off-the-beaten-track

Mianyue Line: How to Tackle Alishan’s Most Exhilarating Hike

I can’t overstate how much I loved hiking the Mianyue Line in Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. This was a ...
Read More

Fenqihu Old Street: Bentos, Bamboo & Fireflies in Alishan Region

Fenqihu (奮起湖, also spelled Fenchihu) is a major highlight in one of my personal favorite regions of Taiwan: Alishan. This ...
Read More

Take Your Breath Away at Taiping Suspension Bridge in Chiayi

Taiping Suspension Bridge (太平吊橋) in Chiayi county is one of Taiwan’s most stunning suspension bridges and “sea of clouds” viewing ...
Read More

9 Meaningful Ways to Experience Indigenous Culture in Taiwan

Many visitors to Taiwan want to experience Taiwanese indigenous culture. However, most Indigenous villages in Taiwan are remote and not ...
Read More

List of Places that Are Closed in Taiwan Right Now

When I first published this article (in late 2024), it had been a rough year for weather disasters in Taiwan, ...
Read More

11 Awesome Stops on the Pingxi Railway Line in New Taipei City

The Pingxi Railway Line is a (mostly) single-track railway line that provides access to some of the most popular day ...
Read More

Shen’ao Rail Bike: Riding Rails on Taiwan’s Northeast Coast

Shen’ao Rail Bike (深澳鐵道自行車) is one of two “rail bikes” in Taiwan (the other is Old Mountain Line Rail Bike ...
Read More

Shizhuo’s Stunning Bamboo Forests, Tea Farms, Sunsets, and Hikes

Shizhuo (石桌) in Chiayi county is one of my favorite places in all of Taiwan. This small mountain village on ...
Read More

Hot Springs and Camping with Bunnies in Jianshi District, Hsinchu

Jianshi district (尖石鄉) is a remote, mountainous district of Hsinchu county in northwestern Taiwan. One of my family’s favorite weekend ...
Read More

Neiwan Old Street: Sampling Hakka Foods in Hsinchu County

Neiwan Old Street (內灣老街) in Hsinchu county is one of my personal favorite old streets in Taiwan. This is a ...
Read More

Staying at Songsyue Lodge, Hehuanshan (and how to book it)

Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓 or songxue lou, see official site) is the highest hotel in Taiwan (3150 m/10,335 ft!) and the ...
Read More

Pinglin: How to Visit the Prettiest Tea Plantations near Taipei

Pinglin (坪林) and Shiding (石碇) have the most beautiful tea plantations that I’ve seen in the Greater Taipei Area.  As ...
Read More