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Taste the many flavours of Taiwan, from Taipei and Jiufen, to Yilan and beyond

Journey to the heart of one the most exciting culinary scenes in Asia on this brand new Real Food Adventure in Taiwan. From the fresh oyster omelette, mouth-watering sesame chicken and golden-brown fried taro balls served up in the night markets, to the many delicious incarnations of beloved beef noodle soup found all over the island, the Taiwanese approach to food is one of both modern flair and deep tradition. Join in street-level social enterprise in Taipei, roll your own xiao long bao (steamed soup dumplings) in Taoyuan, and sample a great spread of local produce straight from the source in Yilan – from spring onion to organic tea to boutique whisky. With must-see sights such as Sun Moon Lake and Taipei 101 included along the way, this Intrepid Real Food Adventure delivers the perfect balance of flavours in an often overlooked foodie paradise.

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Terms & Conditions
Start
Taipei, Taiwan
Finish
Taipei, Taiwan
Destination
Taiwan
Style
Original
Theme
Expedition, Food
Code
CJZT
Physical rating
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1, Max 12

Why you'll love this trip

  • Dine at some legendary Taipei institutions, including the Ding Fung Restaurant and long-running Shin Yeh

  • Spend a couple of hours helping local ‘Sweet Potato Mamas’ ply their daily yam trade, a unique experience which also benefits single mothers through the Genesis Social Welfare Foundation

  • Take in the beauty of Sun Moon Lake from two wheels on an unforgettable bike ride around Taiwan’s stunning lagoon circuit

  • Enjoy several hands-on, behind-the-scenes food experiences in Yilan – visits to tea fields, a spring onion farm and a whisky distillery

  • Join a cooking class with the experts behind Make My Day Cooking Lab, with a local market tour included

Is this trip right for you?

  • We use mainly private transport between destinations on this trip to enable us to pack as many highlights as we can into each day.

  • When in Taipei you can expect plenty of walking and making use of the efficient metro system.

  • A good degree of fitness is recommended for this trip as there can be lot of walking involved. Bring comfortable walking shoes.

Map of Taiwan Food Expedition including Taiwan, Republic Of China
Walk through the streets of Jiufen old town
Authentic jar-roasted chicken in Taiwan
Explore the Ningxia night market
Eat some Spring onion pancakes in Taiwan
Visit the Shek Memorial Hall in Taiwan
Try dumplings Xiao Long Bao style in Taiwan
The spectacular Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan
Taste the Taiwanese national dish of Beef Noodle Soup
Experience the vibrant and bustling city of Taipei in Taiwan

Itinerary
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This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2018 to 31 December 2018. View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2019 - 31 December 2019

Welcome to Taipei! Upbeat, profoundly liveable and superbly located, Taiwan's capital is a thrill to explore on foot. So if you arrive early, be sure to get out and about. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm in the hotel lobby, then you will head out to dinner at the Ningxia Food night market. Here you can eat like a local, joining your new traveller friends to sample some world-class street food – perhaps some fried yam, oyster omelette or Hakka-style mochi balls. Bitter tea (not for the faint hearted) and papaya milk are also known to be available here. Whatever's on the menu, the market is great way to kick off your food adventure, allowing you to sample a multitude of dishes. This excursion is also a chance to experience the city's impeccable metro system, which could give Tokyo a run for its money in efficiency and cleanliness.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Ningxia Night Market - Welcome Dinner
Meals Included
  • Dinner
Special Information
If you can't arrange a flight that will have you arrive in time for today's welcome meeting, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please have these on hand.

If you need a transfer from the airport, this is available as an optional extra.

Head out of town to a restaurant in Taoyuan (approximately 1 hour). Here you'll experience a DIY class in Xiao Long Bao (steam soup dumplings). Originating in the Jiangnan region of China, these little flavour bombs can be truly delectable. They can be time consuming, and it's tricky to shape that thin soft shell around the filling (usually of gelatinised ground pork), but once they're steamed in their bamboo baskets and their centres melt into a hearty broth, they make a satisfying lunch. After this, drive to the Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden, Taiwan's finest traditional compound (approximately 2 hours). After exploring the stately mansion and gardens, it's getting closer to dinner time. Join the owner of Spring Land Villa and her people for a home-cooked repast in a family-run guesthouse; this is bound to be a memorable local experience.
Accommodation
  • Guesthouse (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Taoyuan - Xiao Long Bao Cooking Demonstration & Lunch
  • Taichung - Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden
  • Puli - Traditional Home Cooked Meal with Family
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Leaving the guesthouse, make tracks for Sun Moon Lake. This is a popular spot, but it's popular for a reason, as you'll see. Taiwan's only natural lagoon is one of its top natural wonders, and the pristine water makes an excellent backdrop for some cycling. A 1.5 hour bike ride around the dedicated cycling circuit allows you to take in the full beauty of the lake and its surrounding green hills. Afterwards, sit down to a picnic lunch made with quality local produce. Then it's off to Yilan (approximately 4 hours) to try the renowned jar-roasted chicken there. In this legendary but unassuming eatery, free range hens of 130–150 days old are marinated in herbs and spices such as garlic and cumin, and cooked meticulously in earthen jar ovens for a beautifully tender, smoky result. Today there may also be time to enjoy the hot springs at the hotel. Rich in naturally occurring minerals, you can sit back and relax while your skin is nourished.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Sun Moon Lake - Bike Ride
  • Sun Moon Lake - Picnic
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Head out for a tea picking and tasting experience in Yilan. Afterwards, visit a local restaurant near the team farm for lunch made with seasonal ingredients – all vegetables used in these dishes are organic and grown by the owner. Also visit a spring onion farm to do some picking and partake in a cooking class (spring onion is a key part of the food landscape in Taiwan, as you'll learn!). Finally, visit a local whisky distillery for a tour and tasting. Though Taiwan may not be the first place you associate with whisky, it's actually among the up-and-coming producers alongside Tasmania, Japan and Sweden, and made a single malt rated the world's best a couple of years back.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Yilan - Spring onion farm & cooking demostration
  • Yilan - Whisky distillery
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

