Taiwan is a small compact country, quite densely populated which still has a lot of natural areas that are highly protected and easy to explore. It is also always under the threat of war with mainland China so we wanted to visit it as soon as possible. The cities, especially Taipei and Tainan, are worth visiting for a few days but the major attraction for us were the mountains with the many protected natural areas with a high concentration of birds and mammals including many endemic ones.
Our only visit was in 2025, exploring the country on a two weeks trip including a full day on exotic Lanyu, the Orchid Island. For a very compact country there are many attractions and many protected natural areas and we enjoyed visiting them and seeing many of the endemic or rare birds and mammals. The cities are also fun to explore especially Taipei with many temples and night markets with exotic food. We self drove outside Taipei with the roads being in great condition and driving being reasonably ok as long as you are alert to the motorbikes which have priority in many situations and do not care about road rules in quite a few other situations. It helped us explore a few more isolated sites especially on our very accelerated schedule.
Map of Travels
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Trips
- Last night in Taiwan
Tonight is our last night in Taiwan spent in a Taipei airport hotel after a beautiful trip and before a happily uneventful flight home - The frogs of Sun Moon Lake
One of the most famous sights in Sun Moon Lake is the frog statue indicating the level of the lake and a good spot for some nice photos - Sun Moon Lake from Ci’en Pagoda
Our first stop on our Sun Moon Lake tour is the Ci’en Pagoda a relatively new pagoda raised to overlook the famous lake - The very popular Xitou Nature Area
Xitou is the last mountain nature area we visit with beautiful views, challenging trails and interesting birds as well as lots of visitors - Spending our last night near Xitou
Last night outside Taipei is in the mountains near Xitou enjoying cooler weather at an interesting tourist destination - Finding beautiful Fairy Pittas in Huben
One of the birds we really wanted to see is the beautiful Fairy Pitta and the best spot is Huben where we visit and after some searching do find it - Yuantan Ecological Park, a welcome stop
On the way down the mountain we stop at Yuantan for a nice hike to waterfalls and scenic views and also doing some birdwatching - Beautiful hike around Fenqihu
Before leaving Fenqihu we hike on one of the multitude of trails in the area through bamboo forests and discovering historic sites - A couple hours in the beautiful Alishan forest
Late afternoon we are finally able to visit Alishan forest a magical place after most tourists are gone with old trees and beautiful birds - Hiking Dongpu Prairie Trail
First stop today is Yushan National Park visiting the visitor center and taking a hike on Dongpu Prairie Trail seeing some special birds - The fireflies and bentos of Fenqihu
In the evening after a short rest we explore Fenqihu eating one of the famous bento boxes and watching fireflies dance all around us - Eryanping Tea Trail, more difficult than expected
On our way into the mountains we stop to hike the Eryanping Trail a more popular and exhausting trail than we expected with some great views and birds - The worthwhile Jacana Ecological Park
Our first stop after Tainan is at the surprisingly interesting Jacana Ecological Park adding multiple birds to our life list including the Pheasant Tailed Jacana - Famous and special Anping Tree House
Last stop in Tainan is the famous Anping Tree House taken over by banyans and the former Tait merchant house both worth visiting if in the area - Anping Fort, the former Dutch stronghold
Today we visit Fort Zeelandia renamed to Fort Anping a stronghold for trade and an international business center during the thirty years of Dutch rule - Evening exploration of Shennong Street
After recuperating for a few hours we exit the hotel in the evening to explore famous Shennong Street and to eat dinner at a Michelin rated restaurant - The imposing Magistrate Residence
Last stop on our stroll through the downtown area is the Magistrate Residence the former center of power of the Japanese occupation - Visiting beautiful temples while exploring Tainan
Betweenn Confucius Temple and the Magistrate Residence we explore the Tainan downtown with beautiful temples and small coffee shops - Tainan Confucius Temple, worth to visit
As we explore Tainan we stop to explore one of the few Confucius temples we have seen which is more somber and less decorated than the usual ones - The historical Hayashi Department Store
To escape the heat we visit the Hayashi Department Store and explore the many expensive stores while enjoying the AC - The surprisingly large Grand Mazu Temple
Right across the road from the Tower is the Grand Mazu Temple an old maze like temple composed from many smaller ones with many deities to pray to - Stroll to the, under renovations, Chihkan Tower
Today we explore Tainan starting with Chihkan Tower a historical fortress built by the Dutch and later the capital of the island - Couple nights at a luxury hotel in Tainan
Returning towards Taipei we spend two nights in Tainan exploring the historical city and walking the expansive downtown area - The bunker of Shoushan Park
The last stop in Kaohsiung is at the top of Shoushan Park where a bunker used to protect the city from invasions - The colorful Dragon and Tiger pagodas
The major attraction for us in Kaohsiung are the Dragon and Tiger pagodas some very colorful and a bit kitchy pagodas that are quite fun to visit - The remains of the old walls of Kaohsiung
The first stop in Kaohsiung are the old walls which are reconstructed in various way and the old impressive city gate with some nice views - The surprising Long Luan Lake Nature Center
