On The Move: How To Travel in Taiwan

In Kaohsiung specifically, an above-ground light rail train makes a loop around the center of the city with stops at central locations such as schools, art centers, hospitals, parks and more.

Due to how well-developed public transportation is in Kaohsiung and around Taiwan, in general, I have been able to get virtually anywhere I wanted to go without having to drive myself. That being said, many of my friends and coworkers have their own vehicles, the majority of which are not cars. What may come as a surprise is that most people here drive scooters — and not even those motorized scooters you may be used to, but something in between a moped and a traditional motorcycle. You can find most people in Taiwan regularly drive or at least own a 100-125cc high-speed scooter, the faster of which can even travel on the highway! Even if you do not own a scooter, renting one is almost as easy as renting a U-Bike and can be done from an app. on your phone. Although I opted for public transportation over getting a scooter license, I have been ridden on the back of one several times, and they can go surprisingly fast, despite being so small. While a car might be better suited to longer trips or to poor weather conditions, I have seen scooters carrying everything from groceries and construction equipment to animals to children (several and all at once!). And people ride their scooters even through the summer typhoon season; so trust me when I say these contraptions are quite durable!

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