Kaohsiung lies in Southern Taiwan, proudly the second biggest city in Taiwan. It’s also home to the world’s 14th biggest harbor (Wikipedia says it’s true!). The hustle and bustle of this city is therefore worth exploring, and living in! 
Reason 1: Fantastic Infrastructure
Kaohsiung is always improving! In the last ten years alone we’ve seen this beautiful city go from strength to strength! It has a fantastic MRT (underground), great train links, and an international airport. Buses are environmentally friendly, and there’s even a tram line that’s running through the city! Getting around is convenient, easy, and people are so friendly!
Reason 2: Nature
Fancy a dip in the sea? Or maybe you fancy a hike up Monkey Mountain? Maybe you just want to go for a nice walk around Cheng Ching Lake… fear not, we have it all! It’s not far to get into the mountains of central Taiwan, either! For those that have a bit more of an active life style, this is definitely the place to be. Bike lanes swirl around the city and surrounding countryside, and hiking is always a feasible option. There are also a couple of really great ecological districts to explore for some leafy goodness! If you fancy heading to the more relaxed Kenting, it’s just under two hours away!
Reason 3: Food!
If the Taiwanese people know how to do anything, it’s eat good food. And there’s plenty of that in Kaohsiung! From assorted hot pots to Japanese to Korean, the local gems never seem to end! There’s always something fabulous to try and love! To find the latest cool food trends, hit one of the many night markets the city has to offer. See if you can find bottles shaped like light bulbs that, well… light up! There is of course some Western comfort food too! Smokey Joe’s continues to remain a strong favorite in the expat community, among others!
Reason 4: Department Stores (d’oh!)
Shopping at department stores is something you only really learn how to do when you get to Taiwan. On a hot sunny day, when the sun is really piercing deep into your skin, the relief of the cool air-conditioning at the department store is truly bliss. The various department stores all offer different food/restaurant options as well as signature activities. At Taroko Shopping Mall you can play basketball indoors. At Dream Mall you ride a Ferris wheel ON TOP of the building, and at Kaohsiung Arena you will find Jason’s, the foreign foods shop. There are plenty of activities that go on during the weekend as well, so don’t miss out!
Reason 5: Expat Community
The Kaohsiung expat community is actually a really nice size! People from all different walks of life come to Kaohsiung, and gives it an interesting mix! There are several different Facebook groups you can join to keep up to date to the latest events and goings-on, as well as a really handy Q&A page that will give you lots of help when it comes to navigating more unknown waters!
