Just a day after our tour of Taroko Gorge and we were already talking about coming back. There’s so much natural beauty to be found here that the two days we spent in Hualien felt hardly enough. But as breathtaking as Hualien is, it wasn’t just its natural beauty that resonated with us. We fell in love with the atmosphere too, and its vibe.
Before our trip, I read that Taiwan’s east coast is near and dear to the hearts of many Taiwanese. For them, it’s a special place, perhaps the most beautiful in Taiwan. We went on a day tour of Taroko National Park and our guide Tony described how it’s one of the only places in the country where you could enjoy the mountains and ocean all at once.
We tried our hand at urban shrimping in Taipei a few years ago and had the best time. So when I saw this Hualien night shrimping tour on Kkday, I didn’t give it much thought. Urban shrimping is fun, but here, we’d be doing it for real in an actual river. Awesome!
The Dessert Museum isn’t really a museum but a pastel-hued attraction dedicated to candy and sweets. It boasts eight themed rooms, each inspired by a different confection like donuts, marshmallows, and gummy bears. If you like sweets and Instagram, then you’re going to love this place.
Pad Thai is a street food item that everyone has pretty much heard of at this point. It is a global dish, and one which can taste completely different depending on where it was served.
As beautiful as the Philippines is, many destinations offer mostly sand and surf. But not Bohol. Apart from its many white sand beaches and world-class dive sites, Bohol is known for unique attractions that you can’t find anywhere else in the Philippines. Curiosities like the Chocolate Hills and the Philippine Tarsier come foremost to mind.
Poke, a dish that is very much the result of multicultural influences, came to existence in the 19th century when Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Filipino plantation workers arrived in Hawaii to work the sugar and pineapple fields.
After experiencing Yee Peng in 2017, I wanted to write an article describing the ins and outs of the festival, something that could answer important questions about the event in a single post. If you’re looking to attend the 2019 Yee Peng Festival, then I hope you find this guide useful.
What drew me to Elephant Nature Park is it’s “no elephant riding” policy. There are no bull hooks here, no elephants forced to kick soccer balls or paint for the entertainment of tourists. Instead, the park functions as a true rescue center and animal reserve.
Many people who visit Chiang Mai do bucket-list-worthy activities like visiting an elephant sanctuary or attending the Yee Peng or Songkran festivals. But there’s a lot you can do within the Old City as well, less epic but equally memorable things like cafe hopping or conversing with monks.