Shitiping 石梯坪

25 01 2012

Shitiping 石梯坪 or (“Stone Steps” in Mandarin) is a small campground in Taiwan’s East Coast National Scenic Area.  The campground sits on a beautiful stretch of rocky geology formed by a mixture of coral reefs, sea erosion and cliffs.  The waters of the reef features some great diving and snorkeling in clear waters.

About a 6 hour drive from Taipei, Shitiping is located about 70km south of Hualien on Highway 11, not quite half way to Hualien’s sister coastal city, Taitung. It’s probably one of my favorite campgrounds in the world, and definitely one of my favorite places in Taiwan.

Lots of people come to Shitiping to go fishing with poles, or by snorkeling around the reefs.

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Categories : Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN, TRAVEL

I’m Really, Really, Really Sick of the Rain

10 01 2012

It’s been raining in Taipei for 6 weeks.  Seriously.  I usually don’t complain about stuff like this, especially on here, but I’m going completely insane.

A bigger problem is that I also have writers’ block and even squeezing out this self-absorbed rant is difficult.  One of the big problems with writing a new blog post is that I have so much stuff from the last year that I haven’t written about, I don’t even know where to start.  I think I have 10, half written posts in my “Recent Drafts” folder, none of which I’ll probably ever finish.

So here’s my solution to that:  I’m going to throw up all (most) of the photos I want to write and/or talk about in this one post and just clear them out of the way.  Then I can get started one new stuff.  Chinese New Year is only a week away!

There’s actually A LOT of information here, if you click all the links.

To see larger galleries of images similar to each one below, click on each image…  To read more about each location, click on the links under each image.

A summer sunrise at my favorite campground, Shitiping, Taiwan.

The above image was taken at Shitiping Campground, on Taiwan’s beautiful east coast.

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Categories : Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN, TRAVEL

Taiwan Adventures iPhone Travel Guidebook

3 01 2012

Taiwan Adventures iPhone Guidebook is a brand new way to learn about Taiwan as you travel through it.  The “book” has over 900 entries featuring Taiwan’s best travel highlights.  Useful to tourists and expats alike, the APP has entries describing everything from renting a car or scooter to finding that western food that you’ve been craving.  A sample of the Guide is a downloadable from the iTunes Store for free.

Several of my colleagues and I have been working on this guide for nearly a year now.  We’ve traveled to nearly every corner of Taiwan to find you the most interesting places, both famous and unknown.  We’ve tried to push our favorite part of Taiwan – its amazing natural beauty, but have also scoured the cities for the best they have to offer.

You can get a small sample of the Guide for free from the iTunes Store, then the five divisions of Taiwan (Taipei City, Northern Taiwan, Eastern Taiwan, Central and the South) are a small additional fee.

All the entries have several photos (over 2,000 all together), many of which are exclusive to this APP.

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Categories : Must See Taiwan, TAIWAN, Taiwan Adventurers, TRAVEL

Sun Moon Lake 日月潭

21 10 2011

Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) is one of Taiwan’s most popular weekend getaways.  It’s a large, stunningly beautiful lake conveniently nestled in the Central Mountains.  It has almost everything you could want in a weekend escape: from family friendly camping to five star hotels; adventure and exercise to spas and relaxing; and of course lots of culture and beautiful lake views!

The last time I visited Sun Moon Lake, I was only able to stay for about 24 hours, but in that time, I was able to see and do quite a few awesome things!  Today I’m going to write about three places that can be visited in a half day: Syuanguang and Syuanzang Temples, and the Cien Pagoda.  All three are connected by the short Mt Cinglong Hiking Trail (青龍山步道) that starts at the Syuanguang Temple’s pier and continues up to Syuanzang Temple and on to Cien Pagoda (You actually have to walk on the road for a short time, but it’s still quite nice).

For more information on Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) visit Taiwan Adventures Travel Guide (跟著老外玩台灣).

The beautiful Cien Pagoda stands towers above Sun Moon Lake in Central Taiwan.

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Categories : Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN

Taiwan Adventures Online Guide Book

20 09 2011

Taiwan Adventures Online Guide Book is a project that my partners and I have been working on for the better part of the last year.  It is a free, online travel guide to Taiwan.  It has over 800 entries, is available in English and 中文, and will very soon be available as an iPhone App (Ready sometime before the end of September).

