10 reasons to take a trip to Taiwan today

Why had I never been to Taiwan before this? I don’t remember anymore, but I intend to make up for the error by visiting more often.

 Our tour group arrived in the capital Taipei just after 3p.m. on Wednesday. Clearing passport control and retrieving our luggage took 25 minutes  I love an efficient airport.

 Forty minutes later we were at the wholesale clothing market, where I made the first of many pleasant discoveries…

 The shopping is spectacular. The Wufenpu shopping district is like a clean, organized, air-conditioned Divisoria or Baclaran. There is a mind-boggling assortment of shirts, pants and dresses going for 100 New Taiwan Dollars each  lower if you bother to haggle. Your peso goes a long way: the exchange rate is Php1.50:1 TWD. The Taipei shopping veterans in the group noted that the styles in this market will hit Manila streets after six months.

 But there was something odd about the wholesale market, something I couldn’t place until I was checking out the T-shirts in a shop inspired by British punk. You can shop in peace! The vendors don’t get in your face and nag you to buy something. You can look, touch, try on clothes at your leisure. And they do expect you to bargain  you can communicate via calculator.

 If designer goods and luxury brands are your thing, Taipei 101 is for you. Once the tallest building in the world (now the third tallest), Taipei 101 has five floors of shops for label connoisseurs. For connoisseurs of bargains there are Taipei’s renowned night markets.

 I would’ve happily spent the entire trip wandering around the vast Shilin night market, which on weekdays stays open till 2 in the morning. Shilin has everything, literally: from pineapple cake and stinky fermented tofu, to toys and guns, to clothes and accessories. We had less than two hours to explore the sprawling market so I zeroed in on three things I wanted: cat-themed T-shirts, earrings, and eyeglass frames.

Cat T-shirts: check. I am wearing one of them right this minute: a short-sleeved hoodie with a gun-toting cat in front. The vendor parted with three shirts in different designs and lengths for 1,000 TWD  I didn’t bargain hard. Earrings: a huge variety, but too “normal” for my taste. (Then again, I wear earrings made from plaster casts of my ears.)  Eyeglass frames: Bingo. I’ve seen pretty much every cat’s eye design in existence, but at Shilin I found eyeglasses with cat’s ears. And a pair with a cat sitting on the upper-right corner. There were lots of eyeglasses with ribbons, if you want to be a walking homage to Hello Kitty. Three pairs of glasses cost 600 TWD.

 The food is worth a trip in itself. Our first dinner was at Din Tai Fung in Taipei 101, awarded a Michelin star for its famed shao long bao. Yes, the dumplings with broth in them. The restaurant is so highly-regarded that even with reservations, you can expect a bit of a wait. This heightens expectations, but the shao long bao does not disappoint. The flavor is subtle, never overpowering.

 (If you’re wondering how they get the broth into the shao long bao, Teddyboy Locsin and his nephew have conducted thorough research, on this earth-shaking question. Having discarded such hypotheses as injection by needle and frozen broth, they have concluded that a tiny bouillon cube is placed inside the dumpling and the broth is released during steaming.)

 From a lifetime of eating in Chinese diners and panciteria, I tend to think of Chinese food as highly-seasoned, flavorful, oily and addictive. Much of the Taiwanese cuisine we sampled on this trip was understated and delicate. At our last dinner at the Fullon Hotel in Dansuei Fisherman’s Wharf, we sampled the local delicacy, Black Chicken. It is, literally, a black chicken, but other than its unusual color it could’ve been a particularly scrumptious tinola.

 Some of you may be wondering about the political and military situation in Taiwan. Our guide assured us that it’s perfectly safe  relations with mainland China have been very cordial in the last decade.

 One effect of globalization and open markets is that hotels have come to look alike  if you stay indoors you won’t know which country you’re in. Not so in Taiwan, where the hotels have plenty of character.

 On the first night we stayed at Palais de Chine (www.palaisdechine.hotel.com.tw/eng), a designer’s dream of the French Renaissance. Fortunately not too faithful to the era, since I’m pretty sure there was no indoor plumbing in the French Renaissance. The rooms are romantic and sexy, all curves and tassels, with a circular bathtub right beside the front door. Fabulous  though you may have to get another room if you’re travelling with parents or children. Careful not to hit the emergency button, as it turns off the power in the room and summons the hotel staff to rescue you from the tub.

 We spent the second night at Farglory Hotel (www.farglory.hotel.com.tw) in Hualien on the east coast, a six-hour drive from Taipei. There were conflicting theories as to the meaning of the hotel’s name, but there was no doubt as to the coziness of the rooms done in mock-Victorian style. And how can you not relax in the hotel spa with the enchanting name of Rich Bear Energy?

 If you’re travelling with kids, there are plenty of child-friendly amusements in Taiwan, including Farglory Ocean Park (www.farglory-oceanpark.com.tw) adjacent to the hotel. It’s the first interactive marine-ecology theme park on the island, with aquariums, live animal shows and adventure rides to keep the most demanding children occupied.

 My favorite Taiwan hotel name has to be Tang Sparty (http://www.fww.com.tw/tangspa/index2.htm), so called for its extensive spa facilities. Each room has a stone bath and tatami floor. Sparty, get it?

 I had hoped to see the National Palace Museum, one of the finest in the world, with a collection of Chinese antiquities so large that only a small percentage is on view at any time. Unfortunately the museum wasn’t on our itinerary. We did get to see the natural wonders of Taiwan’s east coast, beginning with its many cold and hot springs.

After a long drive along the east coastlushly forested mountains on our right, the pale blue ocean to the left  we reached Taroko National Park in Xioulin Township, Hualien County. Taroko Gorge is a sight to behold, a narrow passage surrounded by huge walls of rock. Above: marble gorges, exposed rock strata and swallow holes. Below: dense forests, waterfalls, silvery water between marble boulders.

 We put on hard hats  rock falls are common when it rains  and explored the opening of the Chongde Tunnel built by Taiwanese military veterans. The tunnel was gouged out of solid rock by hand  an impressive feat of engineering that shortened travel times within the island.

 Have I mentioned the shopping? On our last night we managed to squeeze in two hours among the charming shops at the Old Street in Danshuei. Of particular interest where the stores selling Taiwanese specialties like Iron Eggs, which make Century Eggs sound nouveau, and every conceivable flavor of Mochi, the Japanese dessert that Taiwanese have made their own.

 For spectacular views of Taipei, go to the Lover’s Tower in Danshuei Fisherman’s Wharf. In the revolving chamber on top of the 100-meter tower you can take in the panorama of city, oceans and mountains. “The ride takes six minutes,” said our affable tour guide Francis Yu, “and then there is a free fall. Chos!” (In case his Tagalog slang is better than yours, he was kidding.)

 Taiwan is right next door, and it’s easy to get there. EVA Air flies to Taipei everyday, and fares can go for as low as USD150. Call 753-1380 to 82 or visit www.evaair.com. The visa application process is fuss-free, and if you have a US or Australia visa you don’t have to pay the processing fee. For inquiries call Jeron Travel and Tours Corp, 851-8991, 854-7128 to 31 or visit www.jerontravel.com.