"Taiwan Country Of Two Halves" Taiwan by Arm-Chair-Hero

Taiwan Travel Guide: 4,440 reviews and 8,768 photos

The camera not truly capture what the eyes can see

Taiwan-Formosa

Its going to take me a while to build the pages for Taiwan...I have over 250 photos to go through from three trips there.

Taiwan is a country of many contrasts that holds a kind of magic....for me it does. Coming from England and never going outside of Europe before I went to Taiwan. Experiences I have had, sights that I have seen and foods I have tasted there have had a huge impact on my life.....I was lucky enough to not see Taiwan through tourists eyes, I spent my time with local people in a local house. In a way even though I only spent a short time in Taiwan it felt more like a home than England.
I hope to bring you shortly stories and information to go with the photos that I hope you will find amusing and enlightning....nothing anyone could have said would prepare me for the journey of a life time and a culture shock beyond my imagination.

Also on this page I will be writing some funny stories that are true and often bring a smile when looking back.........they are purley for amusement value and I suppose to keep my memories alive......the stories come under travelogues

Contrasts

Kaohsiung

The picture above and the picture at the side of you give a very small insight of the different views in Taiwan.....one minute you can be in a vast city like Kaohsiung with busy shopping areas roads eight lanes wide surrounded by maybe one hundred motorcyles at traffic lights, then a short drive you are climbing mountains driving through clouds or on a clear day viewing some of the best, most dramatic scenery you will ever see. One thing I learnt in Taiwan is that nothing is predictable, where ever you go as a westerner there is sure to be a twist in your journey and a tale to tell when back home.

Directions

Dragon Tiger Pagoda

Unfortunatley it is in my natural build to be quite bad for remembering place names when I visit anywhere......for years I have been saying I should make some sort of journal as and when I travel to help me keep track of place names......unfortunatley great idea but I need a rocket up my backside to get this done. Please forgive me if my accuracy is not 100 percent on here. If you need more accurate information on locations directions etc etc I can find out for you, please dont hesitate to ask.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Culture shock beyond belief for westerners
Cons:Not enough time to explore / I dont live there : (
In a nutshell:Undiscovered and unspoilt by tourism

Last visit to Taiwan: Jul 2002
Intro Updated Jul 17, 2003
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Reviews (14)

Yellow taxis Transportation (2)

There are plenty of taxis in Taiwan and they are quite easy to spot.........they are all yellow....guys some of you will... more travel advice

Stuffed Like A Pig Local Customs (4)

When visiting anyone it will be standard practise for them to feed and water you.....you can not escape with out... more travel advice

Essential tips Local Customs (4)

Compared to England, Taiwan does seem to have quite a few customs that are widely respected by all. The people are so... more travel advice

Rev em up Transportation (2)

Using a motor bike around Taiwan is by far the best way for travelling unless you are going long distances. The major... more travel advice

Warnings Or Dangers (2)
See All Why did the chicken cross the road?
Things to Do (3)
See All taiwan

Hotels (2)
See All Hotel in Hualien
Restaurants (1)
Stinky Tofu

Travelogues (3)

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Comments (20)

iwys May 2, 2006 at 11:03 AM Report Abuse

Interesting. What made you choose Taiwan?
judyintaiwan Dec 2, 2004 at 8:11 AM Report Abuse

shaun...when do you think that you'll finish the article in the travelogue? read the 2 again, still so funny. very nice writing.
evona Nov 13, 2004 at 7:59 AM Report Abuse

Stinky tofu and God Money.... fascinating country.. May be one day... :)
chercarousel Oct 11, 2004 at 2:54 PM Report Abuse

Sounds like trying to cross the road is enter at your own risk. Pictures are really good. Hotel in Hualien looks inviting.
bafgkm Oct 11, 2004 at 12:16 AM Report Abuse

Stinky tofu smells very good!! Besides Fried one, there's still steamed stinky tofu and it's more tastier and healthier!!
shengwen Oct 1, 2004 at 10:42 AM Report Abuse

It is interesting to see my home country from a western tourist. Cool joke about the traffic...:) that's the way it is...it's getting better though...
canadiantravelgirl Sep 2, 2004 at 8:00 AM Report Abuse

Cool Page!!!! I can't believe you like stinky tofu!?!! I can't get near enough to try it!!! The smell always sends me walking in the other direction!!!HAHA
ncfg Oct 14, 2003 at 3:31 PM Report Abuse

Nice update. I will wait for more!
unravelau Oct 6, 2003 at 6:47 PM Report Abuse

So the Taiwanese have mastered the art of putting flavour into tofu? Well done, and your page is great. Thank you.
radz Sep 25, 2003 at 4:10 AM Report Abuse

Cool Thaiwan pages,more pics?