Cards1234

We have a 13 month child and want to travel for a holiday. Either to Japan or Taiwan.
We are looking for a resort / relaxing type holiday that is not too busy.
Our girl will be 16-20 months when we will actually travel.
Question- what country is best? And any recommendations for hotels / resorts or locations to stay for 7-10 days.

YariGuy

Wow, very broad question. Depends on what you want to do, and relatedly what season this would be.

We've traveled with a kid about the same age to both Japan and Taiwan.

By the date of your posting and child's age I'm assuming your trip will be between December and March. This will be pretty cold in Japan, even in Okinawa. We have been at a beach resort in Okinawa in December and it's not pleasant. You have to bundle up. And if you go to a ski resort, even if it's a club med with a kids club, your daughter won't be able to partake too much as she'll be barely able to walk, much less ski. The normal kids club at club meds start at age 4. I've taken my son to Hokkaido when he was 3 and that was a total bust -- basically it was a chore just to get him into boots and I had to carry him down. Same for Taiwan beaches. Kenting will be too cold, weather-wise, for the beach. The only place I can think of in Taiwan that will be decent is the Silks Hotel at Taroko gorge. Luxurious (for Taiwan) but the main attraction is the views. If you want to go on hikes though you'll probably need to carry your daughter or push her in a stroller. In any case I think 7-10 days is too long for any of these options.

If if were me, I would go to Hawaii. Or maybe Southeast Asia. Plenty of nice resorts for a little kid.

Cards1234

Thanks for the reply.
We would time the trip for warm weather when ever it is - Japan around April / May. Taiwan I need to check.

Basically I have 300,000 kris flyer points that will expire this month and next and need to use them - Ie book something up to 12 months in advance.

We are base in Melbourne, Australia so didn’t want to travel far - Europe or Usa.

We could go to Bali or Thailand but there are cheaper ways to get there not via SQ so I’m after any ideas.

CloClo98

Hi, I have experience of visiting both countries so I want also to say a word)
Both Japan and Taiwan offer great options for family vacations, but considering your preference for a relaxed atmosphere, Taiwan might be a better choice. Kenting and Sun Moon Lake are ideal locations with family-friendly resorts like Fleur de Chine in Sun Moon Lake or Chateau Beach Resort in Kenting. Taiwan's smaller size makes it easier to explore without feeling rushed, and the country's warm hospitality is perfect for a stress-free holiday with a toddler.

smes

Taiwan is pretty boring and expensive. With a low Yen Japan has much more value these days.

Cards1234

Is the boring part taking into account a young baby?

brenc3

I've traveled quite a bit in both with small children, so I have some experience. Both are very well set up for travel with children. Clean public bathrooms with changing tables are plentiful, and you can take kids pretty much anywhere (e.g. restaurants).

Taiwan being further south means that you have a better chance to see warm weather. Kenting is a great choice as it's far south and so sees warm weather nearly year-round. Beaches are ok, not the best but not bad, and there are a few resorts. I would agree that Taiwan's smaller size makes sightseeing a bit more manageable. I would disagree that Taiwan is boring or expensive. That's somewhat subjective but I find it to be neither. One downside of Taiwan is that sidewalks in cities tend to be uneven and can be taken up by shop/restaurant seating or motorbike parking. This makes pushing a stroller around hard. Taipei is a great city with plenty to do. There's a hot springs resort in Beitou north of the city, accessible by subway. Beitou and Yangmingshan, Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan), and the Taipei Zoo plus Maokong Gondola make for great day walks/hikes.

If you are aiming for April/May, most of Japan from Tokyo on south will be warm by then. Okinawa has plenty of beach resorts, as do further out islands like Miyakojima and Ishigaki and some of the beaches are really top notch. The big cities are not likely to be quiet or relaxing vacations but there's plenty to see. Tokyo has the Railway Museum which is good for half a day. Lots of kids love trains and just riding them around to your next destination is fun enough. Restaurants in Japan are very likely to have high chairs and a set of kids' plate and utensils. The yen rate is very favorable to many currencies now, so visiting Japan is much more affordable than in the past, but it's not vastly cheaper than Taiwan.

I'd say pick one for now and save the other for when the kids are older. You won't likely go wrong with either one.

bamboola

My vote is also for Taiwan. I am surprised someone thinks Taiwan is more expensive than Japan. I always tell people that Taiwan is a less expensive version of Japan where people are polite, friendly and helpful.

In addition to the sites mentioned by others, I would recommend Taroko Gorge near Hualien. With the highspeed rail, travel is fast and easy.

Seriko

I would vote for Taiwan or Okinawa in May, leaving other big cities in Japan for the future.
To enjoy Okinawa the most as a family, driving is better than taking buses but in Japan they drive on the left side of the road.
Okinawa has good reputation as a family vacation destination. I've been to the stalactite cave Gyokusendou, it's gorgserous.
In my opinion, traveling to other parts in Japan with kids is better when they're old enough to remember the trip.
You would have more options with bigger kids and the cost of the whole trip would be much more worth it.

