Taiwan

by Robert Kelly, Julie Grundvig, Andrew Bender

Ilha Formosa, the 'beautiful isle', is a modern society steeped in Chinese heritage, a land of tropical islands and mountain retreats, neon-lit noodle bars and teeming night markets. Whatever you crave - a soak at a hot spring, a temple-hopping itinerary - this is the only guide that puts it all in one book. From the practical to the inspirational, let us connect you with Taiwan. • BE INSPIRED by itineraries through old Taiwan, new Taipei and the East Coast • ESCAPE to idyllic mountains, tropical islands and coastal strips with our excursion ideas • FEAST LIKE AN EMPEROR - our expert-written Food & Drink chapter is at your service • CROSS THE LANGUAGE BARRIER - with our extensive Language chapter and loads of Chinese script • GET AROUND - with the help of 78 detailed maps

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference, Asia, China

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Jennifer Tse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great travel guide book about Taiwan. It is very informative and include some really good tips. I only scanned the later sections, since I've been to Taiwan's Hsinchu, Taipei, and Tainan already for a short visit. Hopefully I'll be able to come back one day! I'm a little surprise to find out how religious Taiwan really is, the top religions being Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. "Taiwan has world's largest person/temple ratio." (P.49)

Funny Quote: "Even Lee Teng-hui's worst enemies grudgingly concede that the first democratically elected president of the Republic of China (1988-2000) was one smart cookie." (P. 39)

Funny if you know Mandarin: "Anyone in Taipei can tell you how to order a pizza from Dominoes. The number 2882 5252 in mandarin sounds like 'Hungry Daddy hungry, I'm hungry, I'm hungry!'"

Favorite Quote: "'Friendly' is often used to describe the Taiwanese, often followed by 'relaxed.' The latter is especially true when compared with Taiwan's close neighbours (physically, and to some extent, culturally), Japan and South Korea, where people there are often described as 'industrious,' 'polite,' and 'reserved' - but rarely 'relaxed'. Why is this?" (P. 41)

Well... you gotta read "The Culture" section to find out! ;-)

[Vanny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I used to be a great fan of Lonely Planet but I am getting more and more disappointed with their books.
I go this book to visit the center and the south of Taiwan and when I read it I realised that most of the info are about Taipei only.
The part I was interested in is only mentioned briefly.
It tells you that they are beautiful area of Taiwan but doesn't tell you how to do the things described, how to get around, if it's possible to rent a car and so on.

[Ninja Neko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Due to time restrictions my trip to Taiwan was cut back to visiting just the north of the island. So I didn't get to use the entire guide. Though there was quite a lot of info on Taipei, other places did not have as much content. Even for Taroko National Park: although quoted as the #1 tourist destination in the book, info was quite sparse. Not even all trails are listed, including some of the more popular ones. I had to get my info from blogs. Despite the advise I got on the blogs, I still made the effort to venture out to LP's recommended Baiyang trail. For both my boyfriend and me this was a dud, a pain to reach (walking next to a busy road) and really didn't compare to the Shakadang trail we followed that morning. On the other hand, LP was spot on in recommending the Sandiaoling hike: one of the best experiences during our trip! But not much info on the nearby Ruifang town where we had lunch in a pretty cool food hall. As this book dates from 2017, it also didn't have any info on the airport MRT line.
All in all, I'd recommend to do your research for your Taiwan online rather than via this LP publication.

[atom_box Evan G · Rating 3 out of 5]

We spent half a month in Taiwan in 2025, using Rough Guide and Lonely Planet simultaneously. So here is our side by side evaluation of how Lonely Planet fares, versus the Rough Guide to Taiwan:

Lacking:
- The end-of-book part was weak. The language section versus RG was especially weak. Foods and how to spell them in Chinese is CRITICAL in an Asian travel guide. Please add!
- The authorship seemed hurried. This felt like the second draft, not a final draft.
- At least one chapter in the book "Taiwan South" (but maybe more) seemed heavily derived from the Rough Guide.
- Important and most impairing: the organizing layout was harder to use than the Rough Guide. I always swore by LP in the 1990s but I think the format of RG will be preferred by me going forward.

Good:
The only thing where LP was better, and which RG lacked, were these pullout boxes: "I live here...". We found these local guides to be useful, lively, quirky. All things which the guide itself lacked.

[Tae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a helpful read and informative in providing information and background on not only things to do, see and eat for my recent trip to Taiwan, but provided a lot of useful information for travelers such as cultural and historical background/insight and other information.

I suggest using it to get a good overview of things/ideas and use the internet/blogs for more niche specific information.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Travel Book

This is a great book on Taiwan.

I enjoyed all the attractions and areas the book recommends. It is a great resource for anyone who wants to travel and enjoy all that Taiwan has to offer.

Definitely would recommend checking this book out.

I also find this book timely and pertinent as Taiwan is a particular hot topic in the world politics lately.

4.8/5

[Thomas Gizbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive and balanced. Was helpful.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overall travel guide. Lots of little helpful hints. Used this a lot while living in Taiwan.

[mirror]

not like i read all of it

[Jaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking forward to seeing Taiwan in January.

[Ruth Barone · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are visiting Taiwan for business or pleasure, this guide is a MUST. I bought my copy used at a little store in Chinatown and proceeded to completely cover it in red ink. I had it by my side while I was planning our trip, and while we were there, I carried it with me wherever we went. We took our trip in 2007 and it didn't seem very dated despite the fact that it was published in 2001.

