How to Plan a Trip to Taiwan

How to Plan a Trip to Taiwan Our Mini Guide to Visiting the Republic of China ChaptersWhen Should You Visit Taiwan?What Are the Must-See Sights in Taiwan?The Top 10 Reasons to Visit TaiwanWhere Should You Stay in Taiwan?“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” - Gustave FlaubertAre you heading to the South China Sea, between the Philippines and Japan?Yes, we’re talking about Taiwan, its countryside, cuisine, and historical and cultural heritage.  Taiwan, for many people, conjures the idea of manufacturing. After all, most of us have seen something with “Made in Taiwan” printed on it. However, the island is much more than just that.Taiwan has a population of 23.58 million people, covers 13,974 mi ², is separated from the People's Republic of China by the China Strait, is 240 miles long, and 85 miles wide.The island’s economic growth was 2.68% in 2018, has a GDP of $52,304 per person per year, ranks 19th in the world ahead of both South Korea (32nd) and Japan (31st).In this article, we're going to look at the best time to visit Taiwan, the things you should see, why should visit, and where you should stay when you go. NingChinese Teacher 5.00 (10) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LorraineChinese Teacher £10/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoyceChinese Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicoleChinese Teacher £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KatyChinese Teacher £16/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YangChinese Teacher £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ChengChinese Teacher £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhen Should You Visit Taiwan?When can you visit Taiwan?You only need a one-word answer: whenever!Even in summer, it can rain an awful lot in Taiwan. (Source: Yenyu_Chen)The climate in Taiwan is subtropical and humid in the north, tropical in the south, and is dry in winter and humid in summer.  From the Kenting National Park to the Yangmingshan National Park in the north via Taroko Gorge, Alishan Park, and Taiwanese towns, the climate can vary wildly from season to season.While 30 °C would be a heatwave in the north of the UK, temperatures regularly approach 40 °C in Taiwan.  Taipei, the Taiwanese capital city, is located 25 ° north, on the same latitude as northern Mexico or southern Egypt.  The Tropic of Cancer runs through the island and typhoons and monsoons are common in Taiwan. Taiwanese cities can be unbearable in summer when the humidity and pollution make it feel hotter.  Temperatures can exceed 35 °C in April in Taipei.On the other hand, the winter is mild and dry in the south and humid and cool in the north. The snow covers the mountains in the centre of the island that reach 12,966 ft above sea level.While the thermometer can read 25 °C in December and January, the average temperature tends to be around 20 °C in the north with grey skies.If you want to visit Taipei in the north of Taiwan, it’s p robably better to go in the spring when the temperatures are milder and there’s less rainfall.The best months to visit Taiwan are March, April, May, and September.However, you might want to consider visiting the island in winter when there are fewer Chinese tourists except during the Chinese New Year and the Spring Festival.So how long should you go for?British Citizens can spend up to 90 days in Taiwan without a visa. This should give you more than enough time to see Taiwan’s unmissable attractions. However, it won’t be long enough if you want to learn Mandarin Chinese.If you want to immerse yourself in the language and intensive language courses, you’ll probably need closer to a year.Find out more about when you should visit Taiwan.What Are the Must-See Sights in Taiwan?Travelling to Taiwan is very easy and it allows you to experience an aspect of Chinese culture including temples, historic monuments, and cuisine. However, Taiwan is not China and it has its own culture, mo numents and food, too.The Taipei 101 tower is probably the most photographed attraction in Taiwan. (Source: tingyaoh)Here are some of the things you have to visit in Taiwan.Taipei, the Capital CityTaipei is a city that never sleeps.  In this way, it’s like a lot of the other big cities in Asia: Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Manila.  In Taipei, you have to see the following:Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial HallLungshan TempleSongshan Ciyou TempleThe Taipei 101 TowerXiangshan (Elephant Mountain)Sun Yat-sen Memorial HallThe National Museum of HistoryYangmingshan National ParkThe Tamsui River and Tamsui DistrictDa’an Park, Nangang Park, and Rainbow Riverside ParkTasting bubble teas, a popular Taiwanese beverageShilin Night Market and Raohe Night MarketJiufen and Teapot MountainOutside of the CapitalDo you have some extra time?Take the HSR (High Speed Rail), which travels at speeds of up to 186mph, to Tainan, Hsinchu, Kaohsiung, and Taichung.  