉, also spelled Jiaosi Hot Spring) is my favorite hot spring village in all of Taiwan. Jiaoxi is a rural township at the north end of Yilan County in Northeastern Taiwan, making it one of the best day trips from Taipei. My friends/family and I have been to Jiaoxi as day and …
One of the great secrets of Taiwan in past years was 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, Hualien County. The awe-inspiring scenery, hidden location within a famous national park, and relative inaccessibility of this Hualien hot spring made it, …
Read moreWenshan Hot Spring: Taroko Gorge’s Spectacular Secret
Simply put, we loved Budapest. It was our favorite big city out of the two months we spent in Central Europe, and we enjoyed it more than the three days we spent in Prague the week before (sorry Prague)! Just like Prague, there are loads of things to do in Budapest with kids, but for …
Read moreBudapest with Kids: An Unforgettable 3-Day Winter Visit
This post was written by Robert Schrader of Japan Starts Here. Most travelers dream of visiting Japan amid the sakura of spring or the blazing colors of autumn, yet where to go in Japan in winter is not a topic that comes up often. In addition to being one of Japan’s most beautiful seasons, …
Taichung is located on the central west coast and is Taiwan’s second largest city. 10 years ago, it was somewhere that most travelers skipped, but nowadays is an increasingly popular stop on people’s Taiwan travel itinerary. While I was compiling my list of top things to do in Taichung, my article quickly became WAY too …
So you’re heading on a Mt. Fuji day trip from Tokyo? With only one day, you may need a bit of luck to get a clear view of the elusive mountain. But not all hope is lost, as there are many other great things to do in Mt. Fuji area, whether you get clear views …
Miaoli is a mountainous county in northern central Taiwan, between Hsinchu and Taichung. Foreign tourists seldom include it on their travel itinerary for Taiwan because none of the things to do in Miaoli ever make it onto “must-do in Taiwan” lists (although I put three Miaoli attractions on my list of best things to do …
Read moreMiaoli Taiwan: Hakka Culture & Off-the-Beaten-Track Travels
Hikers doing Japan’s Kumano Kodo walk, a network of trails that follow a pilgrimage route going back over 1000 years in Wakayama prefecture south of Osaka and Nagoya, are rewarded with a plethora of hot spring baths along the trail. After tramping up and down forested trails all day long, one of the best things …
Read moreYunomine Onsen and Four Other Awesome Wakayama Onsens
