I agree on most of your points, except this: > If you're a vegetarian, forget about it lol. Nobody there understands or really cares. You'll only ever be able

I agree on most of your points, except this: > If you're a vegetarian, forget about it lol. Nobody there understands or really cares. You'll only ever be able to eat at foreign restaurants which pretty much restricts you to Taipei or maybe kenting. This is NOT the case. Compared to mainland China (where it's like you say), Taiwan didn't have a cultural revolution and therefore more of the local Buddhist culture where veganism is strong. At most places when I say I am vegetarian or vegan they will ask me if I eat onion and garlic (since local Buddhist vegans will often not eat those either). Of course you'll find nothing vegan in a beef-noodle restaurant. It's not like in the west where all restaurants have at least one lacto-ovo-vegetarian option on the menu, but there are still plenty of options. There are cheap local vegan restaurants littered across the city. Just look for the 素 sign. I would also add pollution to the downsides, if you're near or in a big city. Nowhere NEAR as bad as cities in the mainland, but on the bad days you can definitely feel it. Taipei is going to be SUCH a nicer place once most scooters are replaced with electric ones.