From there, you can take a romantic trip to Sun Moon Lake, a popular spot for couples.Make sure you also visit the Taroko Gorge on the west coast of the island or head to the south of the island Kenting National Park.  From there, you can go to the southernmost part of Taiwan!The Top 10 Reasons to Visit TaiwanWhy should you visit Taiwan instead of elsewhere in Asia?Does safety, warm and welcoming people, decent weather throughout the year, great street food for a couple of quid, and millennia of history sound good to you?Of course!One of the best things about Taiwan is just how safe it is! (Source: 3005398)To understand why you should visit this island, let’s look at its history.  This state is sovereign at an administrative and political level and has its own government but cannot promote its own independence at an international level as it lost its seat in the UN to the People's Republic of China.Taiwan is said to be “One country, two systems”.After colonisation by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was rep opulated under the Ming dynasty and was occupied by Japan for 50 years until 1945.Taiwan industrialised in the 20th century under the nationalist and anti-communist Kuomintang government of Chiang Kai-shek. The island progressively entered into international commercial relations and became democratic and capitalist.Tsai Ing-wen, the former Chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party, became the first female President of Taiwan in 2016.  Under her rule, she’s reignited the independence debate, calling for Taiwan to become a sovereign state.Gay marriage was legalised in 2019 in Taiwan, a first for Asia, making the country more progressive than the others on the continent.The country’s history has forged its national identity, multicultural society, and its place between Chinese, Japanese, and western culture, which tends to see diplomatic relations run hot and cold.Here are some great reasons to visit Taiwan:SafetyQuality infrastructureBeautiful countrysidesVaried Taiwanese cui sineFriendly localsIts history and culture, a blend between modernity and Buddhist and Taoist traditionsIn addition to all that, there are tonnes of hot springs, especially in Beitou, Yangmingshan National Park, Taroko, Baolai, and Bulao.The fact that Taiwan isn’t the most popular tourist destination in Asia is a great reason to head there. There will be fewer tourists when you go and it’ll be easier to visit the sights.The Taiwanese have spent the last 15 years cleaning up their island and recycling more.Where Should You Stay in Taiwan?While you can eat for cheap, it’s a little harder to find accommodation in Taiwan as cheaply. You’ll need around £20 a night for an Airbnb in Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hualien, and Taichung, especially if you don’t want to be too far out.There are plenty of places to find accommodation in Taiwan. (Source: chris810)That said, it’s easy to find accommodation in Taiwanese cities.  On the other hand, it’ll be harder to get a good deal on accomm odation if you go in spring, summer, or the Chinese New Year.The range of accommodation includes campsites, holiday rents, youth hostels, and luxury hotels.  Have a look at Booking.com, Trivago, Airbnb, and Homeaway to find the best prices.For long stays, you’ll probably need to find flatmates as, in Taipei in particular, renting can cost a lot.You can pay around £300 for a room in a flat with two other people.If you find somewhere in the city centre, you can see everything Taipei has to offer without spending too much time on the metro.Choosing your accommodation will depend on what you want to do in Taiwan:Hsinchu, in the south, is milder and near the sea.Taoyuan, which is near the airport.Taichung, a good base for those heading to Sun Moon Lake or wanting to hike in the centre of the island.Tainan, where you can visit the traditional and picturesque 17th-century temples.Kaohsiung, to see the Formosan rock macaques in the Gushan District and visit Kenting National Park.Hualien, on the east coast where you can see the Taroko Gorge.So are you going to start looking for flights on Skyscanner?The fact that Taiwan isn’t the world’s most popular tourist destination is the very reason that you should go!If you'd like to learn some of the language before you go, consider getting help from a private tutor on Superprof.