Life style in Taiwan is pretty relaxed.
I would not recommend driving in Taiwan. Taipei has convenient public transportation and lots of taxi.
One kids-friendly resort on the top of my head is Silks Place Yilan Hotel, located in Yilan, Taiwan.
It's popular among Taiwanese parents, some would stay inside the resort for their entire stay.
Parents would watch movies in the movie theater while the kids enjoy outdoor inflatable playground or the childerns' museum.
The resort has a play area designed for kids 0-3 years old inside the children's museum and a big pool.
Yilan city itself is a tourist city close to pacific ocean.

plunet

Just to respond on the driving point, I have driven in both Japan and Taiwan. Japan is easy provided that you're comfortable with driving on the left - the main consideration is that speed limits are slow, but the style of driving is super polite and courteous, like the people. Taiwan is a bit more frenetic and the mopeds can come from every angle, but provided you keep your eyes open is perfectly manageable. I was able to drive into Taipei at 5pm on a Friday afternoon with no issues.

For both there is amazing scenery to discover and roadside stops and local businesses to enjoy. Just make sure you are equipped with maps on your phone to navigate in your own langage. The only gotcha beyond that I experienced were variable message signs that are typically not translated (and I can't read Japanese or Chinese) so just look it for clues in the message eg. a distance and expect the unexpected up ahead.

ElaineWChatman

Considering the weather on the date of your travel and affordability, I think Taiwan is a better option for you.

ARLT

Go East - hire a driver

Taipei - Zoo for the pandas and maokong gondola, daytrip to jiufen
Silks Yilan - go visit a farm or the brick art museum. otherwise the hotel is very kid friendly and also hot springs
If you like hiking (both easy and hard) or just beautiful scenery goto toroko gorge. Silks is the best hotel in the park.
If you want to sleep in an aquarium and fall asleep or wake up to dolphins, rays, etc Hualien ocean park
Liyu Lake is very pretty. Good for biking, hiking, boating.
Great cycling (including family friendly e-biking) in Taitung and just marvel at the pacific ocean on one side and mountains on the other. The whole East coast is a beautiful drive.
Relax at a hot springs resort at hotel royal chihpin
Fly back to taipei or take the train to save time from Taitung.

Or go West
Taipei
High speed rail and hotel shuttle to Sun moon lake
Alishan - a bit of trek to get to but beautiful, especially sunrises and if you want to see a sea of clouds from the mountain top. Also if you like tea. You can get a driver to go from sun moon lake to alishan, but beware it's winding mountain roads the whole way.
Tainan - old capital and food haven, but you need to taxi. Public transport is not great.
Kaohsiung - Pier 2 is nice, but if you don't want another city it's passable.
Pick either kenting or Xiaoliuqiu. Kenting has bigger hotels like Ceasars park. There's also an aquarium where you can sleep in the same room with a beluga whale. Xiaoliuqiu is Airbnb only, but you can goto the beach and swim with turtles. Neither beach will compare to aussie beaches

If you want less traveling within Taiwan, you can stick to the north.
Taipei
Silks Yilan
Westin Dashee in Taoyuan 40 mins from airport. No beach, but nice pool and lots of kid activities. There's window on China theme park which is a similar to a miniland at legoland plus kiddie rides. There's also yingge if you like ceramics (tho probably not infant friendly) and shimen reservoir which is pretty and good for walking or hiking.

Tons of hiking, biking, and outdoorsy activities everywhere in Taiwan. Less water activities, especially compared to Australia.

BRITINJAPAN4

I agree, and I live in Japan. I think at this age Taiwan will be more comfortable, and easier to get around, basically cheaper at lease comparing with current yen rate, it may look
different in AUD terms.

I think Taiwan is a very underrated gem with great food, people, infrastructure , weather, etc etc etc

brenc3

Absolutely, Taiwan is massively underrated as a tourist destination. I can recall when I first traveled there 20-ish years ago it was hard to find even a travel guidebook for Taiwan - most of the majors didn't cover it at all. The expansion of the MRT in that time makes it so much easier to visit. Taipei holds its own compared to other large regional cities, not to mention the single finest collection of Chinese art anywhere in the world at the National Palace Museum. Tons of natural beauty and none of it far from the big cities, good food, friendly people, very safe. It's always disappointing when I hear of people planning a whirlwind tour of East or Southeast Asia and Taiwan is left off the itinerary.

Japan's reputation as a great tourist destination is well-deserved, and it's much bigger than Taiwan of course. But Taiwan being a lower profile destination means, among other things, it's not as overrun with tourists post-Covid like many other popular spots in the world.

mrcoconut

Really!? I remember 20 years ago there was a lonely planet and roughguide on taiwan in the library and Taiwan was a first world country back then still (I would say in a better predicament than it is right now as it was part of the 4 Asian Tiger miracles: Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan), and you know how developed those countries are (minus South Korea 20 years ago). But agree that not a lot of tourists in Taiwan and mostly from neighbouring countries.