We recently spent a lovely few days in warm, sunny Taipei. We were there to educate our beautiful retailers about Bondi Wash, as well as visit stores and chat to local media such as Marie Claire Taiwan and Citta Bella.

Taipei is not a city that is on the radar for many Australians but we loved it thanks to the amazing people, delicious food and energetic vibe. Here are some of the things we discovered about Taiwan while we were there:

• The environment: People care passionately about the environment and the natural world. While the 60s and 70s were a time of rapid development in Taiwan, the country is making up for the damage with a strong focus on environmental care and efforts to reduce the amount of chemicals in the air and in homes.
• Pets: In Taiwan, pets are considered ‘family members’, as well as ‘glamour accessories’. Stylish girls and boys carry their beloved and well groomed pooches everywhere – even through department stores.
• Food: Taiwanese food is exceptional. The best way to describe it is as a delicious mix of Japanese and Chinese food. We tasted some of their local specialties – fresh bamboo, sweet potato rice, and sticky rice balls. A highlight was the fresh seafood at Addiction, a warehouse style fishmarket development oozing style and atmosphere, with multiple places to eat fresh, healthy food and buy produce.
• People. Much like the food, Taiwanese people reflect their interesting heritage with characteristics from both Chinese and Japanese cultures. We noticed a love for innovation and design, honesty, integrity and happiness – people smile and giggle readily.
• Technology love. When a taxi driver offers you free wifi, you know you are in a connected country. The Taiwanese LOVE technology. Our hotel provided us with smartphones that also served as room keys and tickets on the subway. We also discovered a children’s park where we were able to connect our iPod or iPhone to the playground equipment and stream music through carefully positioned stereos.