Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is Taiwan's harbour city in the warm south, 2 hours from Taipei by high-speed rail. It suits travellers extending beyond Taipei who want temples, waterfront art and night markets without mountain drives. November to March is the comfortable season.

• Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum — an avenue of eight pagodas leading to a giant golden seated Buddha; free entry, and a half-day trip from the city
• Enter the dragon, exit the tiger at Lotus Pond's Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
• Pier-2 Art Center — warehouses turned into galleries, murals and weekend markets
• Ride the ferry to Cijin Island for seafood street and an old lighthouse — under NT$40 ($1.25) each way
• Liuhe or Ruifeng night market for dinner; most dishes cost NT$50-100 ($1.50-$3)

The high-speed rail from Taipei reaches Zuoying station in about 2 hours; standard fare is around NT$1,490 ($46), and early-bird tickets cut up to 35%. Kaohsiung's own international airport has direct flights from major Asian hubs, so you can fly into Taipei and out of Kaohsiung without backtracking.

In town, the KMRT metro and a waterfront light rail cover the main sights, and an EasyCard works on all of them. Two nights is enough for the pagodas, Pier-2 and a night market, with a half day for the Buddha Museum.

Pair Kaohsiung with Tainan — 15 minutes away by high-speed rail — for temples and Taiwan's best street food. See the full Taiwan guide for route ideas.