See what the experts are saying about Taipei. Get expert advice on how to get there what to see and more.
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Planning a trip
Travel in China isn't as hard as you may think: If you can manage Paris without speaking French, you can manage Beijing without Mandarin. Tens of thousands of visitors travel in China independently each year, making their arrangements as they... Continue reading »
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Fast facts
American Express -- Beijing: Room 2101, China World Tower, China World Trade Center; tel. 010/6505-2639. Shanghai: Room 206, Retail Plaza, Shanghai Centre; tel. 021/6279-8082. Guangzhou: Room 806, GITIC Plaza Hotel; tel. 020/8331-1771. Xiamen... Continue reading »
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Visitor information
Planning Your Trip The mainland travel industry is, in general, a quagmire of deception, and provides no truly reliable official sources of information either within China or via its overseas operations. The branches of the China National... Continue reading »
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When to go
Weather details are given below, but a far bigger factor in your calculations should be the movement of domestic tourists who, during the longer public holidays, take to the road in the tens or even hundreds of millions, crowding all forms of... Continue reading »
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Calendar of events
China's festivals follow the traditional lunar calendar, and to increase confusion, some minority calendars operate according to different traditions. For conversion to solar/Gregorian calendar dates, try the websites www.est-direct.com/china... Continue reading »
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Getting there
By Plane Although flying is still the most popular way to arrive, many are becoming concerned at the breakneck pace of China's civil aviation growth. China plans to spend $17.4 billion over the next 5 years to build 42 airports, expand 73... Continue reading »
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Escorted & package tours
Packages for the Independent Traveler Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time and often at... Continue reading »
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Regions in brief
Beijing, Tianjin & Hebei While there's much talk of getting to the Three Gorges on the Yangzi River before the area's partial disappearance, the real urgency is to see what little is left of old Beijing , with its ancient housing and origi... Continue reading »
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Getting around
The first thing to do upon arrival at any Chinese destination is to buy a map for ¥5 (65¢/30p) or less. Even though few of these are bilingual, and most are inaccurate, they're essential for navigation. Your hotel staff can mark on them where... Continue reading »
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Money
It's always advisable to bring money in a variety of forms on a vacation: a mix of cash, credit cards, and traveler's checks. You should also exchange enough petty cash to cover airport incidentals, tipping, and transportation to your hotel b... Continue reading »
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Entry requirements
Passports For information on how to get a passport, go to "Passports" in the "Fast Facts" section -- the websites listed provide downloadable passport applications as well as the current fees for processing passport applications. For an up... Continue reading »
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The 21st-century traveler
Telephones The international country code for mainland China is 86, for Hong Kong 852, and for Macau 853. To call China, Hong Kong, or Macau: 1. Dial the international access code (011 in the U.S., 00 in the U.K.). 2. Dial the cou... Continue reading »
Taipei Travel Experiences
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This bed is too small.... NO, your Legs too long!
So yes I am slow getting to writing in this bloggie but that's because these past few days have been pretty full. I woke up a... Continue reading »
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Taroko Gorge National Park
The central train station in Taipei is a large, rectangular contemporary structure. Inside, airy and light; brown and tan granite finish... Continue reading »
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Getting to the City from the Taipei airport
June 11, 2006. AfternoonThe China Airlines plane landed in Taiwan at the Chiang Kei Shek Airport in Taoyuan. This international airport h... Continue reading »
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How to Spend a Sunday
Saturday was a trial. Teaching M-F can be challenging enough, but nobody wants to be in school on a Saturday. I did my best, then had the... Continue reading »
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Third Stop: Taipei, Taiwan
May 16 (Wednesday) We flew to Taipei on Cathay Pacific (& spent almost an hour in the fabulous Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge... th... Continue reading »
