Leaving the beach is hard, so on day two, we’ll leave some time to get in a morning swim or two before checking out around 11 am. We’ll then head back north, stopping in the old town of Hengchun to visit one of the last remaining Qing-era city walls left in Taiwan. Back in Kaohsiung, we’ll visit the 200-year-old wall paintings at the Fongyi Academy before heading to Lotus Pond, a man-made lake surrounded by temples, pavilions, temples and pagodas, (including the interconnected Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, said to possess luck-changing properties). After checking into our hotel, we’ll visit a nigh

After breakfast at our hotel, the spiritual portion of our journey begins. We’ll head first to the stunning Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center, a vast religious complex containing eight pagodas (each dedicated to a specific virtue) and grand meditation halls, all overlooked with loving grace by a 108-meter high statue of the Buddha. We’ll then head to the ancient capital of Tainan, where will visit gardens and temples, including the island’s oldest Confucian temple. We’ll do plenty of exploring and eat great food before ending the day at our hotel.

The tour continues on day four with an exploration of Tainan’s historic Anping district. We’ll visit a castle and fortress dating back to Dutch colonial days and go inside (yes, inside) an ancient Banyan tree. We’ll also eat delicious local snacks, including Tainan’s coffin bread (sounds spooky, tastes delicious). Afterward, we’ll head to the hot-spring (and mud-spring) resort of Guanziling for relaxation, rejuvenation and exfoliation before heading up to Taichung.

We’ll spend the final day of our Southern Fun Tour exploring the art and culture of Taichung. We’ll visit a Japanese activity center to practice archery and calligraphy, hit a couple of unique museums and art centers, learn how to make Taiwan’s most famous beverage (pearl milk tea) in the place where it was invented, and have a great time in general before heading back up to Taipei.