Taiwan International Orchid Show
Being a sub-tropical island, Taiwan has an incredibly rich and diverse range of flora, including to my mind the most magical of flowers, orchids. In addition to the indigenous varieties, orchids are grown on an…
Category: Explore
Steam Train CK124 at Shanjia Station
There is something about a steam train that seems to fire the imagination regardless of where it’s being stoked. This is definitely the case in Taiwan where there is an avid following. Despite this, it…
Dragon Boat Racing with The Mandarin Training Center
Dragon boat races have been held in Chinese communities around the world for more than 2,000 years during the Dragon Boat Festival, which is on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month; this year’s…
Urban Hiker Redux: Fuyang Park to Hsin Hai MRT
One of the interesting things about moving abroad is the newness of everything–the mundane, everyday tasks we take for granted back home, say dropping off dry cleaning or calling someone to fix a leaky toilet,…
The Northeast Coast by Motorbike
I hope you like seafood. Or, at the very least, the taste of sea salt spraying in your face because very little compares to the thrill of a coastal ride in Taiwan. Starting from Keelung,…
Riding Route 9: Tea, Panoramic Views, and Hot Springs
Route 9, a rollercoaster mountain ride from Xindian to Jiaoxi, is one of the most iconic day trips from Taipei and an excellent start to longer biking journeys around Taiwan. Complete with tea plantations, rice…
Motorcycles: The Best Way to Experience Taiwan
Shortly after your first mile, you’ll realize motorcycling is one of the most rewarding ways to explore Taiwan. Dirt on the face, bugs on the teeth, and burns on the legs are reminders of unforgettable…
Matsu: Pirates, Birds and Guns
Photo by Prince Roy, licensed under the Creative Commons Matsu is an archipelago of 19 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, very close to China. In fact, on a clear day you can see…
Urban Hiker Redux: Elephant Mountain
Note: The Urban Hiker contributed this article to Taiwan Ho! in 2003. While some things may have changed (please see endnotes), Elephant Mountain remains a wonderful urban hiking destination a decade later. Arguably, July is…