Good deals abound for the traveler willing to take a Taipei pit stop. Not only will the usual $100 landing fee surcharge be lifted, but if you stay two nights you can get a $79/night deal at participating hotels. The "I Land Paradise" promotion (which applies to any Asia-bound China Airlines or EVA Airways flight departing from a U.S. airport) starts Oct. 1 and runs until June 30.

The main problem with the promotion is that there are no direct flights from Taipei to China's mainland except during the Lunar New Year. So if you're on your way to China and want to take advantage of the deal, you'll need to go through Hong Kong and then catch a flight to the mainland. I've stopped in Taipei several times en route to Southeast Asia, but I've never left the airport. The lifted surcharge could certainly convince me to lengthen my stay.

Attractions include the Shilin Night Market (see The Kozy Shack's photo) and the National Palace Museum. For more stuff to see and do, check out AOL's Taipei site.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Asia, China, Taiwan, Hotels and Accommodations, Airlines, Transportation, Airports, Budget Travel