The Far East island of Taiwan is one of the least known destinations in a part of the world that thrives on international tourism. GARY KEOWN jets to Asia, the other side of the world, to discover his own island of dreams in Tapei

THERE  are few countries left in the Asia's Far East likely, at the very mention of their name, to bring little other than blank expressions from friends, family and fellow travellers. Thailand is old hat, Hong Kong is old territory, Vietnam and Cambodia have become the gap-year must-do, while Japan and China are becoming ever more accessible both through business and tourism.

Even North Korea, while hardly a burgeoning destination for a spot of R&R, enjoys a certain notoriety, shall we say. Taipei, Taiwan, though, is a bit different. Hidden away 100 miles or so off the coast of the Chinese mainland, it doesn't really seem to register at all.

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Friends of a particular vintage may be able to provide a potted history of former leader Chiang Kai-Shek, or at least remember the days when the place went by the name of Formosa. Other than that, unless your parish possesses its fair share of adventurers, chances are the conversation will grind to a halt following a few jokey remarks about T-shirts through which you could spit peas.

This, without wishing to sound too much like one of those Communists who chased Chiang out of town back in 1949, is a wrong we should collectively seek to make right.

This settled democracy has an awful lot to offer. Its growing cities co-exist with ancient tradition with a helpful, welcoming populace happy to introduce you to the terrific cuisine and outstanding natural scenery.

And with two airlines now providing flights from the UK, there are many compelling reasons to take a holiday to an off-beat destination that need not require sacrifices in standards of comfort.

As political relations gradually thaw with Beijing, Taiwan has been a bit of a mini-powerhouse in recent times. It boasts a solid, export-driven economy and has been branded one of the four Asian Tigers along with Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea.

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Certainly, the first thing that strikes you on your arrival in the capital city of Taipei is just how modern and prosperous it is. Taipei 101, with a passenger lift that travels at an ear-popping 1,010 metres per minute, was the world's tallest building until Dubai's Burj Khalifa moved man ever closer to the troposphere at the start of this year. Shopping malls, fine restaurants and designer shops flourish within its downtown shadow, but you can easily enjoy delicious foods and travel freely here for relatively little cost.

For example, the metro system, the MRT, provides a quick, cheap and easy gateway to the best this novel, exciting, place has to offer.

The Red Line cuts through the heart of the city like a main artery and visitors could do worse than begin a tour of its stations at the very first stop, the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall.
This impressive structure is ostensibly a shrine to the man forced to retreat to Taiwan when his Nationalists lost the Chinese Civil War to Mao Tse-Tung and the Communists. Two sets of 89 white steps, one for every year of his life, lead to the hall where a large statue of Chiang gazes out on to Liberty Square.
The photos, uniforms and old cars on show downstairs, plus the re-creation of Chiang's office, are difficult to pull yourself away from.

However, while the collection inside offers a glimpse into the past, the immaculate greenery outside provides a close look at Taiwanese life in the present.

The trees, ponds and gardens hum with life and provide a focal point for the community with locals playing chess, practising Tai Chi and joining fellow choir members to grace the morning air with song.
It is a beautiful place to begin your day, but that Red Line north has so many other delights in store.
Shilin Station provides easy access to the National Palace Museum and the estimated 650,000 artefacts shipped from Beijing's Forbidden City in the lead-up to the Second Sino-Japanese War, in 1937.

The collection covers more than 8,000 years of Chinese history but the main attractions are not quite what you might expect. The most prized pieces are, wait for it, a small cabbage carved from jade with a grasshopper sitting on it and a piece of agate made to look like a chunk of pork.

After a tasty, filling lunch for less than £1 a dish at one of the food stalls that bring such colour to street life throughout the country, it is wise to spend the afternoon hours relaxing. Once again, the Red Line takes you where you need to be.

Beitou is the home of outdoor Hot Springs where you can soothe tired legs, while six stops further north at the end of the line lies the super little seaside town of Danshui. Well worth a visit.

For the proud Scots among us, it is said that merchant John Dodd was in this neck of the woods when he discovered the local char and started the Taiwan tea industry in the 1860s.

Nowadays, the area possesses a lovely walkway beside the Danshui River, where you can take regular boat trips for a couple of pounds, shop for souvenirs or simply enjoy an award-winning Taiwan Beer in one of the waterfront eateries as the sun sets behind Guanyin Mountain.

When darkness falls, the place you really need to position yourself is the Shilin Night Market at nearby Jiantian Station. This is a well established tourist site, but, like everywhere else in Taiwan, you will not see many non-Chinese faces.

In truth, the main reason to make the trip is for the electrifying atmosphere created by the seething crowds. The quality of merchandise on sale at the stalls is patchy, to say the least.

It is the celebrated Food Court that is really the place to spend your time and experiment within the sensory riot of noise and mouthwatering odours.

Search for a good spot inside this gastronomic maze and try a bit of everything. If it is edible, it is here and, trust me, tucking in is a national pastime.

Of course, Taipei offers much more beyond the MTR Red Line. The Taiwanese have strong Buddhist and Taoist traditions and you could spend both this life and the next visiting their ornate and vibrant temples. One of the major draws is Longshan, described as a 'United Nations of Deities' and filled with believers praying for everything from a successful business deal to a new partner.

One glorious thing about the island of Taiwan is that you can travel from top-to-toe in just over two hours on the train and in 45 minutes on an internal flight.

Tainan City has interesting nightlife around a new artists' quarter at Shennong Street, while Kaohsiung possesses a former British Consulate in the Takao district that is well worth a look. Its breathtaking views of Sizihwan Bay are worth seeing.

However, the classic red-brick construction also doubles up as a coffee shop and a somewhat bizarre exhibition in honour of Liverpool's very own Beatles.

There is also wilderness to be explored within the country as there are no fewer than seven national parks.

Kenting National Park, on the tropical south coast, is a true paradise with great cycling, friendly fishing villages to wheel through and sun-kissed beaches you can have almost to yourself.

The Yoho Bike Hotel is a great spot to pick up everything you need to explore the area as well as great swimming pools and water chutes back at base camp to enjoy.

Taiwan, in this Chinese Year of the Tiger, is marketing itself with the phrase: "Touch Your Heart".
At the risk of sparking a diplomatic incident in this period of improving relations with the mainland, one confidante suggested to me that next year's slogan should be: "China, But Nicer".

Hostilities are unlikely but one thing that is for sure is that you will return from this beautiful spot with some golden memories and the satisfaction of having savoured an as yet little known treasure.
Why live with a blank expression when you could have a broad smile?

GETTING THERE:
Eva Air offers daily flights from London Heathrow to Taipei via Bangkok.

Return fares in Economy start from £585 while fares in Elite class start from £885.

Book online at www.evaair.com or by telephone on 020 7380 8300.

For further information on Taiwan, visit www.taiwan.net.tw