So much to see outside Taipei

Natural wonders and scenic landscapes await visitors looking for unique experiences away from the bustling city

Taiwan’s iconic Halal beef noodle; Send your wish afloat at Shifen; Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall; Taipei is now a Muslim-friendly destination; Taipei 101; Taipei’s night market.

ALITTLE-KNOWN island but with big attractions. This is Taiwan, the Heart of Asia — widely known as the land of bubble tea or the exotic “stinky tofu”. Its capital, Taipei, is famous for its bustling streets, colourful night markets, upscale shopping areas and the famed Taipei 101.

Besides these city scenes, the thriving capital also wins the heart of every visitor with its tasty food, fascinating culture and breathtaking natural wonders.

The getaway to alluring Taiwan, Taipei is most certainly worth the stop. Whether it is the city or its peripheries, one does not really need to break the bank to visit it. All you need to do is proper planning and click on AirAsiaGo.com.

In fact, the website currently has a special offer — RM799 per person for a 5D4N package trip, inclusive of flight, accommodation and tax.

Muslim travellers can also try out it slatest feature that has a list of hand-picked Muslim-friendly hotels

Discovering Taipei can be endless fun with some surprises too. Yes, especially when one explores the outskirts of Taipei too.

JIUFEN

This is a rustic mountain town in the northeastern shoulder of Taiwan. It is a quaint yet prosperous settlement, packed with rich culture, history and distinctive architecture.

If you are familiar with Japanese animation, it is the place where Hayao Miyazaki gothis inspiration for the town and bathhouse in one of his greatest films, Spirited Away.

Jiufen Old Street sprang up in 1895 due to theJapanese colonisation period. It is well known now for its narrow alleyways, bordered by small, personalised food stalls, tea houses, restaurants, souvenir stores and clothing shops.

Here, you can find winding streets paved with cobblestones, and long steep stairs that are connected to each other, forming alleyways.

Make sure you weargood walking shoes as you will be doing a lot of walking and

climbing in this mountain town of stairs.

SHIFEN

After Jiufen Old Street, neighbour Shifen Old Street is the place where you can release your dreams skyward with an oldfashioned lantern.

Fly a sky lantern, with your wishes written on it using brush and ink.Countless lanterns can be seen being released along the railway track, during both daytime and at night.

Shifen Old Street is a perfect spot for Instagram lovers. It is one of the most photogenic spots in Taiwan — it runs along both sides of the railway track and is well-decorated with retro post boxes and gift shops, as well as wishing bamboos (bamboo sticks with wishes written on it) hanging all over the town.

Also, you have to try its famous marble soft drink. It is a regular soft drink in a glass bottle but with a marble placed at the bottle neck.

Yes, you get to keep the marble once you’ve finished your drink! This has become so popular that you’ll be able to find it in most convenience stores.

An answer for nature-seeking travellers, Shifen is also home to the scenic Shifen Waterfall, which is Taiwan’s widest waterfall, also dubbed The Little Niagara by the locals.

JINGUASHI

Waterfall lovers should head to the Golden Waterfall in Jinguashi, a town notable for