Taiwan || Best Beginner’s Solo-Travel Destination in Asia

For any beginner solo traveler, I always recommend Taiwan as a first international trip. It was my first trip alone when I was 19. Here are my reason’s why—

1) It’s safe. Taiwan is considered one of the safest countries in the world because of low crime rate. I was able to travel up and down the entire west coast of the island with ease and safety when I was just 19 years old.

2) It’s not expensive. The American dollar is stronger compared to Taiwan’s currency, New Taiwan Dollar (NTD). Shopping, food, recreational activities, and stays will be affordable compared to other Asian countries like Japan and Singapore.

3) Most signs and instructions are in English. While Taiwan’s national language is Mandarin, signs and instructions for public transportation in particular are all in spoken and written English. A lot of people in Taiwan understand English and could help you if you need directions or a translation.

4) Transportation is easy to navigate…The high speed train and public transportation can take you almost anywhere you want. It’s straightforward and uncomplicated, which is more than I can say for a lot of other countries that I’ve been to.

5) A great chance to immerse yourself in a completely different culture. With a completely different native language, people, food and way of life, you will feel like you are in a completely different experience. If you’re looking to explore unfamiliar parts of the world and place yourself out of your comfort zone in a safe and accessible way, Taiwan’s the place for you.

It’s a pretty amazing country! Things move at a much slower pace. There’s a lot of good food and shopping. There’s something for everybody— from big cities like Taipei to the nature parks. The tea mountains are a MUST go… lush, green, misty. Total zen vibe.

The soup dumplings, boba, and island vibes always bring me back.