Taiwan is situated in the western Pacific about 160 kilometres(100 miles) off the southeastern coast of the Chinese mainland. Positioned midway between Korea and Japan to the north and Hong Kong and the Philippines to the South, Taiwan is a convenient gateway to Asia for travellers coming from around the world.

About two thirds of the island is covered with lush forested mountains. Jade Mountain at 3952 metres above sea level is the tallest peak in Taiwan, indeed the highest mountain in northeast Asia. The island's natural beauty includes sun-splashed beaches and tranquil lakes, gushing waterfalls and soothing hot springs plus an exotic array of tropical flora and fauna. With an annual rainfall of more than 1500 millimetres the island ranks as one of the most agriculturally productive places in all of Asia. The wettest month is June.

Spread over an area of 35 563 square kilometres, Taiwan is approximately half the size of Tasmania, Australia's island state.

The official currency of the Republic of China on Taiwan is the New Taiwan Dollar (NT$). Coins come in denominations of NT$1, 5, 10 and 50 while notes are issued in values of NT$50,100, 500 and 1000. Exchange rates vary from day to day but the NT$ has been valued for some time around NT$28 - 30 to one Australian Dollar.

As the Australian Dollar is generally not accepted in most places on the island, it is highly advised that you exchange some money at the airport bank on arrival. While shops don’t provide currency exchange facilities, Australian Dollar Exchange is available through most banks and major hotels. You may want to find out this information before your departure date.

Major credit cards are valid in Taiwan. Nevertheless, some small shops and restaurants don't accept cards. This occurs in particular in the countryside. Ensure that you carry some cash when venturing into rural areas. While traveller's cheques can be exchanged for NT Dollars in banks or international hotels in rural areas, stores and restaurants generally will not exchange money.

Use the Currency Converter to check the exchange rate that corresponds to your local currency.

• Telephones: Coin operated NT$2 telephones are found in larger towns and cities.
• Facsimile: A 24-hour fax service is provided at the CHT main office for the transmission of documents or pictures within Taiwan or overseas. International hotels also provide a fax service for their guests.
• E-mail: If you are travelling with a portable computer and a modem all you need is an International Direct Dial (IDD) line with an RJ-11 phone jack to access your ISP. There are also numerous cyber cafes in larger towns and cities.
• Mail: The rate for domestic letters is NT$5 and NT$12 for express delivery. International express mail service is available. Most hotels can post letters and postcards. For additional information visit: ROC Post Office.
• When dialling Taiwan telephone numbers from Australia use the country code prefix of 886 and then the city code.
  • Taipei is 886 2
  • Kaohsiung is 886 7
  • Taichung is 886 4.

There is an abundant coverage of world events in Taiwan although much of it is in Chinese. A host of cable TV operators blanket the island with the majority offering a number of English language channels including CNN. Larger hotels provide cable TV to their guests.

Additionally, Taiwan has three local English language newspapers, Taiwan News, Taipei Times and China Post. Check search engines to locate the URLs for these newspapers. The radio station ICRT (International Community Radio Taiwan) is a good source of English language news.

Taiwan is 8 hours ahead of GMT and does not observe daylight savings time. The time in Taiwan is two hours behind Eastern Standard Time (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane).

(http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/north_east_asia/taiwan/) (From: Lonely Planet)