Tag: hualien

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Taiwan Road Trip

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After China, we returned to Taipei for one day, then went off on another adventure: a road trip around Taiwan. Locals call this experience 環島.

Since we plan to move back to the US soon (more on that later), we figured this would be a good opportunity to see more of the island. We rented a car from New Taipei City and drove from east to south to west.

To be honest, I was not mentally or physically prepared to go on this trip so soon after China. China was not exactly a relaxing trip, and I was exhausted coming back. But we already had everything booked so I trudged along.

Hualien. Our first stop was Hualien, a beautiful county by the coast. Hualien is also home to Taroko National Park, which we visited back in 2024. But due to the 2024 earthquake, Taroko was ravaged and still isn’t completely open yet. For this reason, plus more recent earthquakes in the area, tourism in Hualien has plummeted, and many businesses have had to shut down. Locals aren’t sure if the county will ever recover. 😔 It’s such a shame, because Hualien is very scenic and peaceful, and still worth a visit if you’re in Taiwan.

Taitung. Next, we made the long 3-hour drive to Taitung, a city known for its nature, clean air and slow travel. The city center looks very much like a tamer version of Taipei.

We stayed at a glamping site in Taitung. Taiwanese people love nature but they also love convenience, so there are many all-inclusive glamping sites in Taiwan. These sites include real beds, a full bath, TV, wifi – some even have food delivered to your door! Now this is my kind of camping. 😎

Kenting. After a couple of nights in Taitung, we drove 2 hours to the city of Kenting. It’s located at the southern tip of Taiwan, and is the country’s closest thing to a beach town. Now that we live so far away from the beach, the boys miss it and want to head to the beach every time we get. The beaches at Kenting were nice – soft, clean sand and calm waves.

We also went to the most southern point of Taiwan, which is marked by a triangular pyramid-shaped monument. Nothing particularly special here, but just wanted to visit since we were nearby.

Since Kenting is near the ocean, there are a lot of restaurants selling sashimi for dirt cheap (i.e., about $6 for a huge plate)! It’s not the best quality of course, but too good of a deal to pass up. We ordered a plate of sashimi practically each time we ate out, and by the end of the trip I was so sick of it. 😐 Interestingly enough, Kenting is also where we had some amazing pizza.

Xiaoliuqiu. Next, we drove to the Donggang port, parked our car there overnight, and caught a ferry to a small island called Xiaoliuqiu. Xiaoliuqiu’s main attraction is sea turtles! This place has been on my travel wish-list for some time. The warm waters, rich coral reefs, and abundant food attract many sea turtles and you can see them year-round. The island is also filled with turtle merchandise: turtle-shaped treats, turtle stuffies, turtle statues, you name it.

We rented e-bikes and biked around the island to different beaches to snorkel. At our second location, Beauty Beach, we spotted SO many sea turtles! The turtles must be used to seeing people, because we got very close several times and they seemed completely unbothered. Seeing sea turtles up close in the ocean felt so magical – what a special treat!

Unfortunately, Xiaoliuqiu was also where I got a stomach bug. 😫 I suspect it might it have been the sushi we ate for dinner (which is why I still haven’t had sushi since we got back, ha!).

Kaohsiung. We got back to the Donggang port and drove about 1.5 hours to Kaohsiung, a major port city and Taiwan’s second-largest city. Kaohsiung felt very vast, with wide boulevards and high rises, but with fewer people than Taipei. Yet, it was the hardest place for me to drive because the roads were so confusing and traffic was heavy all the time. Thankfully, Kaohsiung has its own MRT and while it’s not as comprehensive as Taipei’s, we used it to get around the city and avoid driving.

We visited the Lotus Pond and Temples. It was quite a lively area – a small bazaar, people exercising nearby, fishermen along the pond, and singing voices in the background.

Before we left Kaohsiung, we visited Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum. The place is massive. A 354′ Budda statue sits at the end of a long walkway flanked by 4 pagodas on each side. The museum contains Buddhist art and relics. The whole complex was impressive to see and exceptionally well-built.

Nantou. Nantou is a mountainous county located in the middle of Taiwan. We came here because I was interested in visiting the Xitou Nature Education Area, but I have to admit it was pretty disappointing.

We stayed in Monster Village, a Japanese monster-themed “village”. It consists of a hotel and a few shops and restaurants. On social media, it looked really cute but in reality, it was much smaller than I thought, a bit run down and deserted.

The Monster Village is located right next to the Xitou Nature Education Area. However, we didn’t enjoy that area much either. The trails were short and boring, and mostly filled with older people exercising, so it felt more like a park than a real hike. The boys quickly lost interest so we didn’t stay long.

