General Tour Information
ENTERING TAIWAN: US citizens will need a passport valid for at least six months from date of departure and a visa. Taiwan has no formal relations with the U.S. but visas can obtained from any visa service.such as CIBT
MAP AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can view maps of Taiwan in the University of Texas series here. You can review the U.S. Department of State background notes on Taiwan here.
HEALTH: Sunbird currently recommends inoculations against typhoid and polio. Some doctors also suggest inoculation against Japanese B-encephalitis and tetanus and strongly recommend gammoglobulin against hepatitis. You should consult your physician for formal recommendations. You can review the latest CDC advisories here.
Biting insects are not numerous but can occur locally. Mosquitoes can be locally common especially in the plains of Taiwan around Fuyuen, Taidong and on Lanyu Island.
CLIMATE: At least in Taipei and the lowland coastal areas that we’ll visit it is likely to be warm, with temperatures ranging from 20-31°C during the days and cooler, perhaps down to 18°C, at night. It will be slightly hotter and definitely more humid on Lanyu, an island that we visit for two days and one night. In the mountains it will be noticeably cooler with temperatures possibly dropping almost as low as 8°C at night. Several of our early mornings here might also be chilly. Rain is rather scarce throughout the tour but is still a distinct possibility. It is perhaps most likely near Chinjing or in the east coast mountains near Taidong.
ALTITUDE: The highest accommodation that we will stay in is at Chingjing and is at 1720 metres (5640 feet). However on certainly one, probably two days, we will venture up the Wuling Pass on Hehuan Shan Mountain in the spectacular Taroko National Park. At 3275 metres (10,740 feet) the pass, the highest road pass in east Asia, will be the highest elevation that we’ll visit. We will do nothing even faintly rigorous at this altitude — we expect to stay almost exclusively on the road and to walk slowly.
PACE OF TOUR AND DAILY ROUTINE: There is a reasonable amount of travelling but the days are not unduly long or overly tiring. Nevertheless a modest degree of fitness is recommended. Nearly all the forest trails that we’ll use are fairly flat — most are in fact rather wide, un-surfaced old logging roads and none are particularly steep. Due to the early morning bird activity in many of the areas we’ll want to be out in the field early each day. This is particularly important in our quest to see both of Taiwan’s endemic pheasants. On several days we’ll leave our hotel about 04:30 in order to be in a good area shortly after dawn. We anticipate that a more typical departure time will be about 05:00. Unlike sit-down lunches and dinners Chinese/Taiwanese breakfasts are not particularly appealing to most western palates and on most days we will have picnic-style breakfasts of more western items in the field. These will normally consist of cereals and milk, yoghurt, fresh fruit, bread and jam, juice, tea and coffee. These will usually be eaten close to the vehicle out in the field’.
We try to make as many of our birding excursions as possible optional, so that if you find the pace too tiring it is occasionally possible to take some time off and relax. However please note that on this tour we are frequently moving one and only spend more than one night at two hotels — the ones at Chingjing and near the Wulu forest. Essentially we aim to provide dawn to dusk birding for those who want it and as many opportunities as possible to opt out for those who wish to pursue other interests or simply relax.
ACCOMMODATION: The hotels in Taipei, Taidong and Kaohsiung are of a good international standard with en suite bathrooms, proper restaurants and other facilities that you would normally expect such as gift shops in the lobby, business centres and in-room facilities for making international phone calls etc. The hotel in Taidong also has a gym and an outdoor swimming pool.
All the remaining hotels are simple but each is clean and has an en-suite bathroom with a western toilet and shower though here the supply of hot water is sometimes limited.
FOOD: Everyday food in Taiwan is mostly very similar to that of mainland China and is what most westerners would regard as ‘Chinese food’. The cuisine is well-known and widely appreciated. Beer, soft drinks and green tea will be served with the food. Taiwanese breakfast are mostly unrecognizeable, and we’ll often take box breakfasts with western food items into the field with us.
DRESS: Will be informal throughout the tour. Laundry services are only available at our hotel in Taidong. Some people feel that it is probably more convenient to hand-wash their own clothes.
SMOKING: Smoking is not allowed in the vehicle, or at meal times or when the group is gathered together for the checklist.
GENERAL INFORMATION & CONDITIONS OF WINGS & SUNBIRD TOURS: Please take a moment to read the WINGS General Information & Conditions. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours and other information that will help you prepare for the tour.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:A more complete General Information for Tours to Taiwan will be sent to each registrant on receipt of their booking. Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary.
Updated: May 2007