Dear Travel Guru,
My mother is from Taipei and every year we visit my grandparents. They have a spacious apartment just off Zhongxiao East Road, so it's close to all the shops and restaurants. I like Taipei. It is more relaxed than Hong Kong and I have learned a lot about Chinese food there. But I cannot face another 10 days stuck in the city with family. Can you recommend something different that's not too far from town?
Time for a Change
Thanks for your letter. I agree that Taipei is more chilled out than Hong Kong, and it is a great place to try all the different regional Chinese cuisines, but we all get fed up with the city from time to time. In Hong Kong, it's so difficult to get onto a nature trail, or jump on a ferry to one of the outer islands. Because Taipei is in a basin, it takes a bit more work - but don't despair, it's not too much work.
The old name for Taiwan was Formosa, which comes from Portuguese and means 'beautiful island'. Portuguese sailors named it when they were exploring and looking for Japan. You will be surprised at how many gorgeous places there are in the mountains and on the eastern coastline. But if you only have time for a day trip, then a good way to get a glimpse of that beauty is to take a quick bus journey out to Yehliu (or Yeliu) to visit the geopark. It has probably the weirdest rock formations you will see in your life.
Travel Guru