Discovery of Timeless Taiwan - Private Tour

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of €342.20pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

You must complete a Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) within three days before your arrival in Taiwan. This must be submitted online via the Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency website - https://www.immigration.gov.tw/5475/. A visa is not required for your trip to Taiwan for stays of up to 90 days. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity. It is a requirement of Taiwan's Government that British visitors to the country possess a valid 10 year passport and that the passport has at least six months validity left after your return from holiday. Please check that your passport complies with this decree well in advance of travel.

Please note we will require your APIS/Passport information at least 2 months in advance to pre purchase your tickets to the aboriginal culture centre, this can be uploaded via our website on "Manage My Booking".

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of Discovery of Timeless Taiwan is rated Intermediate. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, and may be getting on and off coaches, trains and boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary.

The currency in Taiwan is the New Taiwan dollar. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in your local currency. Money can be exchanged at the airport or branches of government banks. Credit and debit cards are accepted in most hotels and some shops and restaurants; a charge is sometimes added for using them.

You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry, any meals not included in the itinerary as well as drinks and any additional snacks. Approximately £200 - £300 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases.

It is at your discretion to tip both your driver and guide. We would recommend to tip approximately £6 per person per day. This is a total of £66 per person to budget for tips on your trip. Tips are accepted in the local currency.

This is a fully escorted tour with local guides throughout ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and Taiwan. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.

Breakfast (when included) is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.

Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan, vegetarian options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way.

Chinese New Year is the most important event in the Taiwanese calendar, and it is a time for people to be with their loved ones and celebrate the Luna New Year. During this time many shops and business close for the celebrations which generally run for up to a week.

On your arrival in Taipei you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Asian Trails China holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/ Asian Trails China representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your national guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any queries.

Please find below the emergency contact details for Asian Trails China Telephone number 24 hr: + 886 2 2563 5313 (Taiwan Office) or + 86 131 2124 4962 Email Address: lily.li@asiantrailschina.com

• Waterproof, lightweight jacket
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Camera and charger
• Antibacterial hand gel
• Binoculars
• Small day pack for excursions
• Personal first aid kit containing travel pills, rehydration powder, plasters, stomach settlers, antiseptic creams, aspirin etc
• Foldable umbrella
• A plug adaptor -the voltage is 110 V. You’ll need a two flat parallel pin adapter in Taiwan