After eight days of exploring the countryside of Taiwan, we find ourselves weather bound with torrential rain, thunder and lightening making the pleasures of the romantically named Sun Moon Lake a little harder to discover. It's OK though. We have a 5th floor fabulous hotel room right on the lake, good books to read and time to reflect on the amazing sights and experiences of our time in Taiwan. From the stunning marble gorge and Mountains of Taroko, to the be...

There's no hassle or hustle. There's no begging or bamboozle. There's no litter or leering. This is a clean, kind, caring Asia. Everyone respects the walking man at crosswalks, (we are kindly given the seconds allowed to cross on a screen), everyone respects queuing in an orderly way and the MRT has queue lines either side of the exact spot the door will open with a central clear area marked for those alighting. Best of all the Taiwanese respect personal space -...