Taiwan is an extraordinary nation
full of culture, arts, nature, architecture, history, friendly people,
and – perhaps I should’ve mentioned this first – some of the best food in the entire world.
There’s a lot to discover on the spectacular shores of this tiny island
that is shaped like a sweet potato.
We’ve put together the ultimate guide to the top 10 things to do in Taiwan.
And trust me when I say this is only the beginning.
For such a small island, Taiwan takes up a big space in your heart.
Maybe we should just live here.
You'll want to bring your appetite to Taiwan
because it's a foodie heaven and you'll find delicious flavours around every corner.
Holy kapowgabonza.
Bubble tea was invented in Taiwan and we like to think of it as Taiwan's gift to the world.
This magical elixir of cold tea served with tapioca balls – or bubbles –
is one of Taiwan’s most beloved exports.
This is my absolute favourite kind of bubble tea.
It’s the brown sugar milk tea.
Thank you Taiwan for creating bubble tea. Thank you.
Once you have a bubble tea permanently attached to one hand,
you're going to need the other hand free to eat dumplings.
Visit Din Tai Fung and order the xiao long bao, their famous steamed soup dumplings.
Each one of these little pockets of joy is made by hand and has exactly 18 folds.
Make sure to get a glimpse of the experts making them
so you appreciate each bite even more.
There are many unique and mouth-watering foods and drinks to try
from Michelin star dining to street foods,
there is no end to the culinary delights for you and your taste buds.
When the sun goes down in Taiwan, the best place to be is the night market.
Wandering through the stalls of steaming pots,
sizzling grills, and bustling activity
will bring your senses alive.
Visit on an empty stomach and bring cash
so you can sample as many things as possible.
The night market is a great place to try one of Taiwan's most popular street foods: stinky tofu.
The vendor is right over there and it is stinky.
They are not lying.
There’s no false advertising.
I can smell it from over here so let's go order.
Don't be put off by the name.
Give it a try.
I think it tastes better than it smells.
Okay, well that’s high praise when you’re called stinky tofu.
You'll find night markets all over to explore.
Some of our favourites are Raohe and Tonghua or Linjiang in Taipei
and Dongdamen in Hualien.
Taking a class to learn a new skill is a delightful intangible souvenir to take home with you.
Now we’re cooking!
With all of the new foodie loves you'll find in Taiwan,
taking a cooking class is a fun way to learn how to make your new favourites back at home.
So much possibility in an empty pot, don’t you think?
I took a class learning how to make beef noodles,
a cozy traditional Taiwanese dish,
and also -- maybe you guessed already -- dumplings.
I feel like I’m going to appreciate this food every time I see it now in a whole different way.
Thank you. -Yeah.
Nice to meet you.
You can also take a Bubble tea making class at Chun Shui Tang,
the tea shop in Taichung where bubble tea was invented.
Tada!
And you can earn a certificate to prove that you've learned the ways of the bubble.
It was a lot easier than my graduate degree.
Taiwan is home to hundreds of natural hot springs with mineral-rich waters.
Can’t even tell you how excited I am right now to be in our own private hot spring room.
Such sweet words.
Such sweet words. -Such sweet words.
What more could you ask for? -Little oasis.
Whether you choose a public bath or one that has private rooms,
it's a perfect way to slow down and literally soak up some relaxation.
It is so calming in here.
And it’s just like heaven.
It’s the best place we can be.
Taipei is Taiwan’s capital city and by far, its biggest with lots to explore.
Start out with a bird's-eye view of this pulsing metropolis
by going to the top of Taiwan's tallest building -
Taipei 101.
We’ve just come up to the 91st floor, which is outdoors,
just in time for the sunset and there’s a very nice breeze up here too.
There's also something hidden inside Taipei 101 that you won't want to miss.
It's called the Tuned Mass Damper
and its purpose is to reduce the swaying of the building during strong winds and earthquakes.
It feels like discovering a small planet floating inside.
For the best view of the outside of Taipei 101 -
hike up to Elephant Mountain.
We recommend visiting at sunset
so you can watch the lights turn on and flicker across the skyline.
Once the sun is down, make your way to Ximending.
It's the biggest pedestrian district in Taiwan
and attracts more than 3 million visitors each month
which means great people watching too.
Duck into one of the many pharmacies open late
to stock up on cult Taiwanese skincare products.
Oh my god!
It's also a lot of fun to rent bikes in Taipei and ride the path along the river.
Keep an eye out for fish jumping out of the water.
I feel so happy.
Taipei is also an easy bus ride from the abandoned UFO village,
a fascinating site for those who love architecture and mystery.
One of the best things to do in Taipei
is take a cable car into the mountains covered in tea farms
and have lunch at an open-air tea house.
The gondola ride from Taipei Zoo Station up to Maokong Station
is one of the city's cheapest thrills.
Carrying you over 4 km,
the journey takes around half an hour and costs just 120 Taiwanese dollars.
Taipei 101 has been slowly revealing more and more of itself the higher and higher we go.
You can almost see the full building now.
