Spring Break Travels: Taiwan
R•pose He Sculpture is always dapper when he travels.
As much as I’d like to explore new corners of the world, Taiwan is where we end up visiting during spring breaks. It’s where I was born and what feels like home, in spite of the fact that I grew up in the US. Fortunately, my kids love it more than any other travel locale. Everyone there feels like an uncle or aunty. Every meal is delicious. Everything feels so affordable. Being the ever-efficient planner, we made full use of our two week trip. Read on for some highlights!
Hsu’s Noodle – Shiding, Taiwan
Total tourist trap, but so fun! We learned how to pull noodles, sampled noodles, and got to take home the noodles that we pulled!
Thousand-Island Lake – Taiwan
Taiwan contains the same population as Australia in an island that’s the size of New Jersey, and most of it is concentrated in the major urban cities. It doesn’t take much travel, however, to get to unspoiled nature. We met many visitors who come to Taiwan specifically for the nature hikes. It’s hard to take a bad photo.
Somewhere in Xiaoliuqiu, an island off the western coast – Taiwan
There’s no shortage of lush greens, pristine waters, and unusual rock formations to explore, and we found it all in Xiaoliuqiu, an island that’s only a 20-minute ferry ride off the southwestern coast of Taiwan. Most locals have never been, including my Mom, so it was quite the adventure.
Somewhere in the ocean – Xiaoliuqiu, Taiwan
As we geared up in rented wetsuits and snorkels, I wondered, “How come no one’s asked if we know how to swim?” Turns out it’s not a requirement when scouting for sea turtles. Our guide did all the swimming for us. We simply had to hold on, pose for pictures, and marvel at the abundant sea life living in the coral reefs.
Cape Eluanbi – Kenting, Taiwan
Kenting has been on my bucket list for as long as I’ve known its existence. It’s very much a resort town — except it was quite chilly on the days we went. I took this pic to commemorate reaching the southernmost tip of the island…..and then the wind blew off the sculpture. Oops.
Local wlldlife
Like most urban areas, feral cats are everywhere in Taiwan. When we first saw a few with missing ear tips, we assumed that they were just battle scars from street life. And then we learned about government programs to reduce euthanasia by capturing, sterilizing, then releasing strays. The cut ear tips serve as easy markers. It’s such a logical and ethical solution to a common problem.
Mr. Brown Avenue – Taitung, Taiwan
I have never driven a scooter in my life, but here I was, driving a tiny three-seater that operates like one. Life is wild.
One of the older hot spring cities with a name I can’t remember – Taiwan
Ever cooked a meal in water piped in from a natural hot spring? Now I have. Chicken eggs. Duck eggs. Quail eggs. Thousand year eggs. Coming from a country where eggs might as well be a rationed food item, we marveled at the bounty.
Bunun Leisure Farm – Taitung, Taiwan
Taiwan is home to 16 officially recognized aboriginal tribes, most pushed into the mountains when the Chinese arrived and settled. Cultural villages like this one provide a source of income as well as help preserve culture through education. Did I hit the target? You’ll never know.
We also shopped a lot and ate a lot, but that’s not as picturesque.
Taiwan is super tourist-friendly and relatively safe. The public transportation network makes it possible to visit most places without a private vehicle. No one bats an eye when I ask for an English menu (most are just puzzled why I can speak but not read). The kids talked about missing Taiwan for a good month after our trip. I hesitate to call it a hidden gem since the Taiwanese population here in the US is non-trivial, but Taiwan truly is worth a visit. Or many visits, in my case.
Re•pose He Sculpture enjoys the ocean breeze.