Taiwan’s Islands - Taiwan - page 693

Some policies specifically exclude 'dangerous activities', which can include scuba
diving, motorcycling and even trekking. A locally acquired motorcycle licence is not valid
under some policies. Some policies pay doctors or hospitals directly rather than you hav-
ing to pay on the spot and claim later. If you have to claim later, make sure you keep all
documentation. You may be asked to call (reverse charges) a centre in your home country
where an immediate assessment of your problem is made. Check whether the policy cov-
ers ambulances or an emergency flight home.
Travel insurance is available at www.lonelyplanet.com/travel_services . Buy, extend and
claim online anytime, even on the road.
Internet Access
Taiwan is internet-savvy with the majority owning personal computers, laptops and
smart phones. In urban areas wi-fi is widely accessible in cafes, restaurants, libraries, on
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), at visitor information centres and many museums, either for
free or with a pay-for-time card ( wúxiàn wǎng kǎ). Wifly ( www.wifly.com.tw ) offers 10,000
hot spots in Taiwan. One-day/one-month cards cost NT$100/500. Purchase cards online
or at 7-Elevens, which are also Wifly hot spots.
Many, if not most, hotels, even budget ones, as well as homestays offer free wi-fi or
broadband. Computers with internet access can be found at libraries, visitor information
centres and internet cafes. The latter are not as common as they used to be, though most
towns and cities do have them. Ask for a wǎngbā .
This topic denotes internet access, whether broadband cable or a business centre, with
the icon . Wi-fi access is denoted with the icon .
Travellers in Taipei can register for the Taipei Free ( www.tpe-free.taipei.gov.tw/tpe ) wi-fi
program, which offers thousands of hot spots across the city. Registration also allows use
of i-Taiwan (for wi-fi in government offices, museums and so on).
Language Courses
Chinese-language programs are widely available at universities and private cram schools.
Most offer classes for two to four hours a day, five days a week, as well as private classes
for as many hours as you like. Costs vary from NT$400 to NT$500 for a private one-hour
class and up to US$1000 a month at a top university program.
At the time of writing, to obtain a study visa you had to enrol at a school approved by
the Ministry of Education ( http://english.moe.gov.tw/mp.asp ? mp=1) for at least 15 hours
a week. Some of the better-known programs include ICLP ( http://iclp.ntu.edu.tw ) at Na-
tional Taiwan University and the Mandarin Training Program ( www.mtc.ntnu.edu.tw/
mtcweb ) at National Taiwan Normal University. Both universities are in Taipei but there
are programs around the country.