Miaoli. Last stop on our road trip was Miaoli, a county in the northwestern part of Taiwan and a 2 hour drive from Nantou. Miaoli has a huge Hakka population and a laid-back vibe.

We stopped by the town of Dahu to pick strawberries as January/February is strawberry season in Taiwan. The strawberries were big, juicy and sweet (but expensive!). We also bought a unique variety of white strawberries called Snow Rabbit, which tasted slightly sweet and has a more delicate flavor simliar to a pear. We had a lot of fun picking strawberries.

On our last night, we stayed at another glamping site. I booked this site specifically for their cute camper vans. It’s the boys’ dream to own a camper van one day. 😂 As with most glamping sites in Taiwan, the inside of the cabin was really nice and clean.

We were surprised to find the campsite was practically a jackfruit orchard! There were jackfruit growing everywhere. The owner kindly offered us one but mentioned they weren’t quite ripe yet. Knowing how much work it takes to open a jackfruit, we didn’t want to go through the hassle for something that wasn’t sweet yet, so we passed. Still, it was so cool to see them growing in the wild for the first time!

The campsite also had a fire pit, so we stopped by the nearest grocery store to pick up ingredients for s’mores. They didn’t turn out to be what we’re used to; for instance, graham crackers were replaced with saltines, but it was still fun to relive a little slice of American culture.

That night, Baba and O were hit with the stomach bug. 🤢 We suspect it may have been the strawberries they ate (C and I didn’t have any). I don’t know if they ate too many or if the strawberries weren’t washed properly. Either way, it was a rough night with very little sleep, and we were all exhausted for the drive home the next morning.

Still, I was glad to finally be back home in Taipei. The three of us who came down with stomach bugs spent the next few days recovering. I felt completely drained, both physically and mentally. I was the sole driver on the entire trip (Baba’s license had expired and he’s better at helping me navigate anyway). I was driving anywhere from 2-3 hours every other day, and Taiwan is not an easy place to drive. This was also a packed trip; we stayed in hotels for only 1 or 2 nights. This was fine when Baba and I were in our 20s, but now we much prefer slow travel.

I was in a funk for some time afterwards, and didn’t want to do anything or go anywhere for awhile. After eating out for 5 weeks straight, I was so ready for home-cooked meals. I know this sounds a little spoiled but after weeks on the road, just being back in a normal routine felt like a luxury.

Ramblings

Earthquake!

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While my sister and BIL were in town, we had another visitor: an earthquake! It happened on Tuesday, April 3rd at 7:58am. We’ve experienced tremors before in Taiwan, but this was a big one – measuring in at 7.4 – with many, many aftershocks. The epicenter was in Hualien, which is about 2 hours away from Taipei.

A big earthquake like this is something that is forever burned into your memory. (I still remember everything from the 1989 San Francisco earthquake!) After I dropped off the kids at school, I cooked breakfast while my sister sat on the couch. Suddenly, we felt the ground shake and when it didn’t stop, we both scrambled under the dining table. 😂 The ground rolled violently back and forth, and the noise was thunderous. Meanwhile, my BIL was in the bathroom the whole time and Baba didn’t feel a thing because he was biking. 😶

The earthquake might have only been for ~30 seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Luckily, no one was hurt (that we know of), and there was very little damage in the apartment, except for a crack near the front door and in the boys’ room.

Our school sent pictures and notifications shortly afterward, reassuring parents that all the students were safe. Because Taiwan is prone to earthquakes, our school does regular earthquake drills. So other than feeling rattled, all the students and staff were prepared. Classes resumed afterwards as usual, and C mentioned that his teacher was worried she wouldn’t finish the lesson on time! 😂

Taiwan’s preparedness for this earthquake has been impressive. In Taipei, other than the MRT and trains halting service for a couple of hours, there was no significant disruption. There were no power or internet outages, businesses were open as usual, and all buildings remained intact. Many US publications commended Taiwan for its earthquake resilience and the huge strides it made after the 7.7 earthquake in 1999.

The greatest damage has been in the epicenter, Hualien, where Taroko National Park is located. So far, 13 people have died in the area but relative to the magnitude of the earthquake, the number of fatalities is pretty low. The park is likely to be closed for at least a year, and some trails like Zhuilu Old Road may be closed for much longer.

We feel so fortunate to have visited Taroko just 2 months before the earthquake. I’m saddened to hear that people lost their lives exploring this beautiful place, and it will be awhile before it can be enjoyed again. Here’s to hoping that the rescue and reconstruction efforts in Hualien continue smoothly and safely! 🙏

Ramblings

Taroko Gorge

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After coming back from Malaysia, we had a few days in Taipei before heading to our next destination: Taroko Gorge! Taroko is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan. The dramatic limestone mountains, clear blue water and scenic hikes make it the most popular national park among locals and tourists.

