An Adventure Traveler's Guide To Taiwan

Known for its beautiful religious sites and the iconic Taipei 101, Taiwan doesn’t seem like an obvious adventure destination. However, when tourists leave the thronging cities and head for the countryside, they find that there are more than a few white-knuckle-inducing activities out there to experience.

Scuba diving in Kenting

Taiwan lacks a reputation for being a diving destination, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a great place to venture into the deep. There are many locations and diving clubs scattered throughout the island, but the coastal area of Kenting is by far the best place in terms of both weather and diving spots. Diving centers such as Taiwan Dive offer courses and trips throughout the year.

Quad-biking on the beach

Go paragliding

On an island that is infamous for its typhoons, perhaps it’s a little surprising that paragliding is such a massive thing in Taiwan. There are several well-known sites, but The Mustang Paragliding Club in Wanli is, without doubt, the most popular. The views are breathtaking as the instructors take daredevil tourists out across the bay for a ten-minute flight. And it’s all recorded on a Go-Pro.

Climb YuShan

As one of Taiwan’s most popular parks, Yushan has it all: endless treks along mountain ridges and some great climbing opportunities. But it’s the climb to the top of the highest peak Yushan, also known as Jade Mountain, that is the most thrilling. There’s even a chance to experience the sunrise from above the clouds if the alarm clock goes off on time.

Go surfing

With around thirty surfing spots around Taiwan, it’s easy to see why there’s a thriving surfing culture on the island. Of course, it’s not Hawaii or Australia, but it’s still a great place to hit the waves. Wai’ao Beach with its black sands and easy access to Taipei is the most popular destination for surfers in the north, and it’s pretty easy to rent a board or pick up some lessons from one of the local surf shops such as Rising Sun SurfInn.

Wakeboarding on a lake

The iconic Pagodas at Lotus Lake in Kaohsiung watch over tourists as they are pulled along by the only five-tower cable system in the country. This exhilarating sport is fairly new to Taiwan, but the locals have really taken to it, with popular wakeboarding spots also in Taipei, Kenting, and Hsinchu.

River tracing

If hiking through water and climbing over half-submerged boulders sounds like fun, then Taiwan is the place to be. It’s an extremely popular pastime, and a typical day out involves swimming in lagoons, waterfalls, and a few jumps. There are hundreds of locations to try river tracing in Taiwan, but many of the seasoned pros like to hit the rivers and waterways of Hualien where they believe the best experiences lie.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

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