GENERAL INFORMATION
ON TAIWAN
About Taiwan
Area: 36,000 square kilometers
Population:
23 million
Capital:
Taipei City
People:
Chinese
Language:
Mandarin/Taiwanese/Hakka
Religion:
Buddhism/Taoism/Christian/Islam/Catholicism
Language
Currency
The Republic of China's unit of
currency is the New Taiwan Dollar (NT$), which has five denominations in paper
money and five in coins. Paper money comes in NT$2000, NT$1000, NT$500, NT$200,
and NT$100 denominations. Coins come in NT$50, NT$20, NT$10, NT$5 and NT$1
denominations.
Foreign currencies can be exchanged
at government-designated banks and hotels. Receipts are given when currency is
exchanged, and must be presented in order to exchange unused NT dollars before
departure.
Major credit cards such as American Express, Master Card,
Visa, and Diners Club are accepted and traveler's checks may be cashed at
foreign-exchange banks, some tourist-oriented businesses, and (by room guests)
most international tourist hotels.
Foreign nationals may obtain tourist
visas if they hold foreign passports or travel documents valid for more than
six months in the Republic of China for purposes of sightseeing, business,
family visits, study or training, medical treatment, or other legitimate
activities. Visa requirements included one completed application form, incoming
and outgoing travel tickets, one photo, documents verifying the purpose of the
visits, and other relevant documents. The Visitor Visa Application Form can be
downloaded from the website of the Bureau
of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The completed form
should be submitted to an overseas mission of the Republic of China for visa
issuance.
Fourteen-day visa-free privileges
are afforded to citizens of 21 countries and30-day landing visas are afforded
to citizens of 24 countries. For any further information, please visit the
website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Time Difference
There is no
time difference between Singapore and Taiwan
Electricity
Taiwan uses electric current of 110 volts at 60 cycles,
appliances from Europe, Australia or South-East Asia will need an adaptor or
transformer. Many buildings have sockets with 220 volts especially for the use
of air conditioners.
Telecommunications
There is GSM
network coverage in Taiwan, therefore mobile phones can work when roaming with
a dual band or tri band handset. IDD service is also available at all hotels
and post offices.
International
Dialing Code: 886
Taipei,
Keelung: 2, Kaohsiung: 7, Taichung: 4, Tainan: 6
City dialing
codes are preceded by 0 if calling within Taiwan
Public phones in Taiwan are divided primarily into two types, coin and
card. Coin phones accept coins in denominations of NT$1, NT$5, and NT10. For
local calls, NT$1 buys one minute of phone time. Phone cards are divided into
magnetic strip stored value cards and IC stored value cards, and can be used
all over Taiwan. Magnetic strip cards sell for NT$100 each, and IC cards are
available in NT$200 and NT$300 versions. The cards are sold in railway
stations, bus stations, scenic spots, and convenience stores. When making local
calls it is not necessary to dial the area code; when making long-distance
calls, however, the area code of the party being called must be dialed in first
(see explanation on the public telephone) and then the number itself dialed.
International calls can be made from private cell phones, public IDD phones, or
hotel IDD phones. International calls are charged in units of six seconds.
Taiwan has a
balmy, subtropical climate, with high humidity and frequent rains in the cooler
north. The mountains can be chilly, even in summer, whereas lowland areas tend
to be extremely hot and sticky. Average daytime temperatures fall between 30
degrees centigrade in summer (June to September) and 15 degrees centigrade in
winter (December to February). Typhoons can hit anytime between June and
October.
The best time to visit is October/November, when the temperature is warm, but
not boiling, and the typhoon season is usually over.
Average Temperatures (Degree
Celsius)
|
CITY |
JAN |
FEB |
MAR |
APR |
MAY |
JUN |
JUL |
AUG |
SEP |
OVT |
NOV |
DEC |
|
Taipei |
15 |
15 |
17 |
22 |
24 |
27 |
28 |
28 |
26 |
23 |
21 |
17 |
|
Kaohsiung |
18 |
19 |
22 |
25 |
27 |
28 |
28 |
28 |
27 |
26 |
23 |
21 |
|
Taitung |
19 |
18 |
21 |
23 |
25 |
27 |
28 |
28 |
27 |
25 |
23 |
21 |
|
Tainan |
17 |
18 |
21 |
24 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
27 |
27 |
26 |
23 |
19 |
|
Taichung |
16 |
16 |
18 |
23 |
25 |
27 |
28 |
28 |
26 |
25 |
21 |
18 |
Clothing
Summer
clothing is worn between April and November. Sweaters and moderately warm
jackets are needed from December to March.
Water and hygiene
Although water in Taiwan is technically safe to drink, it's
probably safer to drink bottled water to avoid the risk of stomach upsets.
Yellow fever and cholera vaccination certificates are
required of travelers arriving from infected areas. Immunization against
hepatitis A and B, diphtheria and tuberculosis is recommended
Travel insurance
Prior to departure, it is highly
recommended to purchase travel insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances such
as medical expenses in case of injury or illness, loss of personal belongings,
flight delays etc.
Tipping
It is customary to tip the Local Guide and
Driver in recognition and appreciation of their services.
A guideline
for tipping is as follows:
Local Guide
& Driver: NTD100 per person per
day
Shopping
Shops in Taiwan are generally open from 10h00-22h00 Monday
to Saturday, although many also open on Sundays. Bargaining is not usual
outside of markets.
Tax Refund
There is a sales tax of 5% on goods and services in Taiwan.
Tourists can avoid paying taxes and duty at Duty Free Department Stores on production
of a valid passport.
Taiwan does not operate a tax refund scheme for foreign
tourists.