Rainbow Village

              Rainbow Village is more than just a painted neighborhood; it’s one of those places that is beyond ordinary.  It is a home, unique art gallery, historical landmark, and showcases the accomplishment of a peaceful protest done right.

Kaohsiung

              Koahsiung might be the Heart of southern Taiwan, but it doesn’t have a lot to offer to a would-be tourist.  That being said it is worth a visit if only to go see the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Complex.  

Teapot Mountain

              Teapot Mountain, a four-hour hike, is by far one of my favorite hikes in Taiwan.  Only 1.5 hours from Taipei, it can easily be done as a day trip.  Being located so close to Taipei, many Taiwanese get up early to make the trek up and around the mountain range.  You will often come across older Taiwanese people that will put you in their dust as they walk past as if the trail is no trouble at all.  

How to Travel from Hanoi to Hai Phong

Gia Lam Bus Station

              Travel in Vietnam is much easier than you might expect.  If your traveling to Hai Phong, the jump off point for Cát Bà Island and cruises into Ha Long Bay, you most likely are coming from the Old Quarter in Hanoi.  The best mode of transportation from Hanoi to Hai Phong is by bus.  The most convenient option for a bus is to talk to your hotel/hostel and have them arrange for a bus to pick you up, which will cost 250,000 VND/11 USD.  If your trying to travel cheaper, then the public bus is your best bet.  

Houdongkeng Waterfall

              Yilan, in northeastern Taiwan, doesn’t have much to offer a passing tourist and you won’t find many that stop there.  But if you are making your way down the east coast and looking for a quick and rewarding hike, look no further than Houdongkeng Waterfall. 

Must Try Food in Taipei

              Taiwan is full of amazing food, and there is no place better to try it all than Taipei.  Taipei is a city that never sleeps, with bustling streets and lively night markets, the sheer variety of amazing food here is a foodie’s dream.  Everything in Taipei is delicious, but if you want to make sure to hit the best food Taipei has to offer, there are a few things that you must have on your eating checklist.  From sleepless night markets to must try restaurants, I have scoured the streets of Taipei to experience the best Taipei has to offer, bite to bite.  Here are a few of my personal favorites.

Top 10 Things To Do: Taipei

              Taipei, the sprawling capital city in northern Taiwan, is well worth a visit for any traveler wishing to take an amazing city vacation in a far away land.  Taipei offers world renowned food, transportation, hospitality, and experiences and should be on anyone’s bucket list of cities to visit.  Whether you have only a few days or weeks to spare, you can easily fill your time with awesome experiences, great sites, and amazing food.  If you are looking for what to do here is my list of the top 10 things to do in Taipei.

First Two Weeks in Taiwan

Taipei 101 and downtown Taipei from the top of Elephant Mountain

              Having finished our tour of the Philippines, we boarded an Air Asia flight and jumped across to Taiwan; the second country in our Southeast Asia tour.  Since Taiwan is a fairly small island we had planned on only spending two weeks there, but of course that didn’t happen (currently on day 18 and still have about a week of things to do).  The trip was going to be quick and easy we thought.  Since having a friend that lives in Taipei, the capital, we had planned to stay with him and use his house as a base of operations to go out into the rest of the country.