Taiwan

It's easy to see why Taiwan was called "Ilha Formosa," the beautiful island, by early Portuguese sailors. This small island offers spectacular mountain scenery, an impressive geographic and ecological diversity and a unique mélange of cultural influences. With its small size and excellent roadways and facilities, Taiwan is easy to discover while remaining relatively unknown to mainstream tourism. Two thirds of the area is covered by forested mountains with the Central Mountain Range stretching along the entire island from north to south. With the lush mountains of Wulai, pulsating cities like Taipei, the stunning basalt cliffs of Penghu, excellent hiking in Taroko Gorge, not to mention some of the world’s best hot springs, Taiwan is one of the most diverse destinations in Asia. It also has some of the warmest people we know. Beyond its hypermodern skin, Taiwan has an aboriginal soul and the contrast is most intriguing.