It has been A LOT of work to compile, visit, photograph and write about all of these places, but it has also been really rewarding.  Hopefully now I can get back on track and start writing some blog posts about the best of these wonderful places.

An online guidebook to Taiwan with lots of travel information and advice.

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Categories : Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN, Taiwan Adventurers

Ghost Month in Taiwan

13 09 2011

Ghost Month is a traditional celebration held in most Chinese communities around the world, and of course in Taiwan. It is believed that this month is a sort-of vacation for all the ghosts living in Hell, and they are welcomed to walk the earth among the living.  Many special precautions are taken to insure that the ghosts don’t hang around, like burning spirit money, guarding ones address and not moving house for fear that one of the ghosts might decide to stay in the new house.

In Taiwan, no city celebrates Ghost Month more vigorously than the harbor city of Keelung (基隆).  They have parades, ceremonies and other events on almost every day of that month.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend as many events as I would have liked this year, but I did get to one of the most important days, the Ghost Festival Parade held on the 15th day of Ghost Month.

Ghost Festival in Taiwan 2011

One of the musicians in the 2011 Keelung Ghost Festival Parade relaxes before the start.

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The Martyrs’ Shrine 國民革命忠烈祠

2 08 2011

The Taiwan Martyrs’ Shrine (officially The National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine 國民革命忠烈祠) is set on the side of Qingshan Mountain very close to the Grand Hotel and the neighborhood of Neihu (內湖區).  It’s hallowed ground, dedicated to those who fought and died for the Republic of China in the Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Civil War and the First and Second Taiwan Straight Crises.  About 390,000 soldiers died in these wars, and their spirit tablets can be found here.

Twice a year, the President of Taiwan and high officials come to the Martyr’s Shrine to pay their respects to the fallen war heroes.  But what many people come to see is the changing of the guard ceremony, which happens every hour on the hour.

The MArtyr's Shrine in Taipei, Taiwan

See military precision at the Martyrs' Shrine in Taipei.

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The Four Beast Mountains – Yongchun

31 05 2011

My series of blog posts on hiking The Four Beast Mountains has become one of my most popular series since I’ve started blogging.  Now that spring is back upon us, I’ve noticed that those posts are getting more and more hits.  I can only guess that everyone is looking to get get some exercise!

So here’s a new post.  It’s going to be mostly just pictures, but they are all from an area that I glossed over in the last three posts.

The general Yongchun area consists of two high schools, a small military base, several temples, and a few apartment building neighborhoods.  The entire basin of this area (roughly 600m x 100m) was a shallow lake just a hundred years ago or so.

Promise King

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Categories : Hiking, Must See Taiwan, TAIWAN, The Four Beast Mountains

Longshan Temple 龍山寺

8 03 2011

Longshan Temple 龍山寺 (aka Lungshan and Mengjia 艋舺龍山寺) is the oldest and most well-known temple in all of Taiwan.  What’s truly wonderful about it, is that despite being a major tourist destination, Longshan Temple retains it’s charm and genuineness by remaining a place of daily worship.  The area around Longshan can be quite interesting as well, and features traditional markets, calligraphers, traditional medicine shops, fortune tellers, and a place called Snake Alley.  All these reasons and more are why Longshan Temple is on my list of must see places in Taipei.

Crowded on Chinese New Year

Throngs of Buddhists and Daoists pack Longshan Temple in Taipei on Chinese Lunar New Year 2007.

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Categories : Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN, TRAVEL

Yehliu GeoPark and Other Coastal Geology

29 01 2011

Yehliu GeoPark (野柳地質公園) is a popular stop on the Taiwan tourist circuit.  It’s an interesting set of geological formations found in a small park about 20 minutes north of Keelung, Taiwan.  Truth be told, the entire length of eastern Taiwan is an interesting set of geological formations, but here you can find them all in one small area with a coffee and souvenir shop.  If you’re only in Taiwan for a short time, or don’t have any transportation of your own, this it the place to go to be awed by Mother Nature’s artistic side.

