Sitting just off the east coast of mainland China lies an island with a storied history. Formerly known as Formosa and officially known as the Republic of China, Taiwan is an island mired in controversy but full of natural beauty and an attractive destination for those who love traveling Asia. Home to nearly 24-million people, Taiwan is one of the world’s most developed countries and yet the eastern two-thirds of it is highly mountainous. Strangely, this destination is not on many people’s travel radar. Today we’re going to get some Taiwan travel tips from author and travel writer, Joshua Samuel Brown about everything Taiwan has to offer.
Introduction to Episode 119: Taiwan Travel Tips
Trevor and Scott banter about how they have never done anything on Talk Travel Asia about Taiwan. How did that happen? Travel to Taiwan has been on the radar but it took awhile to find the right guest it seems. They then discuss what they know about Taiwan.
Scott: They weld bike frames there, the KMT fled there after losing the Chinese Civil War in 1949, and there is supposed to be epic cycling there. Of course the food is to die for, it’s one of the most densely populated nations, and there’s the constant overarching threat of collision with mainland China. But today we’re going to put all the politics aside and focus on it as a travel destination.
Trevor: I’ve been to the Taipei airport often and the current iteration of the airport features lots of informative displays about all the different regions on the island nation. I have a number of friends from Taiwan or who have lived in Taiwan over the years and I’ve always hoped to visit, but I’ve never done so.
When COVID broke out this year, Taiwan was one of the countries that was doing a good job handling it. And after I lost my job and wondered where I might go next, I did a bit of research and considered it. I’ll certainly go check it out next time I have a chance, which could be soon enough as many flights between Cambodia and Hawaii stop in Taipei and I assume I could do a stopover for a few days or a week to check it out a little bit.
Visit PATREON TO DONATE TO THE SHOW, click the link on the right-side of our website, or search Talk Travel Asia Patreon.
You can sponsor anywhere from $1/month upwards. These funds will help us cover costs of keeping the show going.
Thanks in advance for supporting the cost and helping keep the travel talk happening.
There’s more than one way to support the show: after listening, or even right now, if you wouldn’t mind, please take a moment to give us a rating on Soundcloud or iTunes. It’s easy and helps the show more than anything! Just rate it and leave a comment if you like too!
Guest Intro: Joshua Samuel Brown.
Our guest, Joshua Samuel Brown, AKA Josambro, is an American man wearing many hats: travel writer, journalist, Taiwan fixer, cyclist, radio broadcaster, experimenter of food, novelist, and a whole bunch more. He’s written a few hundred articles for magazines, newspapers, websites, and trade publications, is the long-serving co-author of the Lonely Planet Taiwan guidebook and joins us to enthuse about why we should all have Taiwan on our list of destinations to visit. He joins us online from Portland, Oregon in the USA.
Listen to Episode 119: Taiwan 101 to hear Josh’s Taiwan travel tips as he answers these questions:
- Where in America are you originally from?
- What got you into travel writing?
- When did you first go to Taiwan and what was that experience like?
- How long after that did you return to write the Lonely Planet guide to Taiwan?
- Tell us about some of the most interesting or noteworthy discoveries you made while writing the guidebook?
- If someone is going to Taiwan’s for the first time, what are the key attractions they need to see and experience?
- Which destinations were your favorite areas of Taiwan?
- What’s so interesting about Taipei?
- What’s your favorite secondary city and why?
- How’s the Taiwanese countryside?
- I’ve heard Taiwan is a dream for cycling…
- Can you tell us about the National Parks?
- Is the coast nice? Did you discover any great beaches?
- Taiwan is expensive to travel to or not?
- What makes Taiwanese food distinct or particularly special?
- Please give us a Taiwan travel tip that you want to ensure everyone knows.
- Tell us about your new novel.
To learn more about Joshua and follow his many projects, be sure to visit https://josambro.com/, which has a ton of sub-sites, pages and more. Clear your schedule before visiting as there’s a ton there.
Check out a Google Map of Taiwan with Tips for Travel to Taiwan from Josh Brown!
Links about our Talk Travel Asia guest
- Joshua on Twitter: @josambro
- Formosa Moon
- Spinning Karma
More about Scott & Trevor
- Follow Scott on Twitter: @scottcoates73
- Trevor’s Blog
- Scott’s Blog
- Groovy Map Seoul
- National Geographic Cambodia
- National Geographic Thailand
- Follow Talk Travel Asia on Twitter
- Follow us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Vine
- Theme Music by Jamie Ruben
Taiwan Travel Tips with Joshua Samuel Brown
