Job Discussion Forums

babyblue1882 · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Posts: 3

I Have a job offer in I-Lan City and am just wondering what anyone can tell me about this place. Is it realtively safe? How are the conveniences (shopping, groceries, night life)? I would appreciate the good and the bad about I-Lan City.

Thanks,
Kari

matchstick_man · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 244 Location: Taiwan

It's safe but it may get boring however that's what trains, scooters and buses are for. There's a foreigner-run shop that supplies Western goods bought from Costco. I'm cheap so I shop in the Taiwanese supermarkets. Welcome tends to have the best selection although some foreigners from Ilan do their grocery shopping in the neighbouring city, Lou-tung.

Nightlife consists of two main bars I'm told; the blue bar and another. I've never actually been inside the bars in Ilan. If you're after a close by dance bar you may have to go to neighbouring Lou-tung again. It's tiny but usually enjoyable though.

It's one of the nicer locations in Taiwan. I took a job based on almost that alone last year. There's another poster here who should be able to tell you more than I can as I think they still live in the area and may actually live in Ilan itself rather than the county.

The weather was part of the reason I left. It rains an awful lot in that part of Taiwan.

Aristotle · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1388 Location: Taiwan

It has been a few months since I was last in Ilan but the city is growing up. Nice medium size Taiwanese town if you are into that.
There has been wide speculation that the new tunnel connecting Taipei and Ilan will cause a boom there. Didn't look that way to me but things can change very quickly on Taiwan (seldom for the better).
If you are after clean air and low pollution levels, Ilan County is one of the cleanest areas on Taiwan.
Good luck!
A.

Tornado2080 · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 16

Ilan has grown a lot when I was young living there. I'm sure things also has changed quite a bit hence I haven't been there for more than a decade.

There is an area where I loved to hang out...it's called "triangle park" if you translated to English. It's an area where many vendors have booth set up and you can buy stuff/eat/play games at. If you get someone who knows Ilan well and mention to them about it, I'm sure they can tell you where it's located exactly.

Ilanian · Joined: 08 Mar 2005 Posts: 21

Ilan is, in my opinion, the perfect place to live, not too far from Taipei yet far enough to have a country feel. There is adequate shopping and nightlife, but you will probably still get the urge to go to Taipei every once in a while. It is really only a commute away (1.5 hours on the train).

PM me the details of your job offer and I will do my best to give you an unbiased review.

jmax_nz · Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 8

I have the same question as babyblue1882 but in regards to Keelung as regards to eating out the cost of living entertainment etc. I have heard it can get quite rainy and semi-cold there in winter. Is it a fun place to be I heard you can even catch a ferry to Japan form Keelung how cool.