Yehliu Taiwan

An overview of the most popular area of Yehliu GeoPark.

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Categories : Motorcycling, Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN

Must See Taiwan – Shiding and Shenkeng

3 08 2010

Shiding (石碇) and Shenkeng (深坑) are two small towns found just to the east of Taipei, Taiwan.  They’re both withing 3o minutes of Taipei’s  convenient MRT system and together, they make for a great day trip out of the city.

Shiding (石碇)

Shiding is a simple mountain village located at the convergence of two small mountain streams.  It’s got an old-time Taiwan feel to it, and in fact has many stores that are over a century old.  It also has two very clean, fish-filled streams that come from virgin forests high above, in the nearby mountains.

Tree roots overgrowing an old doorway in Taiwan

Doorways don't get much cooler than this.

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Categories : Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN, TRAVEL

Must See Taiwan – Jiufen 九份

15 04 2010

JiuFen (Jeoufen), Taiwan (台灣九份) is a popular destination about an hour east of Taipei.  It’s popular with tourists and locals alike, but has a certain charm to it that can’t be missed.

I recently visited Jiufen for an evening and had a great time wandering around.  I wasn’t planning on writing a full blog post about it, but I left with some fun photos that I thought I might share…

Jeoufen Taiwan Old Street at Night

Jioufen Old Street, as seen at night after the tourists have left.

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Categories : Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN, TRAVEL

Must See Taipei – The Jade and Flower Markets (建國假日玉花市)

11 01 2010

The Taipei Jianguo Jade and Flower Markets (建國假日玉花市) are a must-see for anyone in Taiwan.  Located next to each other on Jianguo South Road, the two markets stretch for nearly a kilometer (1/2 a mile) under the elevated highway.  They are only open on weekends and can make for a wonderful escape from Taipei’s often dreary rain.  But even on a sunny day, the Jade and Flower Markets (along with the adjacent Daan Forest Park) make for a nice afternoon walk for tourists and locals alike.

a giant lily blossom for sale at the Taipei Jianguo Flower Market

A big, beautiful lily for sale at the Taipei Flower Market.

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Hiking the Four Beasts Mountains (四獸山) – Elephant Mountain (象山)

15 05 2009

Elephant Mountain (象山) is the most famous of the “Four Beasts Mountains (四獸山)” of Taipei, Taiwan and the most easily accessible.  It’s the third and last article in my series about hiking the Four Beasts Mountains.  Part one is on 9-5 Peak (Jiuwufeng – 九五峯), and part two is on Tiger Mountain (虎山).

Elephant Mountain is the most popular of the mountains for a good reason.  Being the closest to the city not only means easy access, but it means stunning views of Taipei, especially Taipei 101.

Taipei City and Taipei 101 as seen from Elephant Mountain

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Categories : Hiking, Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN, The Four Beast Mountains, TRAVEL

Hiking the Four Beasts Mountains (四獸山) – Tiger Mountain (虎山)

11 05 2009

Tiger Mountain(虎山) is the second subject of three in this series of articles on hiking Taipei, Taiwan’s Four Beasts Mountains (四獸山).

Tiger Mountain is the most northern of the Four Beasts Mountains and the easiest to get to.  It’s not the easiest to find (that would be Elephant Mountain) but if you have transportation, it’s an easy walk along a well kept, level trail.

All along the trail are stunning views of Taipei 101, Taipei City, and Nangang.

Taiwans Tower of Babel Viewed from Tiger Mountain.

"Taiwan's Tower of Babel" Viewed from Tiger Mountain.

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Categories : Hiking, Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN, The Four Beast Mountains, TRAVEL

Hiking the Four Beasts Mountains (四獸山) – 9-5 Peak (九五峯)

7 05 2009

One of my all time favorite hikes/photography locations in Taiwan is The Four Beast Mountains (四獸山) area.  Located within Taipei City limits, these trails are an easy escape from busy city life and have amazing panoramic views of Taipei City and Taipei 101.

The trail system includes Tiger (虎山), Elephant (象山), Leopard (豹山) and Lion (獅山) Mountains and is very easily reached from the Taipei MRT system.  In fact, the base of Taipei 101 is only a 15 minute walk from the Elephant Mountain trail head.

