I journeyed to Taipei, Taiwan via EVA Airlines to visit my son who is teaching English in Yilan County. First a shout out to EVA Airlines. I found this airline to be very professional; they run a tight ship! I flew Economy Plus and I was very comfortable on my 15 hour flight from Chicago to Taipei. We received a goodie bag with toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, hand lotion, lip balm, eye mask and socks. We were also provided with slippers which were super nice on such a long trip.
Taiwan is a very clean and friendly country. I was especially impressed by their subway and bus system which is called the MRT. It was extremely easy to travel throughout the country via high speed train and the MRT. All of the stations were extremely clean, I actually saw people cleaning the hand rails on the escalators more than once. The buses have curtains and head doily on the head rest and they were spotless.
Taipei is a contrast of very modern and traditional old world China culture. There are amazing skyscrapers and Mom and Pop cafes where you can get anything from scallion pancakes to pork and shrimp dumplings. The food was very fun! Make sure to check out a night market for food surprises and lots of variety!!!
The history of Taiwan is rich and I was especially taken by the story of Chiang Kai-shek and the relationship Taiwan has with China. Make sure to visit Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park while visiting Taipei.
One thing to consider when visiting Taiwan is the weather, it is very tropical and if you are not a fan of super hot humid weather plan carefully. My visit was in early April and the temps were in low 80's with low humidity. My son said the heat and humidity are almost unbearable in the summer and winter is cold and rainy. So plan for Fall or Spring if possible to enjoy their best weather.
I would not have gone to Taiwan if my son was not living there but after my visit I am very happy I went and I plan on going back next year.
Happy Travels!
Kristi Armstrong