In the late morning, embark on a short Urban Adventure with a Sweet Potato Mama. You'll be volunteering your services to a noble cause – the entrepreneurship of female street food vendors in the local community. The sweet potato is a major food for the Taiwanese, and these Mamas roast them daily, serving the lunchtime crowd in order to support their families. It's a way to put your hands to work and help out, with all proceeds from the excursion going to the Genesis Social Welfare Foundation’s Sweet Potato Mama Program to support single mothers. Afterwards, travel over to Jiufen Village, where a street food crawl down the old street gives you the chance to savour a variety of tasty eats – perhaps tea eggs, taro balls, king mushrooms, peanut ice-cream rolls, 14-year-old aged tea, or even grilled snails (whose texture is more agreeable than you might expect!). When it's all over, return to Taipei and enjoy a free evening.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Taipei - Sweet Potato Mama Urban Adventure
  • Jiufen - Old Town Street Food Crawl
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Time for some history today as we travel around on the metro or public bus. Visit the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, a monument to the founder of the Republic of China (the official name of Taiwan). Here you can see images of the leader alongside various US presidents, as well as his beautifully preserved 1950s armoured Cadillac. It's worth noting that in 2017 Taiwan's Ministry of Culture announced plans to change the hall into a national centre for 'facing history, recognizing agony, and respecting human rights' – part of a push to move away from the personality cult of Chiang. Also visit Taipei 101 and dine at the Ding Tai Fung Dumpling restaurant. After a visit to the National Palace Museum, enjoy a free evening, visiting the Shilin Night Market with the group if you wish.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Taipei - Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
  • Taipei - National Palace Museum
  • Taipei - Ding Tai Fung Restaurant (Lunch)
Optional Activities
  • Taipei - Taipei 101 Observation Deck - TWD600
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch

Experience Taipei's 'Make My Day Cooking Lab', an amazing local cooking class operation that attracts people from all over the world. Join a master local chef and try your hand at some classic Taiwanese dishes in this fun yet homely setting. The excursion includes a market tour, concluding in the early afternoon. Transport today will again be by metro or public bus. The remainder of your day is free for you to spend as you please. Consider a trip to some nearby hot springs which provide a soothing soak after all your culinary adventures. In the evening, join your fellow travellers for a final group dinner at Shin Yeh, a Taipei institution since the '70s with a strong dedication to traditional Taiwanese cuisine.
Accommodation
  • Hotel (1 night)
Included Activities
  • Taipei - Market Tour & Cooking Class
  • Taipei - Farewell Dinner
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

The adventure comes to an end after breakfast.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Transfers or additional accommodation can be arranged on request.

Meals

7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners

Transport

Private Bus, Metro, Public Bus, Bike

Accommodation

Hotel (6 nights), Guesthouse (1 night)

Included activities

  • Ningxia Night Market - Welcome Dinner
  • Taoyuan - Xiao Long Bao Cooking Demonstration & Lunch
  • Taichung - Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden
  • Puli - Traditional Home Cooked Meal with Family
  • Sun Moon Lake - Bike Ride
  • Sun Moon Lake - Picnic
  • Yilan - Spring onion farm & cooking demostration
  • Yilan - Whisky distillery
  • Taipei - Sweet Potato Mama Urban Adventure
  • Jiufen - Old Town Street Food Crawl
  • Taipei - Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
  • Taipei - National Palace Museum
  • Taipei - Ding Tai Fung Restaurant (Lunch)
  • Taipei - Market Tour & Cooking Class
  • Taipei - Farewell Dinner

Dates & availability

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Important notes

1. A Single Supplement is available on this trip, please ask your booking agent for more information.
2. A good degree of fitness is recommended for this trip as there can be lot of walking involved. Bring comfortable walking shoes.

Essential trip information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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