Travel notebook

TAIWAN

Flights

frequent in historic Tainan, a pleasant city known for its rich folk heritage.

2. The Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area has many picturesque walks through tranquil forests.

3. Standing on the ancient ruins of a Dutch fortress, the Chihkan Tower is the landmark of Tainan.

4. Giant lanterns in the shape of the zodiac animal of the year feature at the annual Lantern Festival.

5. Enjoy a bowl of noodles at Tainan’s 116 year old Tou Hsiao Yeuh, one of the oldest noodle shops in Taiwan.

Between November 6 and March 3, China Airlines, Taiwan’s national carrier, has five A330-300 flights a week between Sydney and Taipei. The award-winning airline also operates three services a week linking Brisbane with Taipei. Taiwan can be a stopover en route to India as China Airlines has three flights a week linking Taipei with New Delhi. The convenient flights are well timed for Australian passengers. Bookings can be made through your travel agent or on-line at www.china-airlines.com. There are no booking fees or credit card surcharges for online bookings.

Access

Northerly Taipei and Kaohsiung, 345 km to the south, are connected by the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) System. Stops are made at major centres including historic Tainan and Taichung, a convenient centre for Lugang, the host venue of the 2012 Lantern Festival. Reaching a top speed of 300 km/hr – the same speed as the Eurostar service that connects London and Paris - there are 12 sleek orange and white carriages for each 989 seat passenger train. See www.thsrc.com.tw/en. Until Miaoli is joined to the high-speed rail network in 2015 take an air conditioned express train on the Western Line from Taipei. See www.railway.gov.tw

Events

The quaint town of Lugang on the island’s west coast has won the right to host the 2012 Taiwan Lantern Festival. Selected for its rich history, folk customs and architectural assets, Lugang, an important trading port in the 18th and 19th centuries, will be transformed into a lantern city from February 6 – 19, 2012. Next year will be the year of the dragon so expect to see a striking centrepiece lantern in the shape of the mythical creature.

STOPOVER

As China Airlines flights from Australia arrive in Taipei why not spend a few days exploring the Taiwanese capital before setting off in other directions? During my Taipei stopover I soared to the top of Taipei 101, the capital’s 508 metre high landmark and traipsed through the National Palace Museum which houses the world’s largest and richest collection of Chinese art. A shopping adventure waited at the Shihlin Night Market, an outdoor bazaar where everything is available from furniture, jewellery and clothing to photographic gear and electronic goods like laptops and MP3 players.

INFORMATION

Lonely Planet’s Taiwan, a comprehensive guide to the dynamic island nation, is widely available in leading bookshops. For more information on travel to Taiwan as well as the opportunity to view informative on-line promotional videos see the official website www.taiwan.net.tw