Gift ideas from a Taiwanese guy: James Su

VIP Coupons
With two days off a week, most people choose to enjoy great meals or go for walks in the mountains for a bit of rest and recreation. A lot of restaurants, inns, hotels and other recreational industries have come up with special "VIP Coupons" as an attraction. These make great gifts.
Twin Room at Shan Lin Tea Home (Ching Jing Farm)
Price: NT$2500 (Sunday to Friday 30% discount on room rate, no discounts on Saturday)
Photo and text provided by www.tea-home.com.tw

Healthy products for the body, mind and soul
Your material life might be rich, what about your spiritual life? Proper rest and de-stressing can help maintain health and vitality. A balanced body and mind is the topic on everyone's lips these days. A gift that would satisfy these needs would be a wonderful treat for you or your friends.
Golden Key to Wealth Meditation CD Grades 1 & 2 (Total 8 CDs) + Golden Key to Wealth Handbook
Special Price: NT$2,500 (original price NT$3,790)
Photo and text provided by www.newplanet.net/class/mysale_adv.asp?pid=A0000000216&classno=20
Tang You-Xing Yogalates DVD
Fixed Price: NT$780
Photo and text provided by Wind Music and Spiritland Co., Ltd., www.windmusic.com.tw

Aromatherapy Oils and Products
A busy job plus all the other daily stresses in life makes it difficult for modern people to get enough rest and relaxation. This is when natural aromatherapies come in handy to help relieve these pressures and relax the mind. These products can be used during bedtime, bath time or even while exercising.
Tisserand Lavender Whitening Cream
(contains aromatherapy oils and natural plant extracts)
Price: NT$2,200 (200ml)
Photo and text provided by tisserand.so-buy.com
Escents Love Aromatherapy Oil
Price: NT$1720(15ml)
Photo and text provided by www.happyrecome.com.tw

Make Up and Skin Care Products
Looking good is no longer the monopoly of women. Nowadays, men and women, young and old are all paying attention to their personal care, and basic products like cleansers, sun blocks and moisturizers are on everyone's lists. When giving gifts like these, it is important to know the skincare needs of the gift receiver in order to choose an appropriate product.
2005 Christmas Gift Pack
(Cranberry Shower Gel + Cranberry Body Shimmer + Cranberry Body Scrub + Doggie Shower Scrub)
Special Price: NT$1,580 (Original Price NT$2,110)
Photo and text provided by The Body Shop www.the-body-shop.com.tw
Sebamed's Recommended Gift Set
(Liquid Face and Body wash 1000ml, Body lotion 200ml, Everyday Shampoo 400ml)
Retail Price: NT$1,180
Photo and text provided by Taiwan Sebamed www.sebamed.com.tw
Service Hotline: 0800-000-755

Gift ideas from a foreign gal: Rebekah Godfrey

A gift certificate to an Aveda salon (NT$2000 and up)
For a stressed-out woman who has had one too many bad hair days! Instead of a haircut, try the Deep Conditioning Treatment (NT$1100) or the Scalp Massage (NT$1300). Both will rejuvenate the hair, mind, body, and spirit. Aveda also carries a classy line of makeup, hair and skin-care products that are worth the splurge -- so make your gift certificate at least NT$2000. And, if you really want to knock her socks off, throw in a jar of the famous Aveda Comforting Tea to sip on a chilly night. www.aveda.com

Lotions and products from The Body Shop
Many outlets sell body lotions, but I am partial to this company's Body Butter lotions. As you'd expect, Body Butter products are thick and deliciously fragrant. I'm hoping for some Mango Body Butter this Christmas, but the Papaya Body Butter is also a favorite. If you have extra cash, pick up a couple of the new Spa Wisdom products, like the Dreamboat Milk Bath (NT$680) or Blissful Body Cleanser (NT$720). For a couple hundred dollars, you can throw in some Lip Butter, which will add shine and luster to anyone's lips! Gift baskets are also available.
www.thebodyshop.com / www.thebodyshop.com.tw

