Life of Taiwan
Life of Taiwan
5
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About
Life of Taiwan focuses on offering quality travel experiences to discerning international visitors. Rather than offer pre-arranged packages, we are a travel concierge service that curates and customises Taiwan tours on behalf of our clients, ensuring they experience the very best of this amazing island. Taiwan has long been neglected by the travel community, but is slowly being recognised for the exceptional destination it is.
Taipei, Taiwan
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
101 reviews
Excellent
95
Very good
5
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Alvin M
4 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
Travelling with a 10m old, group tours weren't really an option of us due to the lack of flexibility. I stumbled upon Life of Taiwan after searching for customised tours. Nick and Jason were absolutely amazing in putting together an itinerary based on what we wanted to see. With the short amount of time, they were also helpful in making suggestions about places that might be better to exclude. They also made sure that a baby bath and cot were provided in the places we stayed in.
It was really nice to have a friendly face, in the form of our driver/guide Patrick, meet us at the airport. Jason had already passed the information that we needed to buy baby food, which Patrick helped us find. The child seat already in the car was for a child slightly older than ours. Patrick bought a new one!
Throughout the trip, Patrick gave us information about all the places we visited, which helped us appreciate the places. He constantly checked if we had to make any stops to feed and change the baby. We wanted to try local cuisine and eat where locals eat. He showed us such places and the food was tasty.
The team also made sure that we had a very good location in Taipei and we were able to watch the fireworks from the hotel roof.
My gratitude doesn't go far enough in thanking LoT and in particular, Patrick, in making our holiday a truly memorable one. We hope to come back to Taiwan again because of them. Xièxiè
It was really nice to have a friendly face, in the form of our driver/guide Patrick, meet us at the airport. Jason had already passed the information that we needed to buy baby food, which Patrick helped us find. The child seat already in the car was for a child slightly older than ours. Patrick bought a new one!
Throughout the trip, Patrick gave us information about all the places we visited, which helped us appreciate the places. He constantly checked if we had to make any stops to feed and change the baby. We wanted to try local cuisine and eat where locals eat. He showed us such places and the food was tasty.
The team also made sure that we had a very good location in Taipei and we were able to watch the fireworks from the hotel roof.
My gratitude doesn't go far enough in thanking LoT and in particular, Patrick, in making our holiday a truly memorable one. We hope to come back to Taiwan again because of them. Xièxiè
Written 14 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sara H
Singapore, Singapore23 contributions
Mar 2020
I booked my private Tour with Life of Taiwan as I had read some great reviews of their company and they did not disappoint.
Gloria designed a 5 day/4 night trip for me to see highlights of Taiwan excluding Tapei.
I just told her a couple of places I wanted to go and then the sorts of things I like to visit/do on my tours and she came up with a very good option and tailored the hotels to meet my budget. My tour included Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Tainan and Kaohsiung
Overall all correspondents/requests with Gloria were quickly and very well responded to.
For the actual tour my driver/guide was Kyle who was lovely, flexible and helpful throughout my tour.
Both Gloria and Kyle were very friendly and welcoming.
I have traveled throughout Asia and done many tours and I would rate Life of Taiwan as one of the best tour companies I have used. I would not hesitate to recommend them if you are planning a trip to Taiwan.
Gloria designed a 5 day/4 night trip for me to see highlights of Taiwan excluding Tapei.
I just told her a couple of places I wanted to go and then the sorts of things I like to visit/do on my tours and she came up with a very good option and tailored the hotels to meet my budget. My tour included Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Tainan and Kaohsiung
Overall all correspondents/requests with Gloria were quickly and very well responded to.
For the actual tour my driver/guide was Kyle who was lovely, flexible and helpful throughout my tour.
Both Gloria and Kyle were very friendly and welcoming.
I have traveled throughout Asia and done many tours and I would rate Life of Taiwan as one of the best tour companies I have used. I would not hesitate to recommend them if you are planning a trip to Taiwan.
