I just stumbled upon this forum and am finding it a great resource already. My wife and I (both of German nationality) will have our first child in December 2020, and since German law allows parents to take off an almost unlimited amount of time from work, we are looking to spend three months abroad probably from September to November 2021, and Taiwan is currently high up on our list of favored destinations - assuming, obviously, that we would even be allowed to enter by then in light of the pandemic.
We were thinking of moving to some place by the beach, not one of the big cities, but not completely off the beaten track, either. Ideally, it would be in a spot that allows for good beginner / intermediate surfing during the months that we are there. Is there any spot in particular that you guys could recommend - and how would we go about finding a spot to stay there?
I am sorry if somewhere on Forumosa this question (or one like it) has already been posted and answered, but with the lack of pinned, FAQ-type threads in the āMoving to Taiwanā section, this place can be a bit overwhelming at first, so thanks in advance for your patience!
Viel GlĆ¼ck und viel Spass in der Elternzeit, tolle idee - good luck! Apart from the pandemic, which makes any kind of travel quite risky, Taiwan likely is the most approachable and also kid friendly destination in Asia. Hopefully in a year it will be better internationally, especially in Germany - Taiwan is fine right now.
FYI: At least currently there is a mandatory 14 days quarantine after entering Taiwan. Doable if you stay 3 months, but of course not as much fun as travelling.
Iām only an absolute beginner surfer, but those few places on the north and northeast coast that Iāve seen all have some small hotels or B&Bs nearby. Some even surfing themed/friendly. As far as Iām aware those are mostly really small towns though. Small as in "some houses, a 7-11, and maybe a restaurant. Iād suggest first find surfing spots, then look around on Google maps for hotels or B&Bs. Many places speak a bit English I think, just email them. You can also use the big portals like booking.com, but not sure if the smaller places are on there. Also be aware that many places in Taiwan are not as modern and cleanly as some good Germans might expect - itās s bit of a rougher charm often Iām afraid. But as long as you can overlook many small issues and enjoy the big pros (safety, friendlyness, fun) you should be fine.
Youād need some form of transportation, though - better get your international driving license ready and check how to rent a car.
Depending on how much emphasis you want to put on surfing, maybe it would be more interesting to stay in a bigger town or city, and drive to the beach for surfing?
@Con, Willkommen zu Forumosa.
Putting aside any COVID-19, Iām sure youāll deal with that yourself.
So, where to go for surfing.
If you want to be near Taipei, then find a place in I-Lan County, about a 45-minute drive (depending on where you are) back to Taipei City.
Thereās some big surfer community/beach near Toucheng.
The beach is Waiao Beach (can google map it).
However, that is like the most crowded one for surfers, as Taipei-ers drive over on the weekend for surfing there. There are various surfing rental shacks.
From there, you can go down further south, although in some of the links below, youāll see other beaches to the north of Taipei and elsewhere in the north.
If you want the beaten-path route, go to Taitung County in the southeast.
Your trip is still far away in the future. Letās hope the pandemic will be under control by then.
Choose your beach wisely. Especially in the south and east of Taiwan there can be very strong currents that will pull you out to sea.
Donāt underestimate the waves and currents.
Once I was surfing at the Gold Coast beach in Australia as a beginner. The waves were not huge but a few got me good. Luckily I was able to get one that brought me back closer to the beach, but the current still prevented me from getting back. A lifeguard came out and guided me through the currents. By the time I arrived at the beach I was completely out of power. I had to fight hard to get back. That was a valuable lesson to me. Never go out if the conditions are not ideal and no lifeguard is on duty.
My sons both teach surfing in Donghe, Taitung on the southeast coast (I live a few miles away in Taitung, the biggest town on the coast pop. 120,000). Itās definitely the best place in Taiwan. The winter (November to March) is better for experienced surfers; in summer the waves can be pretty flat.
We were thinking of moving to some place by the beach, not one of the big cities, but not completely off the beaten track, either. Ideally, it would be in a spot that allows for good beginner / intermediate surfing during the months that we are there. Is there any spot in particular that you guys could recommend - and how would we go about finding a spot to stay there?
September youāve still got summer weather so itās usually pretty mild unless a typhoon has just passed through, and the tourists have gone with school starting. Getting to November the waves are getting bigger- thereās an international competition in November in Donghe (probably not this year).
Itās getting more expensive to find places, though probably cheaper than Germany! There are lots of B&Bs, though houses can be hard to find. You definitely need a car or a scooter (or āTaitung Specialā, 150cc motorcycle with surf rack welded on the side.