TAIPEI

THE TAIWANESE CAPITAL gets a big a thumbs up from me. It balances old and new, busy and quiet, traditional and modern. Run-down back alley markets run into modern hotels. Old city temples sit in the shadow of Taipei 101.
A first-class subway system makes getting around easy- their subway station make Australia’s airports look like tin-sheds. Taipei is surrounded by hills and parks, which can be easily done as day trips.
But two things stand out in Taipei.
First is the array of night markets, street markets and restaurants, putting this city in the food Olympics final.
Second is the stunning collection of Chinese art and artifacts housed in the National Palace Museum.