Written 20 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Sarah,
Thank you for this very kind review. Gloria also told me what a very pleasant person you were to deal with. We are very proud of the service levels we provide and they come from the heart as we are a very mission-driven team. Our mission is to share the beauty of this island and her wonderful people. Glad that you got a taste if that and we welcome you back to see more!
Thanks and best wishes,
Mark
Written 24 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jennifer T
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Family
Our family of 4 had an amazing 12 day tour of the heart of Taiwan arranged by the professional team from Life of Taiwan.
Our point contact was responsive before, during, and even after the trip, and planned an amazing itinerary with thoughtful touches based on our family's interests. Our bespoke tour included the Alishan region, Sun Moon Lake, Taroko Gorge, the East Rift Valley, Kenting, and more, with excellent accommodations and restaurants/dining throughout. Of course, the highlight of our trip was a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the Luye Highlands during the Taiwan International Balloon Festival.
We very much enjoyed our journey with our energetic and fluent English-speaking guide who helped to make sure that the tour fit our family's pace. Our guide was flexible when the weather was not always cooperative, and was a wealth of information about the best local eats and viewpoints. As a bonus he seemed to be an avid photographer and helped us capture fabulous family photographs along the way!
We shared many of our escapades via an online album with friends and family back home in the US, and it seems that many of them have since added Taiwan as a destination on their own travel bucket lists!
We would definitely recommend the team at Life of Taiwan for anyone (including families!) looking for a well-curated visit to the beautiful "Ilsa Formosa"
Our point contact was responsive before, during, and even after the trip, and planned an amazing itinerary with thoughtful touches based on our family's interests. Our bespoke tour included the Alishan region, Sun Moon Lake, Taroko Gorge, the East Rift Valley, Kenting, and more, with excellent accommodations and restaurants/dining throughout. Of course, the highlight of our trip was a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the Luye Highlands during the Taiwan International Balloon Festival.
We very much enjoyed our journey with our energetic and fluent English-speaking guide who helped to make sure that the tour fit our family's pace. Our guide was flexible when the weather was not always cooperative, and was a wealth of information about the best local eats and viewpoints. As a bonus he seemed to be an avid photographer and helped us capture fabulous family photographs along the way!
We shared many of our escapades via an online album with friends and family back home in the US, and it seems that many of them have since added Taiwan as a destination on their own travel bucket lists!
We would definitely recommend the team at Life of Taiwan for anyone (including families!) looking for a well-curated visit to the beautiful "Ilsa Formosa"
Written 7 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wow! What a review. Thank you so much! We were delighted to host your wonderful family and hope to see you again soon!
Written 11 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael P
1 contribution
Dec 2019
Gloria from Life of Taiwan organised a wonderful 11 day private tour of Taiwan for my wife and I and our adult son. The itinerary was exceptional taking us to many great locations from Taipai to Tainan. Allowing us to get a feel of the Cities as well as experiencing some of the mountainous national parks. Accomdation was well selected and of a very high standard, as too was the food. Special thanks to Joe, our guide and driver who provided us with information and looked after realy well (even helping with menus in restraunts). Many thanks to the team at Life of Taiwan.
Written 7 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for you very kind review. Sounds like you had a wonderful tour! Nice that you had 11 days to tour and could take some of the islands beauty in. The mountains are amazing aren't they. Truly Asia's hidden gem! We look forward to being of service to you next time you visit. The East coast awaits you!
Thanks for choosing Life of Taiwan!
Best wishes,
Mark Pemberton
Written 9 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JamesInTransit2121
Philadelphia, PA39 contributions
Jun 2023 • Solo
As a service provider, LoT is fantastic all around - my plans changed multiple times due to my work commitments and they were patient, responsive and thorough. The final itinerary was three days circumnavigating from airport through East Coast/Taroko Gorge and across the Central Cross Island Highway to the West Coast; I had researched thoroughly and I consider LoT's program the only way to do this properly. The gorge is a world-quality geological site and the HIghway is breathtaking. My guide/driver Stephen provided great conversation, insight and care.
Written 15 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the review! Glad everything worked out. The gorge is indeed a world class site. Glad you enjoyed the drive over the central cross. Breathtaking isn't it!
