Taiwan – The most underrated country in Asia
When people are traveling in Asia, they usually go to destinations such as Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, etc. But you won’t find a lot of people who will say “I’m going to Taiwan!”, and that’s exactly why I wanted to go there. I had two weeks in the-country-that-no-one-goes-to and was really nervous before I landed. I didn’t really know what to expect. I did some research before I left, but I didn’t want to do too much in case I’d spoil too much. I wanted it to be a surprise. And it really turned out to be one of the biggest surprises during my trip.
I was backpacking in Asia and thought I had figured my itinerary out. But all of a sudden I had a 2 week gap that I could do whatever I wanted to with. I was deciding on whether I should go to Singapore or arrive to Vietnam earlier. But then all of a sudden I saw that there were relatively cheap tickets from Indonesia to Taiwan and I didn’t hesitate – I just booked it.
Taiwan is a curious little country that seems to possess a little bit of everything. You have beautiful beaches, majestic mountains, traditional cities and huge, metropolitan ones. But what made it so interesting was that there were almost no tourists there at all – I was almost alone in my hostel and the few people I met were either living in the hostel while waiting to get an apartment or came there for the same reason as me – to explore the unexplored. I didn’t think I would love this place as much as I did. Taiwan felt safe, developed, clean and the locals were friendly and open-minded. There were a ton of things to do and see, and I quickly realized that two weeks would not be enough. It was in fact, one of the few places in Asia where I could see myself living for a while.
It’s definitely an off-the-beaten-track destination so if you’re looking for a place to go with only few tourists, Taiwan should be the next place you visit. The prices are still affordable, although the only thing that is a bit pricey is accommodation. It’s not as cheap as Southeast Asia (nothing really is), but it’s way cheaper than Japan and South Korea for example. You can still find really good food for a good price. I highly recommend anyone who’s going to Taiwan to try their cold noodles with peanut sauce. It honestly works both for breakfast, lunch or for dinner. I wouldn’t hesitate eating it 3 times per day though. I promise, it is THAT good! And to top it all off, incredibly cheap.
Although Taiwan is right now Asia’s most underrated country, things are bound to change. The more tourists who come here, the more people will spread the rumour about how fantastic this country is. Which it really is.
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