Living in Taiwan can be an incredible adventure that is fun and exciting. When living in Taiwan you'll get to see and experience so many unique and interesting things. Below are the main reasons why I highly recommend people move to Taiwan, whether to study or teach English.
Taiwan is a country that seemingly never sleeps. If you move to Taiwan you'll quickly notice that many places stay open either very late or even 24 hours a day (this is especially true in any of the major cities). There are many places that never close, including the ubiquitous 7/11s and other convenient stores, pharmacies, McDonalds, and many other places. Places that are open late or 24 hours are very easy to find and chances are that as long as you live in a city (or large town) you'll have several in your neighborhood.
In terms of safety, Taiwan is probably going to be one of the safest countries you'll ever live in. There are very few, if any, bad neighborhoods that need to be avoided, even in the major cities like Taipei or Kaohsiung. Of course Taiwan isn't perfect and crime still happens, but violent crime is significantly lower than the vast majority of countries anywhere in the world.
If you live in Taipei you'll have access to fantastic modes of transportation. Taipei has both an extensive and growing MRT system (subway) and also a very good bus system. If you live near a MRT stop, or on a major bus line, you'll be able to easily and conveniently get all over the city. If public transportation isn't your thing (or you live outside of Taipei) you can also get a scooter, which is what many foreigners living in Taiwan do. Scooters are great for zipping around the city and can get you some places much faster than public transport. Just be careful though as scooter driving in Taiwan can be dangerous.
There are many fantastic and inexpensive restaurants to eat at all over Taiwan. You can have a very nice meal of Taiwanese food for around $3 to 5 USD and even if you want something more Western, you can usually get away with a decent meal for around $10 USD. One of the best things about the food is how convenient and accessible it is. As long as you live in a city or large town you will have no problems finding many good and cheap places close to where you live and work. One food related kind of place not to be missed are Taiwanese night markets. Night markets are places that house several hundred small vendors selling xiaochi ("little eats" from $2 to 4 USD) like chicken, noodles, seafood, fruit, drinks and more. Night markets are an excellent way to sample many interesting kinds of Taiwanese food without spending too much money.
Finally, compared to the West, Taiwan has a low cost of living. Whether it's food, housing or transportation, the cost of living in Taiwan will almost always be cheaper than anything you can find in the West. When living and working in Taiwan you can often either save a decent amount of money or use it for more adventurous things like traveling all over the island, or around Asia.
Nate Carlyle has lived in Taiwan for many years and is an expert on moving, living and working in Taiwan. You can read more articles about living in Taiwan by Nate and others at http://www.movetotaiwan.com
Article Source: Nate_Carlyle
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