Bangkok is filled with high quality restaurants and beautiful hotels. It’s easy to understand why so many Australians love visiting this vibrant city.
What I find most special, though, are the everyday street scenes. Vendors set up tables right on the footpath, serving fresh, home-cooked meals to locals passing by. There is something incredibly genuine and heartwarming about it.
In Taiwan, we share a similar culture. Compared to Australia, there are fewer restrictions when it comes to setting up food stalls. This allows more people to bring their signature dishes into the streets and share them with the community. Some might worry that these stalls are not very clean, but if you take a closer look, many of them take great care with hygiene and create meals that are even more memorable than what you find in restaurants.
I once heard a Michelin-starred Taiwanese chef say in an interview, after running restaurants all over the world, “When I am alone, the food I crave most is from the little food stalls in Taiwan.”
That really stayed with me. Because in both Taiwan and Thailand, you can find the full range of experiences from humble, soul-warming street food to the most refined Michelin-level dining.
To my Australian friends: if you’ve never been to Taiwan but you love Thailand, I encourage you to visit. Taiwan is peaceful, welcoming, and rich with culture. You might see dramatic headlines in the news from time to time, but the everyday reality is calm, kind, and full of life.
I believe one reason more people have not discovered Taiwan is that our tourism industry has not invested much in international marketing. But I’m here to tell you, Taiwan is a hidden gem worth exploring. I would love for you to visit my beautiful home country. You won’t regret it.
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Article published on 31 July 2025.
I’m Chi Chi Wang, helping people who struggle with body image build confidence and live with purpose.
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