Taiwanese restaurateur wins 'Asia's Best Female Chef' award

Chen Lan-shu (陳嵐舒), chef-founder of Le Mout, a French restaurant in Taichung, has been named 2014's 'Asia's Best Female Chef'. For more details about Chen and the award, click here. For more about the restaurant, go here.

Taroko Gorge in winter

There's no bad time of year to visit Taroko Gorge. On my most recent trip, it was misty and drizzled from time to time, but everyone enjoyed themselves immensely.

Being midweek, Swallow Grotto wasn't crowded with tourists.

But nor were there many swallows...

Taipei 543

Not purely a travel website, and not nearly as Taipei-centric as its name suggests (check out this photo-heavy article about the Penghu islands), Taipei 543 is a good resource for those planning a trip to Taiwan's capital. Many of the articles are sponsored but no less useful for it.

One recent piece describes five brunch spots in Taipei. Another, titled Top 5 Taiwanese Films of 2013, outlines three documentaries - including the must-see Beyond Beauty: Taiwan From Above - a romantic comedy, and a mainstream drama.