Written by Max Fischer (Carleton College), Student Correspondent for CET Taiwan, Fall 2025
Taipei is an incredible city. It’s a great place to spend a term abroad. The fast-paced city is home to a seemingly infinite number of experiences, activities, and opportunities. Taipei itself is also a very international city, home to all kinds of different cultures and cuisines. There is so much to see and explore. However, there is also so much to see in Taiwan outside of the busy city life of Taipei. Maybe you are looking to take a hike with a friend, or see a lovely port city. Regardless, Taiwan probably has what you are looking for. Here are some of the places I have traveled around Taiwan so far!
Keelung 基隆
Keelung is a port city in the northeast of Taiwan, known for its beautiful coastal scenery, Miaokou Night Market, Wangyou Valley, and Zhengbin Fishing Port. Keelung is only about an hour away from Taipei by bus, making it super accessible. Moreover, our transit cards have access to free buses in the north of Taiwan, making it totally free to get there.
I really enjoyed Keelung. Being able to relax by the coastline, and seeing all of the natural scenery was super refreshing. Miaokou Night Market was really pretty, characterized by streets lined with yellow lanterns. Miaokou also had a great selection of different stalls. Before I went, I was told to be sure to try the seafood there. It did not disappoint. I particularly enjoyed the grilled squid. Zhengbin Fishing Port was an iconic spot for photos and also had a market for some local shopping.
Baishawan 白沙灣
Baishawan is a direct romanization from Mandarin, literally meaning white sand bay. It’s also on the northern coast of Taiwan, but it is also much closer than Keelung. The most prominent feature of the bay is, in fact, the beach right on the coast. It is important to be very particular about where you go swimming in Taiwan, due to the high frequency of dangerous currents around the island. However, Baishawan is complete with great infrastructure to keep swimmers safe, making it the ideal place for a weekend beach day!
Wulai 烏來
Wulai is another great day trip in the north of Taiwan. Situated just south of Taipei, you can take the MRT’s Songshan Line south to Xindian and then it’s just a 30 minute bus ride away. Wulai is most notable for its hot springs, with spas located around the district.
In addition, Wulai old street is also a great place to learn about the Atayal tribe, with local Ayatal cuisine and hosting the Wulai Ayatal museum. Finally, there is also a train car that takes you up to see the Wulai Falls. The scenery around Wulai is gorgeous, you’re literally in a small town embedded in the mountains. I highly recommend a visit.
Kaohsiung 高雄
Over the weekend of the Mid-Autumn Festival, I decided to take a bit of a longer trip to the South of Taiwan. One of my professors encouraged us to really get out of Taipei and try to experience everything the island has to offer, and I really appreciated this advice.
Kaohsiung’s atmosphere is very different compared to Taipei, the city has a much more laid back feeling. There are all kinds of things to see in Kaohsiung, from the arts district to Lotus Lake. My favorite activity was climbing Shoushan. Not only did the mountain have incredible views of the city, but it is also known for having lots of monkeys. If you do visit Shoushan, be careful to keep your items close by, as the monkeys are known for occasionally being fierce. However, I had no such problem. Getting to Kaohsiung was also super convenient, only around 3 hours on the high-speed rail, which was super clean and comfortable, albeit a little pricey.
Ultimately, there are so many incredible places to explore in Taiwan, and I have really enjoyed getting to see all kinds of different parts of the island. Whether you are looking to relax for an afternoon, take a super active hike, or explore a new city, Taiwan probably has what you are looking for!