Taiwan is proof that good things come in small packages!  With a vast array of sights and activities packed into this small island made so readily available due to the small geographical footprint and excellent transportation systems, exploring is relatively easy from anywhere.

To put this in perspective, the drive from north to south (the entire length of the country) is the same as driving from Toronto to Montreal, roughly 5.5 hours.  In fact, Taiwan would fit in Lake Huron and still be an island surrounded by almost half the lake!  I have driven the entire perimeter on three occasions and even with a few sightseeing stops each trip took just two days.

Remarkably, almost 70% of the island is comprised of mountain ranges, and about 90% of the population reside along the narrow plains on the west coast.  Chances are, you will find yourself staying somewhere in a city along the west coast and being just a half hour from forested mountains, quaint fishing ports, or beaches.

It took some time for me to realize that I could spontaneously visit places of interest in Taiwan without the requisite planning in Canada.  When you are from such a vast, beautiful country such as Canada with so many wonderful sites to visit, transit times ranging from an all-day drive to many days is quite normal.  When I finally figured out that I could have breakfast in Yilan on the east coast watching the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean and just an hour and a half drive later be in Tamsui for the day awaiting a glorious sunset over the East China Sea, I made the adjustment.  Now, I make all sorts of day trips on impulse when I see an interesting post on Instagram or hear of festivities worth checking out.

Escaping the harsh Toronto winter is the whole point of being a Snowbird and the weather here is very much like Florida.  Despite the size of the island, the winter temperature does vary by region with Taipei in the north averaging 21.5° C., Taichung at the center coming in at 24.3°, and Kenting in the south at 26.2° C.  The Tropic of Cancer runs through the middle of Taiwan but south of the Florida Keys so it’s a couple of degrees warmer here.  In simple terms, Taiwan is comparable to Florida with the temperature varying slightly from north to south, but with much more scenery and a sense of adventure from being on the other side of the world!