March 2015: For travellers looking for a spring themed break, Taiwan provides the perfect setting to combine an array of outdoors activities. Boasting an impressive geographic and ecological diversity, visitors can be enticed by the many places to enjoy birdwatching, the cherry blossom season and the myriad hot springs.

Cherry blossom

In recent years, cherry blossom has become an important festivity in Taiwan. Every year between the months of February and April, visitors can be enticed by events which embrace the flower blooming season. There are many places to enjoy the joy of cherry blossom in Taiwan, including: Wulai, Yangmingshan National Park and Alishan Forest. Yangmingshan National Park attracts over two million visitors a year to the annual Yangmingshan flower festival which is free for visitors to attend. Taking place in the Alishan Forest Recreation Area of the mountain resort of The Alishan National Scenic Area, visitors can expect to see the Formosa cherry blossom and the Japanese alpine cherry tree both flaunting their beauty. One of the festival's highlights is the Japanese flowering cherry, a snow-like pale white flower. Prices for entry into Alishan National Scenic Area Administration start from £3 per person. For more information, please visit: www.taiwan.gov.tw

Birdwatching in Taiwan

For those keen to explore the impressive array of endemic species, Taiwan is a marvellous place for birding. As well as being rich in endemic species, the landscape boasts a dramatic mountain range with numerous peaks and is fringed by a broad, flat coastal plain. Many of the species are generally far easier to spot in Taiwan than most other Asian countries. Visitors can expect to see the Taiwan yuhina, white-collared bush robin, white-eared sibia and steere's liocichla.

Butterfly watching

Unbeknown to many, Taiwan has one of the highest butterfly species concentrations in the world with over 400 known species. Each year from December through March, millions of purple butterflies gather in the valleys at the foot of Mount Dawu in southern Taiwan to escape the winter; migrating over 150 kilometres from around the island.  The most popular viewing location is the Purple Butterfly Valley inside the Maolin National Scenic Area, one of only two places in the world where visitors can see such large numbers of these beautiful migratory creatures. During the season, the Maolin National Scenic Area stages many themed activities, including exhibitions and guided tours.  For more information, please visit: http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0019015

Hot Springs

With more than 100 hot springs across the country, Taiwan has one of the highest concentrations and greatest variety of thermal springs in the world. The island boasts a unique environment that produces high-temperature springs with crystal-clear waters which are commonly used for spas and resorts. Must visit hot springs include the Guanziling hot spring, one of the four main hot springs in Taiwan, it is a mud spring of a rare cloudy type rich in minerals and chemicals that can only be found in a handful of places in the world including Taiwan, Italy and Japan. Prices for weekday entry to the hot springs start from £8. The Beitou hot spring in Taipei is one of the most popular hot springs in northern Taiwan is well known for the extraction of sulphur, which is the main component of the Beitou hot spring. Prices for entry to the hot spring start from just £1.

Spring is an excellent time to visit Taiwan with many tour operators offering packages. For more information, please visit: http://www.taiwan.gov.tw/  

Ends

For further information on Taiwan please visit http://eng.taiwan.net.tw

Email taiwan@brightergroup.com or telephone 020 7326 9880.

Notes to editors

For media enquiries, please contact Jenny Groutage or Asha Sudha at the Brighter Group on jenny.groutage@brightergroup.com / asha.sudha@brightergroup.com or telephone 020 7326 9880.