Taiwan Gay Travel Guide

The capital city has plenty of things to do, including visiting one of the only places in the world where you can worship a gay god! The gay scene in Taipei is strong with plenty of nooks and crannies for you to explore to your little gay heart's content. There are great places for you to do your shopping like in the Wunhua district and lots of Night Markets to sample some of the best Taiwanese street food. Also, be sure to check out the iconic Taipei 101 tower.

Taroko National Park is our favorite scenic highlight of Taiwan. Not-to-be missed, this place is stunning! The National Park contains the country's deepest gorge, which reaches a total depth of 18km (11 miles). Nestled into the gorge is Tianxiang, a small town with an impressive monastery. We also loved the Xiangde Buddhist Temple, which is decorated in a distinct blend of white, orange and gold. Getting to Taroko is another highlight – a very scenic train ride from Taipei.

Taichung is Taiwan's second city after Taipei, located on the central west side of the country. It's the perfect base to access the mountainous areas of central Taiwan as well as the Sun Moon Lake. Taichung is also a bustling cultural centre with lots of museums and beautiful temples. But what really got us excited was the rainbow village, a dwelling decorated in a myriad of colors by a former soldier nicknamed “Grandpa”. Taichung also has a small vibrant gay scene to check out with bars like Plaza and queer-friendly hangouts like No Boundary. See all the best bits in this day tour of Taichung.

Located in the South of Taiwan, Kaohsiung is a port city famous for the Love River. By day, this wide languid river flows smoothly through the city with cruise ships crossing it, and dozens of cafes/restaurants open along the river bank. By night the river transforms into a stunning display of lights over water that makes for a truly romantic evening walk. In terms of a gay scene, like Taichung, Kaohsiung also has a small gay scene to check out with awesome hangouts like Eden's Secret and the Hi-Bar Club.

Launching our own lanterns into the sky easily ranks as one of our top experiences in Asia. It's quite a magical feeling that we got to experience at the Pingxi Lantern Festival in February. It's a tradition that dates back generations to the days when the city was plagued by bandits. Coupled with harsh winters, the locals would often retreat to the mountains. When the scouts would return to the village, they would release lanterns into the sky to let the villagers know it was safe to come back. Voila – the Pingxi Lantern Festival was born! If you visit Pingxi at other times you can still partake in the lantern tradition as well.

Located about an hour's taxi ride from Taipei, the super charming quaint village of Jiufen makes for the ideal day trip, or you could visit it at night for some extra magic. Jiufen is often thought of as being the inspiration for the beautiful movie Spirited Away (one of the anime classics that everyone should watch!) because of its narrow streets, convoluted alleyways and teashops. Our favourite was the famous A-Mei Teahouse (pictured). It's pretty unique because we could see the ocean from our little viewpoint, along with the Keelung Mountains.

Want something a little more exciting? Why not travel to see Xiaoyoukeng? This is a smouldering volcano that translates to “mountain of fire”. From the moment we arrived, the smell of sulphur hit us and continued getting quite intense! Our most poignant memory of the volcano – out on the plains, there are little vents called fumaroles which release loose steaming sulphur. If you thought a jockstrap after a gym session and then left in the sun was bad, then you would be in for a rude awakening! Hiking in the Yangmingshan National Park is definitely an experience you won't forget…

The Sun Moon Lake is located at the foothills of the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan. It is the largest body of freshwater in Taiwan, home to an exciting swimming festival every September called The Sun and Moon Lake Swimming Carnival. The festival also includes fireworks, concerts and a laser-show. Outside of the festival, the Sun Moon Lake is a beautiful spot for hiking thanks to the reflective silver surface of the water glinting in the beaming sun and the wonderfully picturesque woodlands.

Tainan is located at the southern end of the country. For over 200 years it was the imperial capital city. Today is it recognised as not only the oldest city in Taiwan but the most spiritual place in the country with thousands of temples and shrines. The most famous is the Luermen’s Matsu Temple which is dedicated to Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea and patron Saint of Taiwan. It is honestly breathtaking. When we arrived, we were blown away with how grand it was! We joined this excellent spiritual culture tour to learn more about the temples in Tainan.

Some people get hard with erotica, others get hard with rocks. And if you're looking for something a little unusual, a visit to Yehliu Park may be for you. It's located around 45 minutes taxi ride (or 1.5-hour bus ride) from the western side of Taipei. Yehliu Park is filled with geological marvels. There are these formations called hoodoo stones (the best name ever right?). They are huge spikes of stone that reach right up into the sky. Couple that with the crashing ocean and you've got yourself a pretty breathtaking view!

Considered the national dish, this is a soup that you've got to try. It is actually a full meal, made with stewed beef, vegetables and Chinese noodles. These are filled with herbs and spices that explode in your mouth. There is ginger, star anise (one of the Chinese 5 spices), garlic, chilli and bok choy. Mix this with the glass noodles and you have yourself a truly rewarding dinner. If you really want to geek out, we recommend checking out the annual Beef Noodle Festival in November, where different chefs and restaurants compete for the honour of having the best Beef Noodles in the country!

When it comes to dumplings, Taiwan nails it! On our first visit, we went straight to the Din Tai Fung restaurant (recommended by our local friends). It's one of the best places for dumplings we've even been to…they are divine! These delicately wrapped up bags of goodness can be mixed with anything, from pork, tofu, vegetables and prawn. They are usually served with a vinegar sauce, soy sauce and ginger slices (used to cleanse the mouth in between each bite).

Look, we'll be honest here, it's pretty vile! But it's one of those dishes you need to try at least once in your life, like the Balut egg in the Filipino cuisine. Most stinky tofu can be found on the street, particularly at the Night Markets. You'll smell them before you see them! Geeky tofu facts: tofu was made increasingly popular all around the world as a replacement for meat. Made from compressed soy milk, it's great for vegans. Stinky tofu is made with fermented milk, vegetables or meat.

Bubble tea is a global fascination but in Taiwan, it's on a whole other scale. Whereas in the West we're more used to them as a sort of smoothie replacement, in Taiwan they're more like full meals. For example, on one occasion we tried a Breakfast Bubble Tea – a creamy mixture of oats, milk and tea. Absolutely delicious! You can, of course, get more “low-key” bubble teas in Taiwan, particularly oolong teas with some crazy variety of fruits thrown into the mix.

You can't really beat a good hot pot. This dish is perfect for those cool nights that sometimes creep up on you in Taiwan. A hot pot meal includes several flavoured simmering broths presented to your table, which are bubbling away. You're also presented with various raw ingredients which you place into the broth to cook. Popular hot pot ingredients include thinly sliced beef, chicken, ham and leafy vegetables like cabbage and mushrooms. It's a fun meal to try with a bunch of friends.

Pineapples have a really cool history in Taiwan. Just before WW2, Taiwan became one of the biggest pineapple exporters in the world. Over time, demand for Taiwanese pineapples abroad fell, so instead they became more popular with locals: suddenly they had this cheap and super sweet fruit to use in their day-to-day lives. As such, local bakeries began incorporating pineapples into their pastries, some with cream, others using local spices. Voila, the pineapple cake was born!

Gua Bao is the Asian version of a burger. It is made with stewed meat (usually beef, chicken or pork) that is placed between flatbread (called ‘lotus leaf bread'). It is shaped like a half crescent moon and is roughly the size of your palm. It is typically packed with stir-fried suan cai, coriander, ground peanuts, and served with a variety of sauces. It's super popular with locals and a must we recommend everyone tries! The taste is absolutely tantalising on your tongue!