Explore Taiwan with Marriott Bonvoy

It takes a seasoned touch to mine Taiwan’s vast quarry of cool in just 72 hours. Stephenie Gee joins Marriott Bonvoy to tap into the country’s secrets 

Day one

23:12
It’s late when I arrive. Still, Taipei is bustling. Cars and mopeds whiz by in every direction. Local eateries spill out onto the sidewalks in a frenzy of plastic stools. And there’s a pungent scent permeating the air. Fermented tofu, I think it is. My home for the night is the W, which, towering 31 stories above the Xinyi commercial district, comes with a well- framed view of the Taipei 101 tower. In my corner room, wood panels and a tatami-style chair set a warm and vibe, and the signature red colour accents and contemporary artwork keep the look lively. At no point is comfort sacrificed at the altar of visual style, however – Bose sound systems and 42-inch televisions are standard, as are free-standing soaking tubs and the W bed, as ever, is justifiably famous. 

Day two

10:00
One of Taiwan’s biggest selling points is its unpackaged traditional culture. So after breakfast, we decide to seek some traditional spiritual edification at Hsing Tian Kong temple, one of Northern Taiwan’s most visited places of worship with some 10,000 visitors daily. Guan Yu is the main deity enshrined here, with dragons standing as guardians on the main ridges of the roofs, signifying prayers for rain, warding off evil and preventing fires. 

14:11
There’s much to explore beyond the capital. To its west, Taoyuan is an overlooked gem. Its greenery is quite spectacular, and there’s no better place to take it all in than at The Westin Tashee Resort, a vast paradise of serenity and peace. But instead, we head south via the high-speed rail to Taichung. Few have much of a reason to linger here, Taiwan’s third-largest city, aside from using it as a way station en route to hiking trails and hot springs in the surrounding mountains. Compared to Taipei, Taichung may be sleepier and harder to navigate (it has just one MRT line), but you’ll find its suburban charms lend themselves to a sense of discovery.

15:50
Preserving Taichung’s heritage remains a priority. A veteran’s housing complex in Nantun District was on the chopping block until its last inhabitant, Huang Yung-Fu, covered the walls with colourful murals – thus earning it the name Rainbow Village. 

16:45 
Moxy Taichung is where you stay to work and play. The guestrooms are on the smaller side – with all the basics alongside dreamy beds, motion-activated LED guidelights and walk-in showers – but The Den, trendy lobby Moxy Bar, all-season Rooftop XOXO lounge, and spacious Social Zone that transitions easily from day to night provide plenty of space for guests to sprawl. This hip brand from Marriott is geared towards millennial travellers, so you’ll find fun-filled perks like a pool and foosball table, and an arcade machine and board games that’ll make you want to hang out and linger. A young, spirited team is pleasant and aims to please, but this brand caters to guests who prefer to serve themselves – still and sparkling water taps are available on every floor for you to refill up your bottles, and the on-site laundrettes are handy for longer stays. 

19:30 
A stark contrast to Moxy, Fairfield by Marriott Taichung features a distinctive building, handsome and warm modern rooms, and a restaurant with a lively atmosphere and a wide-ranging international menu. It’s no Michelin-star candidate, but easily the kind of place you might go in for service, surroundings and good modest food – and that was the intention. Particularly noteworthy are the salads (the beetroot especially), the hearty Taiwanese beef noodle soup, and seasonal dragon fruit puff pastry tart. And if after-dinner espresso is your speed, the self-service Starbucks in the lobby has you covered. 

Day three

10:10
Tainan is only a two-hour drive from Taichung, but a world away in personality. In 1661, the Ming loyalist Koxinga drove the Dutch from Taiwan and established
the capital here. Today, the best way to experience Tainan is simply to wander its narrow streets and soak in its cultural diversity. As Taiwan’s oldest city and the historic cradle of the island, Tainan has managed to hold on to its roots more so than other Taiwanese cities, unaffected by skyscrapers and surrounded by a picturesque countryside dotted with rice paddies, temples and traditional villages. 

12:02
It’s peak mango season, and Tainan is Taiwan’s biggest producer. At the Xin Hua Guocai Market, we weave through aisle after aisle in search of the best to take home with us. We settle for the affable vendor 107. And of course, there’s a variety to choose from: the fragrant Aiwen, succulent and fleshy Jinhuang, and the amazingly sweet Yuwen.

13:40
Taiwan’s oldest street, Anping Old Street is a charming labyrinth of skinny alleyways lined with quaint shops and street carts. But the sun is ablaze, so we skip the roadside stalls and opt for indoor seating at A Cai Beef Soup. The beef soup served is far beyond any I’ve ever had, and is best ordered along with the beef fried rice and stir-fried morning glory. We make sure to save room for the shaved ice down the road before continuing our stroll, stopping only for snacks and ice-cold drinks. 

15:35
The Anping Tree House is a former merchant house originally built in the 19th century by the British Tait & Co trading company. For a small fee, you can enter the grounds and find the remains of the complex crumbling under an extraordinary web of banyan tree roots. In the years since the site was abandoned, the living banyan tree has forced its way through, over and across the brickwork and concrete. Don’t leave before sampling local ice creamery Ninao’s salted caramel soft serve in the Tree House Café.

16:30
Aloft is the younger sibling of W Hotels, demonstrating a similar vibe in its modern communal areas with an emphasis on music, pop culture and technology. The first Aloft property in Tainan, Aloft Tainan Anping, follows that recipe perfectly. Upstairs, rooms retain the brand’s design ethic: minimal but cool, with pops of colour jumping out from the calming palette of wood and grey, and views of the neighbouring Yuguang Island, a forested isle connected by bridge to the Anping district. But where it’s most stunning is from up on the Sky Bar, which offers one of the most Instagrammable views in all of Tainan. As I sip on my bubbly, a breeze comes in, waves crash in the far distance, and the sun gently descends. Which means it’s time to... 

19:30 
... take it to the streets. Night markets are a quintessential Taiwan experience, and the Tainan Flower Night Market is the largest and arguably most famous in the city. We down winter melon punch – a sweet, mellow drink made from boiling winter melon and sugar – and pass steaming food carts. 

Day four

9:45
An hour’s drive from Tainan, Kaohsiung is the island’s main port and second-largest city. While there has been faint praise for it in the past, it has over the years grown out of its reputation as an uninspiring blue-collar hub. Much work has been put into beautifying the city, and the grimy industrial enclaves of yore have been transformed into a modern urban landscape of airy cafes, revamped streets and waterside parks. Luxury boltholes the likes of Kaohsiung Marriott Hotel exemplify this change. Aside from its proximity to the action, the hotel has a whopping 700 rooms and suites, plus a state-of-the-art gym, spa, indoor heated swimming pool, and 10 restaurants offering cuisines from Chinese to kaiseki and contemporary French to vegetarian. Lunch is at the M9 Buffet Restaurant, which features world cuisines and specialist bars for salad, seafood and patisseries. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed about where to start here, but wherever you do, be assured you’ll find something to your liking.

15:00
I’m walking down the streets of Cijin, a small island just off the coast of Kaohsiung, with no shade for relief, and I can’t help but question if coming here was worth it. Then, for the first time, the beach comes into sight – its soft black sand framed by gently swaying palm trees and azure waters. I tell myself it was.

16:30
In the car on our way to the airport, I can’t help but think about that savoury bowl from the day before. While there’s no time left for another, you can bet I’ll be back again soon. And with Marriott Bonvoy, of course!

Also see: Bula from Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay