Business Traveller (Asia-Pacific)
PEAK PERFORMANCE
Taiwan isn’t just a manufacturing centre but a country with stunning nature, 21st century transport options and wonderful food – all of which are now being marketed to travellers beyond China, discovers Dominic Ellis
Taiwan’s stunning scenery and food are catching the attention of travellers a long way from China
Our packed train is chugging slowly up the Alishan Forest Railway, straining under throngs of standing Chinese tourists, in order to catch the sunrise behind the 3,952-metre Yushan (Jade) Mountain opposite, the tallest peak in east Asia. It’s 5.20am and I rose two hours earlier – which must be a record for anything work related, at least outside an airport – along with most of the guests at the remote Alishan House. Catching the sunrise is one of the 139-room hotel’s key draws and there can’t be many properties that tick to such a nocturnal beat. Walking bleary eyed into the busy lobby, I thought someone had pressed the fire alarm.
The sunrise took all of 20 minutes and once it was up, normality soon returned and we all ambled back to the station, but it was worth every fatigue-battling minute, watching such an unadulterated landscape bathed in soft pink, purple and blue light, misty clouds stretched out beneath disappearing mountains. The Japanese built the railroad in order to transport Red Cypress trees, many of which ended up in their temples.
Alishan House general manager Victor Chang said it only had 51 per cent occupancy last year, which is surprising given the alluring setting, but its average room rate is US$180, rising to US$250 and US$400 for the more contemporary, spacious rooms in the new 104-room wing which opened three years ago. He says it’s planning to introduce classes to “relax your mind and body together” although most guests shouldn’t have too many problems on either front.
Sixteen hours after the sunrise, as our bus pulled into Kaohsiung in the southwest, the sun finally called it a day and the half moon also followed us from Alishan, where we stayed up on the u-shaped terrace that bridged old and new wings – the lobby-level waterfall provides another soothing separation – marvelling at the starry sky.
The journey to and from Alishan was breathtakingly green (banana, tea and coffee plantations provide some variety to the forestry), if not quite as dramatic as the hairpin drive along Taroko Gorge, which I would put in the same bracket as the Grand Canyon as one of the world’s most natural sights. The unending banks of trees which from afar appear to merge into each other – on the ride out of Hualien to the gorge I counted 19 distinct ridges – soar into the sky and the myriad rock formations are no less eye-catching, while the meandering water at the base, milky coloured from the limestone, completes the picture.
How the Taiwanese tunnelled through the mountains is a feat every bit as impressive as the works of nature, but it isn’t only construction workers and bus drivers who have to keep their wits about them; there have been tourist fatalities from falling rocks, particularly during typhoon season, and even in high summer you have to watch out for landslides from the cracking terrain. All the seasons offer something different; if you come in spring, the landscape floods with cherry blossoms.
We pulled into Silks Place Taroko, a property which undoubtedly puts the ‘great’ into ‘great escape’. The PR material says it can be ‘conveniently’ reached by car, rail and air but it’s really in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by more green peaks. A shuttle service to Hualien Airport is provided by the hotel (for an additional fee) and takes an hour.
The hotel’s subtle design is offset by beguiling interiors that comfortably accommodate a large indoor pool and multi-faceted children’s area, and the Retreat Lounge offers up gentle music and stunning gorge views. It seems wrong to even think of work in such an idyllic setting but if you must, you can access the Zhongshan ballroom (two parts, combined around 500sqm) and five meeting rooms.
I tried to recollect a more striking outdoor space than the Fire Place
terrace and watched, green with envy, as a man glided a length in the pool behind, as if caught in a slomo photo. Seven room categories are available and affluent travellers may decide to plump for the luxury five-figure Gorge View and Generalissimo suites.
These rural excursions were undoubted stand-out highlights from our week-long trip although within 24 hours of entering Taiwan, most of my senses were already in freefall.
The opening night buffet at the Regent Taipei was a culinary showcase serving every imaginable Asian cuisine (ditto the breakfast) and my chunky room key was a refreshing throwback to pre-digital times. My 14th floor room had a Taipei 101 view and at night its apex was illuminated light green, although in daylight its exterior is a darker green.
