The perfect holiday… Made in Taiwan

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: The perfect holiday… Made in Taiwan Growing up in the 1990s, I remember so many things in life stamped with the words ‘Made in Taiwan’. With that my only impression of the country to date, I admit I had no idea what to expect when invited to take a tour of the island nation, located off the coast of China. Would it be filled with factories and look industrial? Could it really be a prime holiday spot? It soon became evident, even as we came in to land after our eight-hour flight to capital Taipei, that this is no concrete jungle – in fact, the island’s mountainous terrain is covered by lush greenery. A mere 36,000 square kilometres in size, the country is an eclectic mix of coastal towns, green mountains and metropolises bursting with top shopping and tasty food. Even the short drive from airport to hotel offers eye-catching views of mountain ranges and temples. With just a week to explore everything, we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed straight out into the hustle and bustle of Taipei’s streets. Our first destination, to recover from our flight, was ‘Spring City Resort’, home to natural hot springs in the mountains surrounding the capital. I had images of sitting in a rocky exposed spa in an earthy setting – so I was surprised to walk into a beautifully manicured set of pools which access the natural springs underground. A group of middle-aged women watched our group intently – we were a bit of a novelty here – as we enjoyed the hot and cold pools, each with different therapeutic benefits. A few hours to refresh the spirits and we were off again; back down to the city centre. Little is actually manufactured in Taiwan anymore it turns out, but, not surprisingly given its proximity to China, it is a thriving shopping hub, and our next stop was the Shilin Night Market in Taipei. This is a really buzzing area, with stalls selling everything from vegetables to electronics. The prices are cheap, making it the perfect destination for picking up souvenirs and all sorts of stuff. Soaking up the Shilin vibe was a real highlight of the trip. Stuffing vegetable dumplings in my mouth, I spent ages happily traipsing through stalls, buying kitsch T-shirts and some novelty shoes and admiring the street food carts lining the streets. The rich smells were mostly enjoyable – although some a little sickly and the fried duck heads were not on my must-try list! The following day we embarked on a train ride into the wilder side of Taiwan and a two-night stay in the Alishan national park. Just about in the centre of the island, it is home to all sorts of wonderful wildlife, including a huge range of native birds in an array of breathtaking colours. The park also hosts the highest mountains in Taiwan. We stayed at the Alishan guest house – a hotel converted from a logging house back in the late 1800s. It’s the only commercial property within the park and tourists head there specifically for the amazing sunrise trip. Taiwan shares its culture with both Chinese and Japanese customs. The Japanese occupied the island in the late 1800s and during that time the forest was stripped of its natural red cypress trees and railways erected to transport the logs to the base of the mountain (for transport to Japan). These lines are used today to shuttle passengers up the mountain – which is where we found ourselves in the very early hours of the morning. It was 3am and we were squeezed into a train with hundreds of other tourists, all up to catch the sun. Though I’m no morning person, there was certainly some-thing magical about the soaring views of the mountain range, with the sun slowly peeking over the top – and despite the hundreds of tourists sharing the experience with us, it still seemed serene. While at high altitudes, we popped into a local tea plantation, to learn a bit about the craft. The Alishan national park has plenty of tea plantations and one very special coffee plantation – all happy to educate you in their art, and of course give you the chance to sample their wares. Then we were back on the high-speed rail, heading to Taipei to fly home, though there was one more thing to see first. A must-do when visiting Taiwan’s capital is shooting up the world’s fastest elevator to the highest public point in the country. Called 101, thanks to its 101 floors, the expansive views from this skyscraper are best enjoyed at sunset, and offer 360-degree panoramas of the city. Afterwards we popped into the restaurant in the foyer of the 101, which happens to be a New York Times awarded outlet. The restaurant was overwhelmingly busy, but luckily our guide had booked us a table. Several dim sum later and it was the perfect end to a hectic, but invigorating, trip. Images of industrial factories and mass export goods firmly gone from my mind, I bid farewell the tropical paradise that is Taiwan – and highly recommend it as holiday must. caitlyn@7days.ae Read the original story at: The perfect holiday… Made in Taiwan