Taiwan is an island nation that lies on the Tropic of Cancer, making it quite warm for most of the year. For example, it is currently 75 degrees (24 degrees Celsius) here! I didn't even pack a winter coat because it hasn't dropped below 50 degrees yet (10 degrees Celsius). In the north, Taipei (台北, which literally translates to North Tai, the same Tai as in Taiwan) gets tons of rainfall, while the central cities like Taichung (台中, which literally translates to Middle Tai) and southern cities like Tainan (台南, which translates to South Tai) are usually sunny.
Geographically, the island is mostly mountainous in the east, with gently sloping plains in the west. About two-thirds of Taiwan is mountainous, so it's not surprising that most of the major cities—like Taoyuan, Taichung and Kaohsiung—lie along the eastern coastline.
For this post, we'll mostly focus on the capital city of Taipei! Taipei City is situated on the northern part of the island and the northeastern tip of the Taipei Basin.
Taipei is considered one of the most liveable cities in the world. It is safe with a very low crime rate, affordable with an average monthly rent far below what it would cost in the U.S. and healthy with one of the best public health care systems in the world.