Not that it’s really worth dwelling on the outside – the joy is travelling up and down inside in an ear-popping 48 seconds and gazing out from the 509-metrehigh building. Time your ascent at sunset for the best terrace views but be prepared for queues, particularly coming down.
We drove a short distance out of the city to Yangmingshan National Park (one of nine countrywide) where I lost count of the butterflies and dragonflies, unquestionably the largest and most colourful I’ve ever seen, and heard insects trying to out-sing each other. Later that evening, after eating dinner in the wonderful Marshal Zen Garden – where the influential military leader Marshal Zhang Xueliang was confined to house arrest for 26 years following the Chinese Civil War – the frogs kept up such a precise tempo it sounded like their gurgling was electrical.
In between, we visited the Spring City Resort, which has pools to cure every ailment aided by bountiful natural views. The relaxation pool is lined by papaya and mango trees, while the uppermost part of the tree opposite is laden with lemons, and at the far end more fulsome papayas defy gravity, crammed beneath a maze of rod-straight branches.
COURTING MUSLIM TRAVELLERS
Relaxing with us at Spring City Resort, I spotted two British men and a boy – one of the few times in the week when I saw guests who weren’t from Asia. At Alishan, my eyes were torn between the mesmerising scenery and innumerable coachloads of Chinese tourists.
Taiwan’s proximity to its superpower neighbour underlines the strength and challenges of its tourism potential and if all the forecasts on China’s growing tourism come to fruition then you wonder how this relatively small island nation will cope.
Not many of my Dubai contacts I spoke to had been to Taiwan, and even less were aware of its abundant nature, but it’s clearly no secret among Asians. Eric Lin, Director of Tourism Taiwan’s international affairs division, said its top five tourism markets are China (3.85m), Japan (1.63m), Hong Kong (1.37m), US (550,000) and Korea (520,000).
It’s not just China which is in Taiwan’s sights, but the larger Muslim world. The number of Halal-compliant venues in Taipei will rise to 85 by the end of this year,
70 more than there were three years ago. The Tourism Bureau has printed a handy ‘Muslim Dining in Taiwan’ leaflet for visitors.
“Now the government is targeting the Muslim market – not just in Asia but also the Middle East,” says Lin. The Middle East (180,000) is small compared with Asian markets but growing at 20 per cent annually, buoyed by Emirates’ daily flights on B777s from Dubai (the airline flew a ‘one off’ A380 on July 19).“We will handle over 200,000 Middle Eastern visitors this year,” says Lin.
New hotels are now coming to meet demand, with Marriott set to follow up the launch of its 300-room Taipei hotel with a Courtyard later this year.
MARRIOTT TAIPEI TARGETS MICE
The 320-room Taipei Marriott received its first guests in August and visiting business travellers shouldn’t have too many problems finding it as it’s near the Ferris Wheel.
Guest floors are located on the sixth to 18th floors and the hotel is positioning itself as the largest MICE hotel in the city with its 3,000 sqm convention centre, which can host up to 2,000 people. Delegates can communicate during meetings through Red Coat Direct, which includes live chat.
The 19th floor executive lounge is due to open in Q4 (this floor also has an outdoor pool) and the 36th floor meeting area provides city views. Five F&B venues are available including a Teppanyaki venue on the second floor, US-style bar & grill on the 20th facing Taipei 101 and a speciality whisky bar.
The hotel marks Marriott International’s first property in Taiwan and six more hotels are earmarked in the next two years. A Courtyard by Marriott hotel is due to open in Taipei, near the Nangang Exhibition Centre, in Q4.
During our two nights in the city we stayed at the Regent Taipei and Palais de Chine (member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts), both of which are comfortable for executives. The latter has a better location, next to the City Mall and train station, although the former, with its grand entrance and upscale boutiques, is on a larger scale and the ‘celebrity wall’, marking its 25th anniversary opposite reception, is testament to its pulling power.
Our guide recommended Quote Hotel, Taipei Suites, W Taipei and corporate-friendly options Le Méridien and Grand Hyatt near 101 tower. For a rural retreat, she highlighted Mudanwan Villa, where detached villas sit on Toumu Lake’s shores (mudanwanvilla.com.tw).