Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your thoughts and the opportunity to explain our approach.
In Taiwan, we’ve found that working with one local guide for the duration of the tour offers significant benefits for our travelers. Having a single guide ensures continuity of information, avoids repetition, and allows for a deeper and more cohesive understanding of the country’s history, culture, and customs. It also means our travelers can enjoy insightful commentary even during journeys between destinations—something that isn’t possible when guides are only present at specific cities of sites.
While employing a full-time local guide may come at a slightly higher operational cost, the impact on the overall tour price is minimal when shared across the group. More importantly, we believe the enhanced quality and consistency of the experience make it well worthwhile.
We’re always reviewing our decisions with traveler experience in mind, and your input helps us continue to do that thoughtfully.
Thank you for also sharing your observations about the dinner in Taipei at the famous Din Tai Fung restaurant at Taipei 101. We understand that certain cultural differences can sometimes come as a surprise when traveling.
In this case, the local guide’s decision to collect leftover dumplings may indeed have felt unexpected. However, in many parts of Asia—including Taiwan—food is deeply valued, and wasting it can be seen as disrespectful. For someone local, it might be equally surprising to see perfectly good food left behind, especially something as beloved as xiaolongbao!
While this moment may have felt unusual from a North American perspective, it reflects a different cultural norm around food appreciation and reducing waste. We hope experiences like these can offer insights not only into a country’s landmarks and history, but also into everyday values and practices.
Warm regards
The Adventures Abroad Team