If that’s not enough, many of the trails are lighted, 24 hours a day!

The view of Taipei from 9-5 Peak is unrivaled.

The view of Taipei from 9-5 Peak is unrivaled.

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Categories : Hiking, Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN, The Four Beast Mountains, TRAVEL

Keelung, Taiwan 台灣基隆市

14 04 2009

Keelung, Taiwan 台灣基隆市 is an interesting port city about 30 km east of Taipei.  I had the chance to visit it while on assignment for a magazine and though I’d share some of the highlights.

Even though it’s nicknamed the rainy port (雨港) and I’ve heard that it’s the second rainiest city in the world, I had an absolutely beautiful day there.

The very crowded Miaokou Night Market (廟口夜市) is full of local favorites.

The very crowded Miaokou Night Market (廟口夜市) is full of local favorites.

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Categories : Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN, TRAVEL

Kaohsiung, Taiwan 台灣高雄

17 02 2009

My last travel photography post on Lotus Lake in Kaohsiung, Taiwan 台灣高雄 got a lot of hits, so I thought I’d share some more.  These are from a weekend I spent in the southern Taiwanese city shooting for Cathay Pacific/Dragon Air’s in-flight magazine “Silkroad” last Spring.

I had a long list of places to visit including Liuhu Night Market (六合夜市), Central Park and the new KMRT subway system, Urban Spotlight (城市光廊), Love River (愛河), The Matsu (媽祖) Temple and some other attractions on Cijin Island (旗津區).

I have a great time every time I go down there and often try to convince myself to move there for good.  It’s definitely an up-and-coming city whose image and economy should be boosted by this summer’s World Games.

Cijin Island (旗津區) is a very nice beach area that is actually a barrier island to the very busy Port of Kaohsiung.  You can take the ferry (旗津渡輪) for about 33 US cents or drive through a tunnel at the south end.  On the Island, you’ll find a nice beach, a night market renowned for its fresh seafood, and an interesting Matsu Temple.

Matsu Temple is located in the middle of the night market on Cijin Island.

Matsu Temple is located in the middle of the night market on Cijin Island.

Matsu Temple is located in the middle of the night market on Cijin Island.

Matsu Temple is located in the middle of the night market on Cijin Island.

More on travel photography from Kaohsiung, Taiwan after the jump…

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Categories : Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN, TRAVEL

Lotus Lake, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

30 01 2009

Lotus Lake is a beautiful area to explore in Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan (台灣高雄蓮池潭).  I had an opportunity to spend the afternoon there just before Chinese New Year, 2009.

The lake is man made and a popular tourist destination.  It has many temples and pagodas, including the Spring and Autumn Pavilions (春秋閣), the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas (龍虎塔), and the Confucian Temple (孔廟).  It can be walked around in half a day while still seeing all the sights.

I was unable to find much information on most attractions around the lake, but I’ve provided what I know.

The zigzaging entrance way to the Dragon Tiger Towers in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

The zigzaging entrance way to the Dragon Tiger Towers in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

More from Lotus Lake, Kaohsiung after the jump…

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Categories : Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN

Tainan, Taiwan 台南台灣

28 01 2009

Tainan, Taiwan (台南台灣) is a beautiful city in southern Taiwan.  It one of Taiwan’s favorites as it has a nice climate and warm people.  It’s also full of historical sites.

It’s the only one of Taiwan’s big cities that I’ve never visited so I thought I make a visit during the Chinese New Year break.  I only spent about a day there but got to see most of the major sites and thought I’d share a few of the pictures:

Taiwan was once governed by the Dutch. They built several forts in Tainan to help control the occasional uprisings. Chihkan Tower 赤崁樓 (Fort Provintia) was built in 1653 and traded rulers hands several times over the centuries before being recently restored.

Taiwan was once governed by the Dutch. They built several forts in Tainan to help control the occasional uprisings. Chihkan Tower 赤崁樓 (Fort Provintia) was built in 1653 and traded rulers hands several times over the centuries before being recently restored.

More from Tainan photography after the jump…

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Categories : Must See Taiwan, PHOTOGRAPHY, TAIWAN


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