National Geographic Traveler has included Taiwan in its list of 20 Best Trips of 2015.

Handpicked by the National Geographic Traveler editors every year, the list is what the magazine calls the must-see places for the New Year from India’s literary hub to Switzerland’s mountain majesty.

The magazine opens by juxtaposing Taiwan to China, calling the island “much more than China’s contrarian runaway bride” with cleaner air, free islandwide Wi-Fi and multicultural attitudes towards ethnic groups.

It praises – amongst many things – the island’s high-tech global urban sector, a thriving aboriginal society and of course, food.

The entry serves as a great primer for travelers to Taiwan, detailing when to visit, how to get around, where to stay, where to eat or drink, what to buy, what to read before you go and cultural tips such as Mandarin phrases “xie xie” (thank you) and “ni hao” (good day).

Other places to visit on the 25 Best Trips of 2015 include Corsica, Tunis in Tunisia, Mont St. Michel in France, Koyasan in Japan, Choquequirao in Peru, Hyderabad in India, Zermatt in Switzerland, Sea Islands in the US’ South Carolina, Mornington Peninsula in Australia and many more, with the reader’s choice winner being Faroe Islands.

The list can be viewed in its entirety here.

 

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