Located on the main north-south highway, Taichung is well-connected by both rail and bus to larger cities such as Taipei and Kaohsiung. There are also direct buses to many scenic areas in central Taiwan, and Taichung is the starting point for the scenic Central Cross-Island Highway to Hualin. The three main bus terminals, serving different parts of the country, are conveniently clustered around the central train station. Taichung also has a small airport but service is primarily limited to domestic carriers.
Taichung is served by two competing inner-city bus companies, and fares are NT$14 (US$.51) per ride or NT$18 (US$.66) for travel on air-conditioned buses.
Places of Interest
While in Taichung, you will want to visit the ultra-modern Natural Science Museum as well as the more historic Confucius and Paochueh Temples. The grounds of Tunghai University are particularly beautiful, and the Cultural Center is an excellent place to learn more about Taiwanese arts and culture. The Taiwan Museum of Art is considered to have an outstanding art collection. The Encore Gardens are heavily promoted in the tourist brochures, but for even better natural scenery, take a bus to the mountains in nearby eastern Taichung County.
Ex-pat Hangouts
The Frog Pub and Luigi's both cater almost exclusively to the ex-pat and traveler crowd. We also recommend trying the Event Pub, The Pig-n-Whistle, and Escapade. Tunghai University and Taipei Language Institute are both great places to meet ex-pats studying in Taichung.
