12 Things you should know about Taiwan

Once known as the manufacturing hub of Asia, Taiwan is now known as a tourist destination and one of the best places to experience Asian culture. Visiting Taiwan has become easy for foreign travelers, but there are still a few things travelers should know before heading to this place that the Portuguese used to call "Formosa" (meaning beautiful island).

1. There is still a language barrier.

While English is a compulsory subject throughout the education system, many people in Taiwan have little or no opportunity to practice their English out of school. This means students or young adults are easy to communicate. If you need help, people here usually use simple English and body language to help you! Alternatively, the police station is very common here. Usually there must be a police station within 2 kilometers in the city. If necessary, you can also go directly to the police station for assistance.

2. Taiwan people are very helpful.

The people of Taiwan are more than willing to help in any way. In fact, they're so helpful that it's common to see lost tourists surrounded by locals trying to communicate and get them to their destination.

3. How is the weather in Taiwan?

Generally speaking, the four seasons are not too obvious, and can be divided into long and hot summer and short winter. The temperature in summer may be as high as 36 degrees and the average temperature in winter is 20 degrees. Sometimes there will be extreme cold and the temperature will drop to about 5-10 degrees. Summer is the rain season, usually in the north than south. But even in winter, it may rain for several days in a row, especially in the north, where the climate is very changeable, so the people of Taiwan always carry an umbrella with them to cope with the weather conditions at any time.

4. The summer in Taiwan is really hot.

Summer in Taiwan is around June, July and August. The heat and humidity can be uncomfortable—especially if you're not used to a subtropical climate.

But summer in Taiwan has its perks. It's a great time for the outdoors, beaches, mountains and waterfalls. The ultraviolet rays in Taiwan are also very strong in summer, please be sure to protect yourself from the sun, even if you are just wandering on the street.

5. Is it safe to travel to Taiwan?

Taiwan is one of the safest tourist destinations in the world. Even if you are alone, you are safe day and night. The crime rate in Taiwan is very low. Most local people are very friendly and helpful.

Violent crime is rare. Pickpocketing and purse snatching happen occasionally, so keep an eye on your belongings, including passports and other travel documents. If you lose something, locals will try to help you.

It is an ideal destination for solo or female travelers.

6. Convenience Stores in Taiwan Offer More than Convenience

Convenience stores in Taiwan provide more than just convenience. Here, convenience stores provide far more than the literal word "convenience". Seven-eleven and Familymarts, which are open 24 hours a day and covering almost the entire Taiwan, are perfect. In addition to providing a variety of delicious meals, fresh fruits, daily necessities, sending packages, paying credit card bills, living bills, and even ice cream of the season will be sold. No matter what you need, when the door ding-dong opens, you're sure to find in the convenience store .

Kenting Baishawan

7. Signage can sometimes be confusing.

Taiwan uses a variety of romanization systems for spelling, which can be a confusing experience for non-Chinese tourists. The government is doing its best to make the system standard, but it will take time. So this means that the English on the map may have different English spellings from the signs on the street itself.

8. Tainwan makes you enjoy yourself so much as to forget to leave.

Those plan to stay for a few months or so usually tend to stay longer. Most expats are so comfortable here that they find it difficult to leave. Good healthcare and an excellent standard of living make it an almost perfect place to settle down.

9. It is easy to buy supplies needed by foreign tourists in Taiwan

Foreign goods (or local equivalents) are common in Taiwan. But there might be a thing or two missing here (only a few brands of deodorant). Generally, tourists can find everything they need in Taiwan.

10. Easycard is required.

There is a card that can be used as cash in Taiwan called EasyCard, which makes traveling in the city a breeze. It is originally designed for use on local buses and the MRT (subway), convenience stores, supermarkets, Youbikes and even parking lots now is accepted as prepaid fares.

11. What are the must-eat foods in Taiwan?

If you come to Taiwan, you must try the famous beef noodles, oyster omelette, stinky tofu, braised pork rice, steamed buns and Taiwan’s rich and varied breakfast are highly recommended! There are so many options for breakfast in Taiwan. There are shops selling pasta and even steak early in the morning. In the southern Taiwan, the traditional breakfast in some places is a big bowl of hot fresh fish noodles or beef soup. In addition, there are all kinds of seafood, steamed, grilled, seafood porridge, steamed with garlic Shrimp, grilled squid, and all kinds of fried chicken stalls and lo mei stalls in the streets and alleys. You will amaze for those bubble tea, assorted small dessert stands, shaved ice (an iced treat served with fruit, pudding, fudge, and many other optional small desserts ) and taro balls.

12. Why can't Taiwan's tap water be drunk directly?

Many people intuitively think that water in Taiwan is so poor that they cannot drink directly from the tap. However, according to the results of the tap water quality sampling test announced by the Taiwan Water Supply Company earlier, the pass rate has always been within the range of the pass rate, and the fail rate is less than 1/1000. In other words, Taiwan's tap water meets the "Drinking Water Quality Standard" and is theoretically suitable for direct drinking.

However, even with statistical evidence, drinking tap water is still questioned by most people, the Taiwan’s water company does not recommend drinking tap water. It may be that the people have a deep-rooted habit and dare not drink tap water. In some places, the tap water pipes are old. Whether the water storage tower is regularly cleaned or not. Sometimes the rainfall is too little and groundwater is temporarily pumped to solve the problem of insufficient water supply. Above all, tap water is still recommended and it must be boiled before drinking.