We took the Taiwan Rail to Taroko, not to be confused with the High-Speed Rail, but just as convenient and efficient. We left from Taipei Main Station and got off at Xincheng, which was closest to our hotel. The ride took approximately 2 hours.

Many people advise renting a car or hiring a driver to visit Taroko Gorge. We ended up just taking the shuttle around the park, but a word of warning: shuttles don’t come frequently and the schedule can be inconsistent due to current roadwork. When we were there, the shuttle came every 30-45 minutes, so you just have to plan your hikes accordingly.

We stayed in Tienhsiang Youth Activity Center which is a basic hotel but fairly priced and located within the park. The room fee includes a breakfast buffet, and dinner costs an additional $8 per person. Don’t expect good food in Taroko! Restaurants are scarce and food is very basic. But people don’t come here for the food.

We stayed in Taroko for 3 nights and 4 days. The park isn’t huge so you could technically do all the hikes in that time if you’re determined enough.

As for the park itself: it’s beautiful! But then again, can you really go wrong with mountains and crystal blue rivers? 😍

The park is also well maintained. Many of the trails are paved, making it easy for all types of hikers to explore. Everything is well marked, and most signs were in both English and Chinese. Bathrooms, even on the most remote trails, were clean too!

More pictures of Taroko because it’s so damn photogenic. The layers of fog added a level of mystique.

Taroko has many fun suspension bridges. The boys loved the buoyancy of the bridges, but that just made Baba even more nervous. 😅

After planning the Malaysia trip, I didn’t do very much research on Taroko. But the night before we left, Baba started researching Taroko and found that there is a famous hike (Zhuilu Old Road). Unfortunately, the hike requires a permit and there were no more spots left during the days we were there. We put ourselves on the waitlist anyway.

Well, we lucked out because at the last minute, we received a notice that we got the permits! Zhuilu Old Road was voted one of the best hikes in Asia because of its views and historical significance. The trail was once used by aboriginals to commute between villages.

The hike is considered challenging so we wanted to get there as early as possible. However, the park shuttles don’t start running until 11am and the trailhead was far from our hotel. We asked the front desk if they could find a driver, but we were told that taxis are few and far between. For awhile, we weren’t even sure we could do the hike.

Then, a few hours later, the front desk called and said they found a driver! Hurray! A man who works at the hotel simply volunteered to drive us. He didn’t even want any payment (though we still gave him something) – this is another example of how friendly Taiwanese people are!

We were the first group to arrive at Zhuilu. Even though it’s a famous hike, we often felt like we had the whole trail to ourselves, which was so nice. The first 1.5 miles of the hike was a steep climb. It will make your legs BURN! We were also lucky that the morning of our hike was a clear day, because if it were wet (like it had been the prior days), it would be a much trickier hike.

After hiking up the mountain, we arrived at the crescendo: a narrow 3 feet wide trail along a cliff, looking down 2,600 feet into the gorge. There is no guardrail, but there is a cable for you to hold onto. It’s not for those who are afraid of heights, but I think I was more worried about the kids messing around here.

The hike took us 5 hours roundtrip, with many breaks for water and snacks in between. We later went on two other hikes that same day, with one that required climbing a lot of stairs (not sure why I agreed to this). My old lady knees were dying at the end of the day.

On the day we left, we squeezed in one last hike: the Baiyang Trail. This hike was relatively relaxing as the trail was paved and flat. We were told by another hiker to wear a raincoat because of the waterfall, so we went to 7-11 to get ponchos. None of them were small enough to fit O however, so being the responsible parents that we are, we used a plastic bag instead. 🤣

The Baiyang Trail was a lot of fun. It requires walking through a series of dark tunnels (so it’s best to bring flashlights). During the summer and fall, there are bats that live in the tunnels too!

Towards the end of the hike, we were wondering if we needed the raincoats at all. It provided more protection from that day’s rain than any mist or trickling water we found in the tunnels thus far.

But then, we arrived at the last tunnel. We saw a shallow river flowing through it. There was a narrow path against the tunnel’s wall, which we started to go through. It got wetter and wetter, and at this point, all our shoes were soaked. Suddenly, we heard and saw it: several waterfalls gushing out from the cracks of the tunnel! There is no way around them, so we walked under the waterfalls and got more soaked! 😂 With the darkness of the tunnel, sound of the rushing water echoing against the walls, and water pouring down on us, it was an exhilarating experience to say the least.

I wish I took better pictures of this part, but I was worried about my phone getting too wet (and me trying not to slip! 😅)

A lot of people just go to Taipei when they visit Taiwan, but if you have more time in your schedule, we highly recommend visiting Taroko too! Taiwan is actually known for its nature, and Taroko is a prime example of that.