Updated 03/02/25
For my first solo trip abroad, I chose three destinations which had long intrigued me: Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. My interest in Taiwan arose from my love of Chinese food and my desire to sample regional specialties. My fascination with Hong Kong and Singapore undoubtedly stemmed from my British colonial roots. My grandmother was born a third-generation British colonist in Bangalore, India in 1893. Unlike most colonists, she immersed herself in the culture, married an Indian, and gave birth to my father. While he emigrated to the US at age 20, my grandmother loved India and remained there until retiring at age 65. Her influence on my early development was undeniably the single most influential event of my life. I grew up with a palate for exotic spices and a yearning to travel the world.
But parental obligations and the demands of work are not always compatible with wandering the globe. So most of my traveling while my kids were growing up focused on state and national parks in the US and Canada. Finally, in the summer of 2024, life presented the opportunity to pursue my dream, and I bought the transpacific airfare before life could intervene.
A few word about solo travel: do it...now! Honestly, I never realized how rich, liberating and inexpensive it could be. Traveling alone allows you to meet others like yourself, exchange stories and learn from their experiences. It allows you freedom and flexibility you'd never have if you're trying to ensure your traveling companions have the experiences they want. If you're like me and have spent your life traveling with parents, children, partners or friends whose interests didn't necessarily match your own, you are in for a real treat. And Taiwan is a great place to start!
This 20-day itinerary includes 10 days in Taiwan, split between Taipei and Kaohsiung, 4 days in Hong Kong, and 4 days in Singapore.
Highlights of the Itinerary are:
Day 1-2: Fly out and arrive in Taipei in the afternoon of Day 2.
Days 3-6: Explore Taipei and surrounds with one day in the city; one day in Keelung seeing Fairy & Buddha's Hand Caves and Heping Island GeoPark; one day touring Jiufen Old Street; and one day for the Maokong Gondola.
Day 7: Transfer by high speed rail (HSR) to Kaohsiung, with day stop in Tainan.
Days 8-11: Explore Kaohsiung, with one day in the Shoushan National Nature Park, one day at Chaishan Nature Reserve; one day at Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Museum and Monastery; and the last in the Dream Mall sheltering from Typhoon Kong-rey-- the largest typhoon to hit Taiwan in 30 years! (Yes, I'd originally planned 5 days in Hong Kong, but Mother Nature had other plans.)
Days 12-15: Fly to Hong Kong and spend 4 days exploring Wan Chai, Victoria Peak, Kowloon, Lantau Island and bustling night markets.
Days 16-19: Fly to Singapore and spend 4 days feasting on exotic foods in Little India, Chinatown, and Kampong Glam. Occupy myself in between meals by touring Singapore Botanic Gardens, The Singapore Zoo, Sentosa Island and Gardens by the Bay in the Marina District.
Day 20: Fly home.
You can begin the 20-day journey by clicking Taiwan below or jump ahead to your country of interest.