Besides being a high-tech electronic base as well as a veritable center of Chinese pop and entertainment, Taiwan also boasts a veritable melange of impressive mountains, idyllic beaches, colorful aboriginal culture and a cuisine that is highly esteemed by people all over Asia.
Food, Shopping, Museums, Nature
Taiwan experiences a subtropical climate. Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are most pleasant for traveling while summers can get blistering hot. The island, particularly the east coast that faces the Pacific Ocean, is prone to typhoons from May to October.
Perched on Nan Shan’s 48th floor is Cé La Vi, a ritzy rooftop lounge attracting the city’s young, hip and well-heeled like bees to a nine-meter-long copper-clad bar.
Occupying the 12th floor of the recently opened Kimpton Da’an hotel, restaurant-slash-bar The Tavernist offers yet another reason to venture around this district after dark.
With a group of young, wildly creative chefs leading the way, the Taiwanese capital is emerging as Asia’s buzziest culinary destination.
Hoshinoya’s newest resort in the Taiwanese hot-spring town of Guguan invited relaxation and good qi.
Craft beer isn’t the sole domain of men anymore. Across Asia, trailblazing female brewers are transforming the industry.
Taiwan might not be the first locale that comes to mind when speaking of whisky. But Duncan Forgan seeks out the water of life here, and finds its single-malt expressions maturing mighty finely.
Asia’s craft suds scene keeps getting better. Craig Sauers checks in with six exciting breweries using local flavors and ingredients to push beer boundaries.
Taihu might be Asia’s most progressive brewery. The bathrooms are gender neutral, for starters, and when it comes to beer, head brewer Winnie Hsu is as relentless in her devotion to quality as she is in her rejection of traditional boundaries.
“We make cocktails for people who usually order beer,” says Angus Zou, the brains behind Draft Land. After building a name for himself at Alchemy, a trailblazer in Taipei’s speakeasy scene, he opened this taproom in 2018 to take the fuss out of ordering a mixed drink.
Like most speakeasies worth their salt, the first rule of Staff Only Club was, “do not tell anyone.” But good news travels fast, and soon after opening late last year, this members-only club became Taipei’s worst-kept secret.
This tiny cocktail kitchen in buzzy Da’an district actually serves up a full culinary experience. In his space of dimly lit booths around a stage-like bar, owner Seven Yi takes guests on a two-hour tasting journey.
Located in the heart of the city, Mandarin Oriental Taipei offers the perfect fusion of classically inspired design and contemporary luxury.
Built around a volcanic geothermal hot spring, Villa 32 draws heavily on its natural environment to create open, invigorating spaces in the busy northern district of Beitou.
The splashy W Taipei blends the feel of a relaxing resort with a smooth, urban vibe. In step with the W brand, whimsical art pieces punctuate the hotel, including flying metal shards in the lobby by Japanese artist Sawada.
Le Méridien Taipei, the hotel group’s first Taiwan property, stands out from Xinyi district’s crowd of business hotels with its arts-oriented approach.
