After a big breakfast, we'll leave the city behind and head to magical Sun Moon Lake, consistently rated as one of the most scenic spots in Asia. The lake is surrounded by temples, shrines and bamboo forests, so there's plenty to do. We might go for a hike, take a boat ride across the lake, visit temples, have a tea ceremony or take a gondola ride. Your guide will fill you in on all the options. As the sun sets, you'll be treated to an amazing view of the stars from our guesthouse.

On day three we'll spend more time in the mountains, visiting a sheep farm and picking and eating mouth-watering seasonal fruits (Taiwan's fruits are amazing). We'll take a mountain hike through bamboo groves and lush high-altitude forests before heading back along country roads to Taipei City. After a brief rest, we'll head out to the famous gourmet Yongkang street (as seen on CNN), where some of Taipei's best loved restaurants and street snacks sit side by side.

On day four we'll leave Taipei again, this time heading in the opposite direction to visit some of the best spots on Taiwan's northeast coast. We'll have a couple of options for the first part of the day. If the group is into culture and history, we'll head to the charming hillside town of Jiufen, where Qing-dynasty China comes alive. Or we can head to Cape Yehliu to check out the area's strange, otherworldly rock formations. Afterwards, we'll go to Pingxi to make sky lanterns before heading down the east coast for a relaxing at local hotel.

On day five we'll be heading down Taiwan's amazing east coast: Destination, Taroko Gorge, where we'll spend the afternoon basking in the amazing scenery, a truly gorgeous gorge. We'll hike to a few shrines and temples, examine the marble walls of the marvelous Swallow Grotto, and have lunch in some of the most impressive scenery of Taiwan's Grand Canyon. Afterwards, we'll head back to Taipei by train from the peaceful east coast city of Hualien.