Visit the tea centre where you can talk to a tea farmer and sample local teas like Iron Buddha.
Tastes good.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Enjoy a meal at one of the nearby tea houses to take in the view.
We recommend Redwood Teahouse, which has an open-air patio
and a menu that includes locally-grown tea leaves. ­­­­
One of the things I’m most excited about eating here is that they use tea in various ways to create the dishes.
So they use tea oil in a lot of things that’s using the tea seed
or they’ll actually take the leaves of the tea plant and sprinkle them throughout the food.
Taroko National Park on Taiwan’s stunning east coast is the place to see Taroko Gorge.
More than 200 million years old, this jaw-dropping marble gorge is a geological marvel.
We rented a scooter in Hualien City and drove to Taroko,
which makes for a really fun and rewarding road trip
with nothing between you and the spectacular scenery.
We’re inside the gorge now in Taroko Gorge and wow…it is stunning in here!
Oh my god!
To see one of the most photographed spots in Taiwan with your own eyes,
head south to Tainan.
Gotta limbo through those branches. -That was close.
Board a boat for a tour of the mangroves
where you get a front row seat to the rare and protected wildlife along the 13 km long canal.
The main attraction here is the Sicao Green Tunnel where the trees stretch their arms toward each other
and form a natural archway.
And it feels like floating in a real life watercolour.
Get down!
Sun Moon Lake is another popular spot to enjoy Taiwan's natural beauty.
Take a boat out on the water to see Lalu Island, a sacred place for the Indigenous people here.
If you want a sweet treat, stop in at Lu Si'An Restaurant and try their dessert specialty:
banana wrapped in fried noodles.
The tiny island of Xiao Liuqiu is less than 7 square kilometers
but holds some of our biggest and best memories in Taiwan.
Renting a scooter or an e-bike is a fun way to explore the island.
That breeze is heavenly.
I could drive around here all day.
Don't miss one of Taiwan's most recognizable landmarks made of coral limestone.
This is known as the flower vase because after years and years of erosion,
it has this beautiful vase-like shape and eventually, of course,
it will tumble into the water so we’re just lucky to see it here while it's still standing.
Getting into the water is a big part of the experience on Xiao Liuqiu
and it’s a fantastic opportunity to swim with sea turtles.
We are driving to the water because we're going snorkelling in search of sea turtles!
We swam with the biggest one I've ever seen for what felt like an eternity
and the experience filled our hearts to bursting.
That is one of the most incredible things. -Yes, incredible!
And it’s huge, like this big.
I didn’t know turtles could get that big.
Oh my god!
Yeah it’s like my size.
About the same size as me.
About the same size.
My heart!
So cool.
Taiwan knows that there’s value in the past
and takes care to reinvent it for the present.
Old spaces are reimagined with new vision and fresh purpose.
It’s inspiring to see what’s possible when abandoned sites are transformed and people move back in.
Or when nature moves back in, like the banyan trees that have turned old warehouses into a treehouse.
It’s so interesting seeing how this tree just envelopes this building and takes over.
And it’s become this beautiful testament to the fact that
whatever we build, nature is bigger.
And when humans aren’t here anymore, nature will be.
The Huashan 1914 Creative Park used to be a wine factory
and was saved from demolition.
Now you find cafes, restaurants, an independent cinema, arts exhibits and performances,
and some of the best shopping in Taipei.
Songshan Cultural and Creative Park was once a tobacco factory
and now it's the Creative Hub of Taipei.
Fun fact: when we visited Songshan
we were joined by a news team from Taiwan's national news
who were doing a story about us visiting Taiwan.
That was a pinch me moment we will never forget!
Take my picture taking your picture.
And I’m taking his picture taking your picture taking her picture taking your picture.
Visiting a temple is a great way to slow down
and step closer to Taiwan's history, traditions, and culture.
With over 15,000 official temples around Taiwan,
being named the most popular is no small achievement.
Lungshan Temple is devoted to more than one religion and embodies a spirit of peace and inclusivity.
This is Lungshan Temple, which means Dragon Mountain.
It’s the most iconic temple in all of Taipei
and the first building here was built in 1738
and you can still see the original bronze columns from that first temple.
Lotus Lake in Khaosiung is home to many temples,
The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas are particularly striking.
When you enter you’re supposed to enter through the dragon’s mouth on the left
and then exit through the tiger
and this is to make sure that you leave all of your bad luck behind.
I’m about to exit through the tiger.
Here’s all my bad luck…and I’m leaving it.
Well I don’t know if all my bad luck is gone, but I do feel pretty good.
The transformative experience of entering through the dragon's mouth and exiting through the tiger
is a lot like visiting Taiwan:
you arrive one way and depart another,
feeling a little sweeter from spending time in this sweet potato-shaped nation.
We hope this video has given you plenty of ideas and inspiration
for planning your own visit to Taiwan.
We’ve made lots of other videos that go into more depth and detail
so check them out for much, much more.
We'd love to know what you’d most like to do in Taiwan.
Of everywhere and everything in this video, what stands out to you most?
Leave a comment and let us know.
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Bye!