Written 16 July 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
j3anin3
Amersfoort, The Netherlands18 contributions
Apr 2024 • Friends
We experienced an unforgettable customised teatrip, organised by LifeofTaiwan. Words come short in expressing the wonderfull tour we made. Thank you so much Maggie, Mark, and especially our extraordinary tourgide Jim for understanding our wishes so well.
Our friendly, humorous, passionate and very professional guide Jim introduced us to the variety of specialty oolong, green and black teas, beautifull nature and especially to the amazing people of Taiwan. We visited numerous teagardens, each unique in their kind, buth with the care for environment and high quality tea in common. Jim told us numerous facts about nature, food and culture and gave us more understanding about beautifull Taiwan.
I would recommend this travelorganisation to everybody who likes to travel off the beaten track but with the convenience of a very well organised trip. Special thanks to our driver Davey who did everything and more to drive us save trough the mountains and mist with a smile on his face.
Our friendly, humorous, passionate and very professional guide Jim introduced us to the variety of specialty oolong, green and black teas, beautifull nature and especially to the amazing people of Taiwan. We visited numerous teagardens, each unique in their kind, buth with the care for environment and high quality tea in common. Jim told us numerous facts about nature, food and culture and gave us more understanding about beautifull Taiwan.
I would recommend this travelorganisation to everybody who likes to travel off the beaten track but with the convenience of a very well organised trip. Special thanks to our driver Davey who did everything and more to drive us save trough the mountains and mist with a smile on his face.
Written 18 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mikebayarea
Fremont, CA23 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Our family (parents and young adult children) did a two week tour that included Taipei, Hualien, Taroko, sun moon lake, and Tainan. We stayed at some really incredible hotels like the Mandarin Oriental in Taipei, the Lakeshore hotel at the Taroko Gorge National Park, and the Lalu on Sun Moon Lake. We did a wide variety of activities from touring the Kavalan whiskey distillery, hiking to waterfalls, visiting a coffee and tea plantation, eating at a 3-star Michelin restaurant, painting and launching sky lanterns in a small picturesque village. We had a great drive and tour guide (Joe) that orchestrated everything, picking us up at our hotel in the morning, and returning us in the evening, and handling everthing in between. Overall, the trip was excellent and exceeded our expectations.
Written 24 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Mike! It was a pleasure working with you and your family. Really delighted at how this trip worked out for you all.
Written 26 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
rustyman
Scotland194 contributions
Feb 2020
I had a private tour for 20 people booked for our cruise stop at Keelung, unfortunately due to the Coronavirus situation the ship could not visit Taiwan. Our tour was non refundable(terms and conditions) however Gloria at the company went above and beyond to ensure we all were fully refunded due to the unavoidable situation.
Gloria was great throughout the booking process, always quick to respond to all of my questions and flexible when we had members of our group call off at the last minute.
I would book with Gloria in a heartbeat if I’m ever fortunate enough to visit Taiwan.
Thank you Gloria
Gloria was great throughout the booking process, always quick to respond to all of my questions and flexible when we had members of our group call off at the last minute.
I would book with Gloria in a heartbeat if I’m ever fortunate enough to visit Taiwan.
Thank you Gloria
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing this very kind review. I am sorry that you were not able to visit the island and we warmly welcome you back. I hope you were all able to get home safely.
Gloria is a great brand ambassador for Life of Taiwan. Our policy has been to fully refund all clients whatever the terms.
Taiwanese authorities have been very quick to react to coronavirus and fingers crossed things are looking good.
Hopefully we will see you here very soon.
Thanks!
Mark Pemberton
Written 27 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Haley
2 contributions
Nov 2022
Life of Taiwan's service went above and beyond! As soon as Taiwan reopened, I worked with them to design a custom private 12 day tour for two. Our lasting impression is that Taiwan is breathtaking and the service impeccable.
Firstly, the booking and planning process was fantastic. I worked directly with the owner, Mark. All of my inquiries were responded to quickly and in detail. Mark and his team did an excellent job incorporating my ideas of what to see with their knowledge of the island.