The book includes information on Taiwanese culture that I considered very helpful - customs, behavior, food, proper attire, norms, etc. There is also some brief history of the island here, as well as discussion of the weather and the best times to visit. The author goes into great detail on transportation systems, including the subway and taxis (both of which are excellent and cheap!). Many hotels and restaurants are reviewed as well. Also reviewed are museums and other attractions, parks, hiking trails, beaches, malls, marts and night markets, bookshops, and quite a few hole-in-the wall places that I never would have know about had I not read this guide. The author really gives you the inside scoop. The guide includes maps of the major cities that proved quite accurate, although some of the spellings were different (different pinyin systems were used) so that was minorly confusing at times.

We spent most of our time in Taipei, so we didn't utilize all of the sections in this book. But what we did use proved to be so helpful that I can't imagine what my trip would have been like if I hadn't found this guide. We had a smooth, well-planned trip, with no surprises, thanks to this book.

One last thing: This guide gives you a bonus in addition to all of the practical information: it is very fun to read! The author has a great sense of humor and I laughed out loud a couple times at his descriptions of cultural quirks. This guy knows Taiwan like the back of his hand and it is obvious that he enjoys sharing his experience.

[Yoo-Yoo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was surprised that he didn't list the famous Taiwanese beef noodle soup or oyster pancake dishes in his food section. Did he somehow completely miss their prominence? But what really got me was his Western-centric arrogance in the chapter where he describes the Taiwanese people. He spends a few awkward paragraphs trying to make up historical reasons why all the Taiwanese people he encountered were "sunny" in disposition, generalizing that all Taiwanese must be this way.

What pissed me off is when he finally concludes that "Perhaps when a Taiwanese person is especially nice to a Western visitor, following some random act of kindness with the commonly spoken words, 'Welcome to Taiwan', they're only telling part of the story. Maybe what they're really saying is simply, 'Thank you for realizing that we're here.' "

Aww, do you feel special now, that you've bothered to recognize Taiwanese existence? We should be thankful to you? What the fuck.

[Facundo Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book the first time I traveled to Taiwan and I absolutely love it! (You might want to get the latest edition, though). It's really useful and includes interesting historical and cultural notes. And all the highlights! (how I love ticking places off my travel list...they should come with checkboxes).
-To prove it's useful: I'm directionally-challenged and following this guide landed me in the National Palace Museum with no problems.
-On its suggestion, my girlfriend and I visited the Lotus Pond in Kaohsiung on a sweltering summer day. The scenary was lovely and we didn't mind the heat after laughing our heads off to this section of the guide:
''ODD THEME MUSEUMS IN TAIWAN
Taiwan Nougat Museum: Come see the biggest piece of nougat in the world!
Chihsing Tan Katsu: This museum is dedicated to dried bonito. All we can say is ??? . ''

4 starts to the guide, but 5 to this beautiful country! 我愛臺灣!

[Ambar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but not so comprehensive like China one. Most of important point did not have Chinese character such as train station or airport make it so hard to give an order to taxi driver. As it's been published 2004 so yes little bit out of date. So many changes i the past three years such as Maekong Gondola and High Speed Rail system which polished Taiwan even more interresting.

It has a simple pinyin Chinese latin that you can use for survival. But mind you that the pronunciation and the writing is not always consistent.

[Sanne]

Of course this series is well known amongst travellers, but for those to whom it's new; take my word, it's amazing!
The series is huge and cover (i think) nearly all countries of the world. Not only will they guide you to the highlights, but especially to the more unknown (and maybe therefore more special) spots and places. If you're looking for an adventurous trip full of excitement, I would definitely recommend it to you. For me, this book has made my summer exchange to Taiwan even more amazing.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this author quite annoying, he seemed more interested in giving views than writing genuinely helpful travel advice, which after all is the reason to buy the book. Example: It isn't worth getting local buses around Toroko Gorge as it is too hard to distinguish the public ones from the tour ones. People buy the LP because they are independent travellers that need this info. The new editions of the LP really aren't as good as they used to be, and should be written by real travel writers with a passion for getting small details right.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dunno if you read a Lonely Planet so much as fantasize.

At any rate:

bomb-ass food, night markets, Ching dynasty hiking, jungles, white-sand beaches, snorkeling and scuba-diving.

What's not to like?

I mean, besides a 10 year estrangement from the paternal unit who currently resides there.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful travel tips and such. This book really makes you want to get out and do it for yourself. The edition I read was published in 2004, so a number of things were out of date. See if you can locate a more recent copy if you are going to Taiwan.

Taiwan is incredimazing, by the way.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally really enjoy and like Lonely Planet books but this book had a few restaurants that we couldnt find with the lonely planet maps and information and we were looking in the right place!

Could of just been bad luck with places closing down but it still lessened by opinion of this book.

[Timothy Tang · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in-depth travel guide to the wonders of the island that used to be known as Formosa. The authors take us on a virtual trip from the bustling city of finance that is Taipei to the hilly and rural Eastern City of Hualien and all the way to the port city of Kaoshuing.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good info and I survived two trips to the ROC. Thus, I think it is good. Some outdated info, but hey it is better than asking the cabbies that acost you outside the Kao-Shung train station.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty much my bible.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was spot on for my trip to Taipei. The book, a subway map, and a subway day pass were essential to seeing everything I wanted to see while I was there.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is interesting and occasionally hilarious. The two writers are ex pats living in Taiwan who obviously love it and know it very well.

[Badariah Yosiyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

quite helpful if you know nothing about Taiwan before. But the book mostly exposed Taipei. Other cities? not that much unfortunately.

[Lola]

For a place the size of Maine, this book is very detailed. However, I will personally not go there this decade since the recent food scandal in Taiwan....

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

not really the book if u're building a travel itinerary, but 5stars for history and taiwanese psyche sections -- those parts unbiased (non-KMT leaning) and thorough (inclusion of 2-28 event).

[Thomas Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent LP guide.