Our program allows you plenty of time to discover your new country, culture and customs. Below are some of our recommended highlights. Some tours and packages can be organized when booking your program, please see the program price page for more information.

city tour
One area you will want to stroll around is the old Wanhua section. There's excellent shopping among the street vendors there (you'll find loads of unusual items, but be prepared to bargain). The brightly colored Lungshan Temple is also there -- built in 1776, it's the oldest temple in Taiwan. Another Wanhua attraction, Snake Alley,is not for the squeamish. It's where you'll find dishes made of snake and turtle in some of the specialty restaurants, and the snakes are often slaughtered in full view. A shot glass of the serpent's blood may be offered to any tourist who looks sufficiently shocked by the slaughter.

There are many interesting museums and exhibits around Taipei, including the National Museum of History, the New National Taiwan Science Hall, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the Taiwan Provincial Museum, which houses original Taiwan wood carvings and fabrics. Another of the more important sights in the capital is the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

Hsimenting, near the West Gate of the old city, is the hot spot for the young and fashion-conscious. It specializes in trinkets, clothes, movie theaters and certain other, often less reputable, forms of nightlife. The East Region Shopping Area offers great atmosphere, crowds and a wide variety of street vendors selling everything from animals to zodiacs. Be ready to bargain for everything except food.

Taipei's "night markets" are especially enjoyable as the streets swirl with activity and take on a special glow. Shihlin, a northeastern suburb, has one of the best of such markets.

chiang-kai-sheck memorial hall
Downstairs there is a display of CKS memorabilia and a careful presentation of the Nationalist perspective on Imperial Japan and Communist China. With its 62-acre/25-hectare grounds, the CKS Memorial is one of the few really nice open spaces in downtown Taipei. In the late 1980s, two more huge buildings were added to this complex -- the National Theater and the National Concert Hall.

taipei city zoo
In addition to the usual collection of animals from around the world, the zoo is home to a number of native species that you can't see elsewhere. There is a nocturnal house and a marvelous butterfly house.

excursions

wulai aborigine village
About an hour's drive south by car passing through beautiful mountain scenery. Tours of the village include dance and music. Plan a trip to Taiwan's fabulous East Coast -- Hualien and Toroko Gorge.

half-day excursions
*yangmingshan national park
*the hot springs of Peitou (a suburb of Taipei)
*Yaumingtau Park, which is accessible by city bus and has hiking trails through the mountains as well as hot springs with bathing facilities
*the coastal town and beaches around Tanshui
*beaches along the coast from Tanshui to Wanli

Other good half-day trips include Lake Benevolence in Ta-Hsi, Shihimen Reservoir, the Safari Park in Leofoo and the pottery-producing village of Linkou.