This website is mainly about presenting Taiwan as a travel destination. Occasionally we do introduce new books related to traveling in Taiwan, for example the latest Lonely Planet Taiwan. This is the first time we cover a fictional story, the novel...
Three Michelin-Starred Culinary Stars TEXT / RICK CHARETTEPHOTOS / VISION “‘Delicious food’ has always been one of the main attractions for international tourists coming to Taiwan. Taiwan’s rich and diverse local ingredients and cooking skills have shaped our colorful food culture....
A Love of Nature Explored through Hiking, Photography, and Eco-Protection Work TEXT | RICK CHARETTEPHOTOS | RYAN HEVERN Expat Californian Ryan Hevern has a love for the great outdoors that constantly keeps him on the go. In Taiwan for six-and-a-half years...
Glory Days in High-Mountain Country TEXT / RICK CHARETTEPHOTOS / RAY CHANG Lalashan is a popular tourist destination in the high-mountain region of north Taiwan. It’s in Taoyuan City’s far south, a region populated by rugged, brawny mountain giants. Both indigenous...
On the Taoyuan Plateau, in the Dahan River Valley, among the Taoyuan Low Mountains TEXT / RICK CHARETTEPHOTOS / VISION How does this sound? A cool walk through a long pedestrian-only mountain tunnel. A long town-center walkabout around a “dragon-inhabited” lake....
Three Hill-Country Hakka Neighbors: Zhudong, Beipu, and Nanpu TEXT / RICK CHARETTEPHOTOS / CHEN CHENG-KUO, VISION The hill country of northwest Taiwan is Hakka country. The Hakka are a Han Chinese minority people with a distinctive culture, deep-rooted traditions, and especially...
Shimen Reservoir in Taoyuan City, once the largest reservoir in the Far East, is a remarkable site. It was one of Taiwan’s great industrial achievements of the post-WWII era, greatly improving the lives of farmers in the island’s northwest. It also...
Penghu has had an important position on sea navigation routes since ancient times. Landings by the Dutch, French, Japanese, and Chinese in succession and the mix of these four influences bestowed the Penghu archipelago its rich history and culture. Among the...
A Style Alike, the lifestyle blog of two young South African ladies who have been living in Taipei well over a decade now, is an invaluable guide for living well and living chic in the city, also covering places beautiful further...
What follows is a tasty romp and chomp through four stations of the vast, seemingly limitless Taiwan kitchen: traditional breakfast choices, rice-based hot snacks, beef noodles, and night-market icons. As Taiwan has gained its now-global reputation as a “foodie paradise,” more...
TEXT / RICK CHARETTE The tourism industry in Taipei (and Taiwan) has flourished over the past two decades, putting the city firmly on the international backpacking map of choicest destinations, especially in East Asia. Ever more budget-accommodation enterprises have opened up,...
“Tourist days in Taoyuan City …. WHY?”My dear readers, let me explain! Not so long ago, this would be something readily expressed both by local and in-the-know foreign travelers. No more. The “Taoyuan City” brand is becoming a tourism marketer’s dream....
From the sky-searching, thick mountains that define its deep interior all the way down right to water’s edge along its Taiwan Strait coast, the Hsinchu region is beautiful hill country – in most areas away from the coast well forested and...
The town of Yingge in New Taipei City is well known as Taiwan’s most important center for ceramics production. The town of Daxi in Taoyuan City is well known for its Old Street area and dried tofu. Both settlements sit on...
Opening a small restaurant serving one’s native cuisine has been done by many a foreigner trying to carve out a long-term niche for themselves in Taiwan. Far more uncommon, however, is for a foreigner to take on the challenge of serving...
Quitting the rat race to live on a tropical island is many a city worker’s dream. Few, however, ever find the courage to truly make the leap and leave the creature comforts of life in the big city. California native Ray...