The Best Boxing Classes for Women

The Best Boxing Classes for Women The Best Boxing Styles for Women! ChaptersWomen's Boxing Classes: The Advantages of Choosing CombatBoxing Classes for Women: What Styles of Practice?The Advantages of a Boxing Fitness ClassBoxing for Women: What are the Styles of Fit Boxing?In Summary: Combat Boxing Class or Women's Fitness Class?Boxing has always been seen as a predominantly male discipline, thanks to the advent of recognized sportsmen like Mike Tyson and Mohammed Ali.Nevertheless, boxing is seen more and more as a mixed sport with the arrival of boxing classes for women! With recognized champions such as Myriam Lamare (retired), Sarah Ourahmoune (retired young from the ring as well), and  Estelle Mossely or American free fighter Ronda Rousey, the sport is not lacking in female excellence.Whether in combat boxing or fitness boxing, the practitioners of this sport get to build the body of their dreams in just a few months of training, while gaining self-confidence and concentration.Superprof explains how to choose between classic boxing and fitness b oxing!Boxing Classes for Women: What Styles of Practice?Take out your punching bag, boxing gloves and bear paws - here we go for your first female boxing class!A question often comes up when one wants to start boxing: What style of boxing should one practice? While some disciplines prove to be particularly physical, others will be more focused on the boxing ring technique.Know that women can absolutely become true professionals in extreme sports, such as MMA, free fight or full contact. Ronda Rousey is the perfect example, being considered the equivalent of Floyd Mayweather in the United States. Your choice should be intrinsically linked to your expectations of the sport.Here are some of the boxing disciplines to practice:Boxing,Kickboxing (or kick boxing),Thai boxing,The French savate boxing,Chinese boxing,American boxing,Shadow boxing.The ideal is to start with a basic boxing class for women, this discipline is perfect to learn the basics of physical preparation in amateur boxing. A boxing instructor will take the time to explain to you how to avoid rips with a solo training on a punching ball before going to fight in the boxing gym.Learn to get out of a grip, to avoid the blows of the opponent or to detect points of vulnerability: all topics discussed during a women's competitive boxing class!Our advice: take a trial class within a boxing club to test different styles of fight boxing. While some women will prefer elbows and knee kicks in Thai boxing, others will focus on French or English boxing.Did you know you can find kickboxing classes London and other major cities through Superprof?Boxing for Women: What are the Styles of Fit Boxing?So you'd like to start fit boxing, sure, but which style?Fitness Boxing has increased rapidly in popularity amongst men and women.Faced with the excitement of the sport, fitness boxing classes near me are multiplying and are great for those who are not initiated into the world of competitive boxing. There are now some boxin g styles focusing on flexibility, others emphasizing cardio or body coordination. In short, it can sometimes be difficult to make your choice!Regardless of your favorite discipline, you'll quickly notice that all fitness boxing styles are designed to lose the maximum amount of calories in a very short time. To lose weight, traditional English boxing is highly recommended (up to 800 calories per hour), but fitness boxing is not left out with an average of 600 calories burned in one session.According to your expectations as a boxer, be sure to choose your fitness boxing style:Classic Fitness Boxing,Adi Boxing,Aerobics,U Thai boxing,Self Defense Boxing,Body Fighting,Shadow Training,Gym Boxing.If you have a penchant for martial arts, there are types of fitness boxing that combine both boxing and taekwondo technique or thai kickboxing. Disciplines such as classic fitness boxing or gym boxing will focus primarily on the coordination of movements.Fitness boxing can be practiced both solo a nd against an opponent, although the majority of beginners prefer, in their boxing session to fight against punching bags rather than melee. It is for this reason that boxing exercises such as shadow training or air boxing have become more and more popular!So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and take your first fitness boxing lesson to  define your body and strengthen your mind!In Summary: Combat Boxing Class or Women's Fitness Class?Even after all our exploration, are you still having trouble making a choice? Here is a summary to choose the best boxing style!Interested in fitness and combat training? Why not try both!Fight Boxing  is primarily intended for women wishing to enter the world of sport with a very regular practice. Here, the new boxers will be able to participate in official fights and professional boxing tournaments, but may also choose to see boxing as a hobby within their boxing club.Let's not forget that boxing is an Olympic discipline: sportswomen can choose box ing for both competitive and toning purposes. In any case, it will be necessary to adopt a winning mentality if you hope to one day reach an advanced boxing level.Conversely, fitness boxing  is a sport that is practiced in groups and solo. Fighting is not the priority here: fitness boxing coaches focus on fitness and classical muscle building as well as strengthening. This is the ideal sport to sculpt and shape your body in a regular way without facing an opponent.Many athletes begin with fitness boxing, then move to fight boxing over the years: you can always  practice both sports!On Superprof, the average price for one hour of boxing lessons is £25: why not do an introductory session for free to start as an occasional or professional boxer?Check out the prices of boxing classes here.Discover how cheap or expensive it is to train with a coach.