Last stop in the Kenting area is at Long Luan Lake Nature Center a surprisingly interesting area with few visitors and many birds - The very windy Longpan Park
We return today to Longpan Park where we rained out yesterday and enjoy the very windy overlook and beautiful views - Through the caves of Kenting National Forest
We spend the afternoon before the rain exploring the beautiful caves and rock formations of Kenting National Forest Recreation Area - The beaches of Kenting
We start the day with a visit to the beaches of Kenting and a short swim in the turbulent ocean while looking for birds and enjoying the weather - Two nights eating through the Kenting Night Market
While staying in Kenting we make heavy use of the night market both to buy yummy dinner snacks and to buy fruits and additonal snacks for breakfast - Back to the mainland
After a morning of exploration we arrive in the afternoon at the harbor and eat lunch while waiting for the ferry which is surprisingly smooth today - Magnificent Lanyu Green Grassland Trail
First stop on our last day on Lanyu is Lanyu Green Grassland Trail the only well maintained trail leading to a beautiful viewpoint - Eating at the Iranmeylek Night Market
In the evening we spend an hour sampling the night market before returning to the accomodation and finding a Lanyu Scops Owl on the way - An afternoon of checking in and snorkeling
In the afternoon we take posession of our rental room before snorkeling at a famous swimming hole with lots of colorful fish - Jikarahem caves and Tatara boats on the east coast
The last major stop on our scenic first loop of Lanyu are the Jikarahem caves impressive in height if not in length - Short hike to Lover’s Cave
We continue round the island from Flycatcher Creek stopping for a beautiful hike to Lover’s Cave meeting goats and seeing birds and enjoying the nice weather - Exploring Flycatcher Creek from Red Head TH
The major attraction from a birdwatching perspective on Lanyu is the Flycatcher Creek one of the best places to see the beautiful Black Paradise Flycatcher - Arriving and first steps on Lanyu
Our exotic sidetrip from Taiwan is to Lanyu a small offshore island with a different culture and lots of special birds not found on mainland Taiwan - Can we find Black Spoonbills in Aogu Wetlands?
Last stop today and the major attraction is Aogu Wetlands where we hope to see a couple of lingering Black Spoonbills that overwinter here - The huge Buddha of Mt Bagua
Leaving Taichung our first stop is Mount Bagua to see the huge Buddha statue and enjoy a walk in the large complex surrounding it - A stroll through Taichung Park
Before leaving Taichung we visit between two bouts of rain the park that we can see just outside our hotel room observing an unexpected numbers of birds - Finding rare endemic birds at the top of Daxueshan road
We spend a few hours at the top of Daxueshan road find a good mix of high altitude endemics and other rare birds as well as a Muntjac - Exploring the mid elevations of Daxueshan
After spending some time at the lower elevations it is time to bird at mid elevations for some beautiful endemics before finishing at the top of the road - Birding at the lower elevations of Daxueshan
We start our birding day at the lower elevations of Daxueshan finding quite a few endemics including a beautiful Swinhoe Pheasant - Exploring Taichung at night
We spend two nights in Taichung eating icecream at one of the famous main street spots but never explore it during the day when we are exploring the mountains - Bunkers and views above Taichung
We approach Taichung via an alternate route that allows us to stop at an old bunker and a special viewpoint of the city before driving into town to our hotel - A relaxing stop at Jingcheng Lake
The last stop on the coast today is the Jingcheng Lake area with some waterbirds and nice views of the coast - The dunes of Caota Sand Dunes Geopark
A little known stop the Caota Sand Dunes Geopark is a worthwhile visit with some beautiful dune views and nice trails - Stretching our legs at Xucuogang Wetland
Our first stop outside Taipei is at Xucuogang Wetland where we try and succeed in seeing the rare Chinese Egret as well as many other shorebirds - Raohe night market, our first one
Last stop in Taipei late in the evening is the Raohe Night Market our first night market and a chaotic and tasty experience - Taipei 101, the highest building in Taiwan
In the evening we visit Taipei 101 at one point the highest building in the world and take the fastest elevator in the world to the fascinating observatory - Lunch on Historic Dihua Street
In the midday heat we visit historic Dihua street and eat some sweet bean ice cream as well as some lunch while peoplewatching and sightseeing - The busy Taipei Botanical Garden
We start the day with a visit to the Botanical Garden as we try to escape the heat and find some interesting birds in the busy garden - The impressive Liberty Square
We end the day exploring the immense Liberty Square and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall before walking back to the hotel through multiple parks - Da’an Park, a busy city park
We start the afternoon part of our Taipei visit with Da’an park a major local park where we are planing to look for some rare local birds - Looking for birds in the Wild Duck Natural Park
Our first birding stop of our trip is the Wild Duck Nature Park with multiple interesting birds including our first Taiwan Barbet - Beautiful Lungshan Temple and area
Our first stop is the impressive historical Lungshan Temple and the surrounding area full of shops and restaurants including a Michelin rated one - Arriving in Taiwan at a special hotel
Like every trip to Asia our trip to Taiwan starts with a long flight to Taipei where we stay in a luxury hotel enjoying the private lounge and great views