Once we arrived, our guide Steven met us at the airport. When we arrived at our hotel, one of his colleagues surprised us with fresh bubble tea from one of the most famous bubble tea places in Taipei. It was an unexpected, wonderful gesture that set the stage for the rest of our trip.
Throughout our trip, Steven did a great job showing us around and explaining local customs while also allowing us alone time. Each night, Life of Taiwan did an excellent job picking hotels for us. Some of the highlights were staying in an aboriginal village in Taroko Gorge, and a hot spring hotel at Sun Moon Lake. At several of the hotels, we received complimentary upgrades and had premium suites beyond what was booked for us.
As you are considering whether to take a tour or see Taiwan self-guided, there are two important considerations. Firstly, given Taiwan has just reopened, my husband and I would have experienced some language barriers without Steven to translate to English. Secondly, because Taiwan is mountainous and rainy, roads can close with little warning. We almost had to change our itinerary mid-trip because of a landslide, and we were thankful to have the Life of Taiwan team navigate. With Life of Taiwan's help, our trip to Taiwan was one of our favorites!
Firstly, the booking and planning process was fantastic. I worked directly with the owner, Mark. All of my inquiries were responded to quickly and in detail. Mark and his team did an excellent job incorporating my ideas of what to see with their knowledge of the island.
Once we arrived, our guide Steven met us at the airport. When we arrived at our hotel, one of his colleagues surprised us with fresh bubble tea from one of the most famous bubble tea places in Taipei. It was an unexpected, wonderful gesture that set the stage for the rest of our trip.
Throughout our trip, Steven did a great job showing us around and explaining local customs while also allowing us alone time. Each night, Life of Taiwan did an excellent job picking hotels for us. Some of the highlights were staying in an aboriginal village in Taroko Gorge, and a hot spring hotel at Sun Moon Lake. At several of the hotels, we received complimentary upgrades and had premium suites beyond what was booked for us.
As you are considering whether to take a tour or see Taiwan self-guided, there are two important considerations. Firstly, given Taiwan has just reopened, my husband and I would have experienced some language barriers without Steven to translate to English. Secondly, because Taiwan is mountainous and rainy, roads can close with little warning. We almost had to change our itinerary mid-trip because of a landslide, and we were thankful to have the Life of Taiwan team navigate. With Life of Taiwan's help, our trip to Taiwan was one of our favorites!
Written 10 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your very kind review! It was a absolute pleasure being able to curate the experiences for you and so exciting for us to be back after nearly 3 years of closed borders! We couldn't have asked for a nicer reopening of our business.
You weren't so lucky with the weather and it was indeed touch and go whether we could get you across the Central Cross mountain pass from Taroko to Sun Moon Lake. What a drive though!
As I always say to our guests. We have such an easy job as all we have to do it let you experience Taiwan and the island and its beautiful people do the rest. What a place! Thanks for coming and thanks for choosing Life of Taiwan,
Come back next year and we can do the East Coast!
Written 15 December 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Arlette M
1 contribution
Sept 2023 • Solo
I cannot speak too highly of Life of Taiwan - the service they provided was truly wonderful. At all times they were professional, organised, courteous and punctual, but more than that they were passionate about their work, kind, thoughtful and took great care with their preparation and delivery of service. I made a simple request to have a guide for a day to help me purchase tea and art supplies, and the day they curated for me was better than I ever imagined. My guides were friendly, easy to get on with, highly knowledgeable, thoughtful and very orgainised. It really was one of the best days of my life and I am very grateful to the whole team. 5 stars isn't a high enough rating - I'd give them 10! :)
Written 21 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How many hours of touring are there per day? Are meals usually on our own? What level hotels do you use? What meals are included in the food tour? thanks
Written 14 November 2019
Dear Charles,
Please excuse my belated response. We work on a basis of 8 hours a day. Food is included in our food tours.
Please feel free to send over any questions you have.
When are you thinking of visiting?
We look forward to be of service to you.
Kind regards,
Mark
Written 17 November 2019
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