Greetings!
I hope everyone is "out and about" and having fun! (I recently returned from a 3-week trip in the Canadian maritime provinces, including Newfoundland and I picked up a bit of an accent)
I am writing from Gamboa, Panama where I have been staying for about a week now. It is the rainy season and the rain is amazing. It usually rains sometime during the midday, from about 10:00am - 3:00pm. It usually rains for a couple of hours, or sometimes on and off, and boy can it rain. It pours like nothing you have ever seen, unless you have been to Panama, and if you have not been to Panama, consider a trip during the rainy season. The rain, the thunder, the lightning, is amazing and the rain has not affected our birding at all. We have had beautiful mornings and plenty of time in the afternoons and early evenings to be out and about....
Covid-19 Update: Taiwan has recently removed all travel restrictions for tourists and is open for all travel.
Time to Travel to Taiwan: No visa required, officially bi-lingual with English as the second language, and non-stop flights from many cities in the United States. Check out more info about our tours and travel to Taiwan:
Taiwan is a very special place and is one our favorite places! If you are a birder, in Taiwan you will find 27 endemic species, with over 650 species in total. If you are a nature lover, besides the beautiful birds, you will find wonderful forests, canyons, mountains, stunning coastlines, lots of butterflies, fantastic local people, many interesting mammals and great food! If you are a hiker, you will find great trails through the forests, mountains and river canyons.
Taiwan is a small island located 110 miles off the coast of southeastern China. Although Taiwan maintains its own independent government, it is officially: “The Republic of China”. Taiwan is about 1.5 times larger than the state of New Hampshire and has a population of nearly 24 million people. Taipei is the capital city and is located in the northern part of the country and 9.3 million people live in the Taipei–Keelung–Taoyuan metropolitan area. Artifacts dating back 30,000 years have been found on the island and the Taiwanese Aboriginals have lived in Taiwan for 6,000 years. Over the past centuries, there have been many occupying forces; the Dutch, Spanish and Japanese, with China having the most control and influence. Today 85% of the population identifies as Han Chinese. Most Taiwanese are either Buddhist or Taoist and freedom of religion is in the constitution.
Taiwan is a mountainous country with over 268 peaks above 9,800 feet across the subtropical zone. Yushan (Jade Mountain, Mount Yu) is 12,966 feet, 3,952m. Taiwan’s culture is a blend of indigenous, Chinese and Japanese influences that travelers can actually experience through tasting the island’s creative culinary scene. Taiwan is also an advocate for human rights and is the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. Enjoy a vacation in this scenic paradise. Don’t miss out on this colorful and vibrant travel destination!
Through all the years of changes, the one thing that has not changed is the Taiwanese people's love of nature. Taiwan has 10 national parks covering a total of 1.9 million acres and every county has local forest preserves and parks. Taiwan is dominated by forested mountains and has 18 National Forest Recreation areas. The island is criss-crossed with a network of well-maintained hiking trails. Taiwan has 65 different fire-fly species, which are a beloved insect and protected in the country. Taiwan is home to abundant biodiversity. Over 650 different bird species, 61 mammal species (including the endemic Formosan White-throated black bear), 92 reptile species, 30 amphibian species, 400 butterfly species and over 4,000 vascular plant species.
Taiwan is a very modern and developed country with all the conveniences and luxuries anyone could need. About 10 million foreign tourists visit Taiwan every year and the country has the best hotels and restaurants for a great travel experience. It is a free, democratic and progressive society. You can visit Taiwan without having to get a visa in advance and much of the country is bi-lingual with English as the second language. Taiwan has a fantastic infrastructure including a wonderful rail system with bullet trains traveling 185 mph. We will take the train several times on the Taiwan tour and it is a very nice and relaxing experience to travel on the trains. According to the U.S. Department of State, violent crime against foreigners is unusual, and overall violent crime rates in Taiwan are among the lowest in the world. Taiwan has modern medical facilities, with state-of-the-art equipment available at many hospitals and clinics. For many of the other countries we travel to, these things are not always the case and so there are no excuses not to go to Taiwan!
You can find the Itinerary with more details here: Taiwan Tour
You can find a Map of the travel route here: Taiwan Map
You can find the list of Birds that we have seen on this tour here: Taiwan Trip List