A Magazine Subscription
This gift is a little out of the box, because it has to be purchased online and will take awhile to arrive. But, an avid reader will especially appreciate it in a country where the majority of reading material is in Chinese. Although you can purchase English magazines in a number of bookstores, they're better delivered to your house. And buying a subscription is still a good deal, even if it has to be shipped overseas. Know anyone who is determined to get in shape? Give a subscription to Runner's World! Or, for the traveler, try Conde Nast Traveler, which also looks nice displayed on a coffee table!
Runner's World www.runnersworld.com (US$50)
Conde Nast Traveler http://www.cntraveller.com/# (about US$50)

Sampo Convection Oven
As a foreigner who grew up eating casseroles, cakes and other baked goods, I am the perfect recipient for a convection oven. Although I can get by with a microwave and a frying pan, there's something to be said about making homemade Christmas cookies. A small convection oven only costs NT$999 at Costco, and it's a gift that keeps on giving! So, if you know someone who likes to bake, give them a small oven and throw in a cookbook!

Gift ideas from a Taiwanese gal: Leslie Tseng

"Ringlet Censer" by Bamboola – NT$1,500
Bamboo has played a significant part in Chinese traditional culture. Bamboola Co. is expert in the use of bamboo and focused in creating and producing exquisite bamboo handicrafts. Their handicraft products are worthy as gifts and collectibles. Personally, I adore the elegant and exquisite "Ringlet Censer". Of course, there are also other impressive products. Showcase centers are available throughout the island.
www.bamboola.com.tw

Traditional Japanese handicraft – Japanese Doll NT$ 1,680
Nearly all girls love to play with dolls. No matter how old they are, they still find dolls irresistible. You will beam just looking at this lovely traditional Japanese handicraft. It's great as a home display or as gift. For more information, contact info@wotaiwan.com.tw

Just Herb's French Fragrance Bath Set – Price NT$1,180
Modern-day people lead hectic and stressful lives. Usually, I resort to taking a nice bath to relief the pressure. I prefer products that sooth the body, and this fragrant bath set contains 100% pure essential oil to boost the skin's regenerative abilities! This is a great gift for friends and families, suitable for both sexes. Shops are available throughout the island. For details, log on to www.justherb.com.tw

Rose House English Victorian Gift Set – Price NT$2,240
(Pre-order special price NT$1680)
Rose House, which I frequent often for tea, is the largest traditional English tea house franchise in Taiwan. The best English tea can be found here. English afternoon tea ambassador Ms. Anne has personally worked to create traditional English Royal Tea Gift Sets that will convey romantic English tea sentiments as well as the sincerest wishes! Shops are located, throughout the island. For more information, check out www.teaorcoffee.com.tw

Chi Mei Museum Gifts Department-
Egg Sculpture Price: NT$2,400
There are western paintings, sculptures, military weapons, artifacts and much more in this museum. Artistic goods related to the museum's collection allow visitors to bring home some of these wonderful works of art. The Egg Sculpture is a specially designed jewellery box which also looks good as a decoration. There are many other interesting products available at shop displays across the country. You can contact the museum's gift department directly at (06) 266-3000, ext. 2115.

No Boundaries
Whether it's a backpack, CD case, wallet, hat or anything that is not commonly found in Taiwan, but useful and unique, you can find gifts like these on the Yahoo Shopping site for your loved ones. Just type in "janebaby1980" in the seller's name on the site to find all these exciting products. Retail price ranges between NT$750 to NT$2000.

Gift ideas from a foreign guy: Mark Payne

Skype Phone
Staying in touch can be expensive -- even with pre-paid cards the cost can soon mount up, especially over the festive season. Skype is the internet telephony software (download at www.skype.com) that allows users to call each other for free. For a fee, you can also call regular phone numbers and receive calls. A great gift is a plug-in Skype compatible phone. These are widely available but pchome.com has a great deal at the moment. Get two of their handsets for just NT$949 or get two more sophisticated models for just NT$1,599. Wish your family a very Merry Christmas this yuletide for free!
Skype compatible phones are widely available or at www.pchome.com.tw