Visit Hualien

Trails and tunnels along a marble canyon so narrow the cliffs nearly touch, with the Eternal Spring Shrine over a waterfall.

Visit Kaohsiung, Taiwan's largest port city. Explore the Lotus Pond (home to the iconic Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and Spring and Autumn Pavilions), ride the Kaohsiung Eye Ferris Wheel at Dream Mall for panoramic views, stroll through the Pier-2 Art Center (a creative hub in repurposed warehouses with murals and exhibitions), and sample local street food like danzai noodles at Liuhe Night Market.

Taiwan's old capital: Dutch forts, hundreds of temples and the best street food on the island.

Where bubble tea was invented, the Rainbow Village and the National Taichung Theater.

Visit Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. Explore the National Palace Museum (home to one of the largest collections of Chinese imperial artifacts), ascend Taipei 101 (once the world's tallest building with a 508-meter height and a tuned mass damper), stroll through the historic Dihua Street (known for traditional shops and Lunar New Year markets), and sample local street food like beef noodle soup and stinky tofu at Shilin Night Market.

Taiwan's largest, most scenic lake.

East Asia’s highest peak outside the Himalaya at 3,952 m, permit-only and worth the paperwork.

Korea’s most dramatic mountains — granite spires, the Ulsanbawi ridge and a cable car — blazing red in autumn.