If looking to visit Taiwan, August is one of the best months if you are planning on indulging in the culinary aspects of Taiwan.  August is when they hold the annual Taiwan Culinary Exhibition.  This event lasts four days, and is where you can delight in the showcases from Taipei’s most exclusive restaurants.

 Last year it was held downtown at the Taipei Exhibition Hall.  Here they housed well-organized booths where visitors could freely inspect any plate that interests them.  It featured Taiwan’s top chefs from 12 world-class hotels and restaurants.  This allows for visitors who are in the country for a limited-time to get an idea of the upscale restaurants that they have to choose from during their stay.

 The Exhibition also featured the World Culinary Contest, where eight teams from seven countries competed before a panel of judges from around the world, which focused on innovative Chinese cuisine.  The Exhibition also featured a “spice summit.”  This is where visitors can discuss and taste peppers and other bold Sichuan flavors. 

 Clients can sample and shop as they tour through the contests and booths, and they also offer cooking classes hourly.  They also offer demonstrations of the latest cooking gadgets, creative napkin folding, and cookware durability.  If you plan on attending this year’s Exhibition (which is held August 15-18), it is advised you make reservations as early as possible, as the hotels in the area tend to book up during this time.

            Southeast Asia is a popular vacation spot.  With 55 million travelers flocking to this region annually, you need certain information to visit at the right time, know what to see, and how to see it.  For instance, you will need the right information to avoid the popular times of year to get away from all the other tourists, you must know what’s worth seeing while there, and how you should see it (be it by a group tour, or on your own).  And here are some tips.

            First off, Thanksgiving through Easter is the area’s high season; it’s recommended you travel in the less crowded months of April and May, though it will be hotter than the other months.  Times to particularly avoid are: March, which is when the fields are burning and the air is thick with smoke, and early April, when they are celebrating the New Year in Thailand and Laos.

            Another tip is to book a private tour with a knowledgeable travel specialist.  It is more expensive, but you won’t regret it.  This specialist can construct a customized itinerary for you through Southeast Asia, giving you the choice whether you want a romantic dinner in Ho Chi Minh, or to join in the pre-sunrise ritual with the monks in Siem Reap, or sit in with a private audience to see Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed corpse at Hanoi.  Southeast Asia offers so many chances for a memorable trip, that your better off paying a little more to have a knowledgeable specialist help you plan it out so you get the most out of your trip.

            If looking for the best first-time experience in Asia, go to the island of Hong Kong , which just celebrated its 10-year-anniversary under Chinese rule.  Here is a 4-day itinerary that will help you get the most out of your Hong Kong experience in a short amount of time.

Day 1:  Start the day by shopping at Harbour City in Kowloon . This is the largest shopping and entertainment center in the city, and it offers about 700 shops.  They feature the best of shopping such as Boss, Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, MaxMara, Vivienne Westwood, and YSl.  Then stop by BO Innovation (www.boinnovation.com) to eat, where the Chef Alvin Leung serves up “extreme Chinese,” such as foie gras wrapped in rice paper with miso sauce and lamb shank lasagna.  And for the nightlife on your first day go to Temple Street Night Market, a nighttime marked that is filled with fortune-tellers and impromptu Chinese opera performers.  Though it opens at 4 p.m, it doesn’t really come alive till after sunset.

Day 2:  On your second day, take a side trip to Lantau Island .  This will be a temporary escape from the fast paced city.  It is home to the world’s larges outdoor seated bronze Buddha, which sits on the Ngong Ping Plateau .  Also found there is the Po Lin Monastery, a sacred spot for devout Buddhists.  Then go back to Hong Kong island to the Star Street precinct and eat at Caffe Habitu (www.starstreet.com.hk), an Italian eatery where the pizza chef is from Italy .  When it gets later, go to the Captains Bar, which offers one of Asia ’s most comprehensive selection of single malt whiskey (www.madarinoriental.com).

Day 3:  The third day of your trip should be filled with shopping – again – at the Stanley Market, a never-ending line of tiny shops.  Then hop over to Hollywood Road , which is lined with shops selling antiques, knick-knacks and handicrafts.  For dining, go to Yung Kee Restaurant and enjoy in their world-renowned roast goose dish.  And you need not travel far for the nightlife of the city today, just go a couple stories up in the Yung Kee building and go to the members-only Kee Club.  For more information visit www.yungkee.com.hk.

Day 4:  And on your last day, get away from it all in one of Hong Kong ’s many parks.  One of which is the Kowloon Park in the Tsim Sha Tsui area.  There you can pleasure in its aviary, sculpture walk and garden, bird lake, conservation corner, and the children’s playground and maze garden.  To get the last of the cultural culinary delights, go to the Peking Garden restaurant which specializes in Pekingese and northern Chinese dishes.  And go out with a bang at The Symphony of Lights, the world’s largest light and sound show, which covers more than 30 buildings (which are covered in lights which at the flick of a switch glow in myriad colors).  The best views are along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront and the shows are presented nightly at 8 p.m

The island nation of Taiwan is one of the most densely populated countries in the word, and one of the world’s largest producers of information technology.  They are in spectacular economic prosperity with less than one percent of the population being considered low income.  This island had grown to become a melting pot of cultures, with indigenous people, immigrants from the mainland, and Dutch, Spanish and Japanese during the last 400 years.  Due to the racial diversity, Taiwan’s cuisine ranges from Sichuan to Hunan, and the island offers more that 650,000 pieces of the finest Chinese bronze, jade, porcelain and paintings.

 
 
For enjoying the Chinese culture in Taiwan, we recommend the National Palace Museum.  The collection is estimated to be one tenth the wealth of ancient Chinese artifacts, and is so extensive that only a fraction of the collection can be on display at any given time.  Not only does Taiwan offer a Museum ranked along with the Metropolitan, Louvre and British Museums, but you can see the Chinese culture and beauty by simple looking around the island.  You can see traditional architecture, fold art, over 5,000 exquisite temples and dozens of sacred festivals.

The island is one of the richest biological places on the planet, with nearly 19,000 species of wild animals and 500 species of birds.  With six national parks and 13 national scenic areas, you can enjoy in outdoor activities such as mountain climbing and trekking, water sports including both fresh and salt water fishing and bird watching.  Taiwan has one of the world’s highest concentrations of hot springs as well as cold, and many scenic areas to enjoy.  One would be Sun Moon Lake, a 5,000 acre area surrounded by mountains and constantly filled with mist and clouds.  Along the lake’s shore you can find the Wen-Wu Temple with its Confucius Hall, as well as an aboriginal cultural village.  Another area would be the Alishan National Scenic area, with expanses of tea farms, cypress forests and one of the three remaining alpine railways in the world.  Also you can visit the Kenting National Park, offering 50,000 acres of land and 40,000 acres of ocean.
 
If looking for the more modern parts of the Island, visit Taipei, the country’s capital city.  There you will find Taipei 101, the world’s tallest building, which provides excellent views of the city from its observation tower.  And there you can take a ride on the world’s fastest elevators, which moves up to 1,217 feet in 37 seconds.  If looking for the city’s traditional side, go to the Longshan Temple, where over 100 spirits are worshiped, or to Snake Alley where vendors taunt live snakes before serving them up boiled or fried.  And if looking for the nightlife of Taipei, you will find piano and karaoke bars, jazz and blues clubs, and the four night markets which are open till the wee hours selling everything from clothes to jade.

 
With the beautiful island of Taiwan, with its expansive natural and biological sights, architectural wonders, and booming technological achievements, it’s a wonder more tourists don’t flock there.