The Best of Hong Kong and Taiwan

Many travelers use Hong Kong and Taiwan in the same sentence. Perhaps that was because China’s mainland was off limited to most travelers for such a long period of time. These places were long the center of travel for those visiting the south china seas. Perhaps this is the reason most of the west has certain pictures of Hong Kong and Taiwan. One might be surprised to see that most of Hong Kong is not crowded with people or cement, but full of natural, wind-swept beauty.

Here, in no particular order, are the best of the little known destinations for Hong Kong and Taiwan:

Hong Kong’s outer lying islands offer a bit of a break from the harsh and crowded urban areas. What they lack in exciting atmosphere, they make up for with striking scenery and nature. Lantau Island is soon to be thrust into the spotlight as the home of Hong Kong’s International Airport. Development will surely follow. For the time, being however, this is a piece of land full of natural beauty and open for any number of outdoor experiences. Unless you are crazed enough to venture to Hong Kong Disneyland, which, to be fair, is outdoors, the options for adventure revolve around the Lantau Trail. This long hike would take several days to complete, but can be broken up into smaller treks. The lush forests are occasionally broken up by a seemingly ageless pagoda. Lamma Island has the trails of Lantau, though with an added sense of peace. This is chill-out central for those needing some R and R from urban Hong Kong. The seafood is sublime, and the island is so need HK Island and Kowloon that a seafood lunch is enough of a motive to make the trip.

Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s university town. Few of the attractions of Taipei can be found here. It might seem like a kind of drab, blue-collar place until you spend a Saturday in Chijin, the city’s seaside neighborhood. The atmosphere is festive, there is the taste of sea salt in the air and the seafood is fresh. Some restaurants allow you to pick your dinner out while it is still swimming in a tank. The grounds of Kaohsiung’s Universities offer pleasant strolls and are home to some laid-back café style venues.

Though Taiwan and Hong Kong now have to compete with China’s mainland for tourist dollars, places like Kaohsiung and Lamma Island mean that the former champs of the tourist industry still have an ace up their sleeve.