Destination: Taiwan

Odyssey travels by coach and occasionally uses local transport, including trains and ferries. Specifics are always outlined in your tour itinerary. The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) runs an extensive rail network, with an efficient system of train services running across the country. Bus services are also widely available, and are reasonably priced.

In major cities, Odyssey stays in centrally located 3-4 star hotels, with easy access to public transport. In smaller towns or rural areas, we usually stay in family-run hotels or guesthouses. On our longstay tours, during which you spend the length of the tour in a single location, we use serviced apartments.

Odyssey always engages local guides with regional knowledge to ensure an authentic experience during which you can learn as much as possible about the history and culture of places you visit.

The island of Taiwan covers a total area of 36,104 square km, and has a coastline of 1,139 km. Much of Taiwan is mountainous, with two thirds of the country dominated by mountain ranges. The terrrain levels out towards the western coast, with most of the country’s population living on the flatlands in the west of the country.

Taiwan has both subtropical and tropical climates, with warm year-round temperatures and heavy precipitation during monsoonal periods. Depending on when you intend to travel, check the weather reports and dress accordingly.

Due to Taiwan’s current diplomatic status, UNESCO does not presently include any sites in Taiwan on its World Heritage Sites list.

Numerous festivals and events dot the calendar in Taiwan. Many of the Taiwan’s biggest annual festivals reflect the island’s Chinese cultural heritage, including Chinese New Year and the Chinese Lantern Festival. One of the more visually striking events of the year is the Taiwan International Balloon Festival. Taking place between July and early August, the festival features an eye-catching array of hot air balloons, including balloons in the shape of animals, vehicles, fictional characters, and religious figures. Traditional crafts and art forms are preserved through events such as the Yunlin International Puppet Arts Festival, which showcases puppetry, shadow puppetry and marionette performances.

Formosan Odyssey, by John Grant Ross
Taiwan Tales, by J.J Green
Heaven Lake, by John Dalton
Accidental State, by Hsiao-ting Lin

Taiwanese cuisine has been shaped by the culinary influences of neighbouring China, as well as the local produce and unique flavours of the island. Noodles and soups feature prominently in Taiwanese cooking, with beef noodle soup one of the most popular dishes in the country. Steamed buns are widely consumed, and are found at nearly every night market, food court and street stall, while soup dumplings are also very popular. Taiwanese cooking has some rather innovative uses for some of the produce of the island – for example, oysters have been used as the key ingredient in noodle dishes (oyster vermicelli) and is even cooked with eggs to make an oyster omelet.

To keep cool in Taiwan’s often stifling heat, a refreshing pearl milk tea may come in handy. Featuring milk tea filled with chewy tapioca balls, pearl milk tea can commonly be seen in the hands of locals on hot summer days. Tea itself is something that Taiwan greatly treasures, with Taiwanese oolong tea held in particularly high regard.

Taiwan is generally a safe country to travel in, although always exercise common sense while travelling. The monsoon season between May and November can bring flooding and mudslides, while Taiwan is also prone to earthquakes.

Whenever you travel overseas, it’s always wise to take an appropriate travel adaptor. The standard voltage in Taiwan is 110V, while the standard frequency is 60Hz. Taiwan uses both Type A and Type B electrical plugs, so make sure that you are carrying the right travel adaptor with you.