I just had a short transit stay in Taipei. No visa needed for US citizens. The airport train is cheap and efficient. Also, most people are polite and food at mom-and-pop eateries is dirt cheap. Overall, it's a safe and clean city. There are awesome cafes and tea shops. Great for 2-5 days.
I flew Starlux Airlines, which is a new Taiwanese airline. The service level was a full echelon higher than that at US airlines. The food on board was delicious. Highly recommended.
We did a cruise from Japan to Hong Kong and stopped for two days in Taiwan. We loved it, especially the amazing museum in Taipei.
Funny that this comes up now on RS forums as it is in Asia. We are going for the month of April to Taiwan. Looking forward to it. Doing it all on our own. Around the island. So much to see that a month may not be enough.
The National Palace Museum in Taipei is one of the best repositories of Chinese treasures.
For those interested in modern history, the origins of the museum are significant. From Wikipedia: "The museum holds a permanent collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of artifacts and artworks, primarily comprising items relocated from the Beijing Palace Museum and other institutions in the mainland China during the government of the Republic of China's retreat to Taiwan. "
I agree that Taipei has much to offer!!
Taiwan is famous for its food, all the different types of cuisine. There are some documentaries.
We will have one day in Taipei on a cruise stop this fall. I wish we had a month, seems there is a lot to see, but grateful I get to see a small bit!
A couple of suggestions for those planning a visit: consider using the excellent Taipei metro for getting to sites around the city. The system map on their website is a good resource for planning day trips.
I'd also suggest grabbing a business card from your hotel's concierge or front desk that shows the name and address of your accommodation in Chinese- helps to sort things out pretty quickly if you get a taxi driver who doesn't speak English... or just need directions back to your hotel.
Get beyond Taipei, too. Tainan is an easy, high-speed train ride away. The old city is fascinating and we did some great bird watching and other things outside the city
