In the last week of December, me and my family left Vietnam to visit Taiwan for the first time. The trip, planned by my sister and I, consisted of a tour around the northern part of Taiwan. We visited Taipei, Nantou County, Hualien City, Yilan City, and Jiufen respectively. I would like to share my itinerary for anyone interested in going to Taiwan. If you are thinking about going to Taipei and also venturing a bit into the mountains, feel free to use this as a reference.
On our first day, we arrived in Taipei at 6pm. We had a quick dinner and walked around the Zhongzheng District (中正區), visiting places like the President Office Building (中華民國總統府), The East Gate (臺北府城 東門), and the Liberty Square Arch (自由廣場牌樓).
Our second day started early as we had to make our way to Nantou County. We made our first stop at Qingshui Highway Rest Area (清水服務區), a rest-stop that had everything we needed—clean washrooms, coffee, and many eateries. I highly recommend stopping here if you are on your way to Sun Moon Lake from Taipei or vice-versa. After a refreshing leg stretch and light meal, we continued on our way to Sun Moon Lake (日月潭). As it was raining, we decided against taking the boat around the lake. Instead, we stopped at Xiangshan Visitor Center (向山行政暨遊客中心), which was an amazing spot for photos because of its architecture and view of the lake. Next, we visited Wenwu Temple (文武廟) which, similarly, had amazing architecture and a great view of the lake from above. Lunch took place at a local restaurant (瑪蓋旦風味餐聽) that served Aboriginal dishes. It was a new experience, and you get to sit beside the lake. After lunch, we decided to make our way to a museum called Taiwan Times Village (寶島時代村). Unfortunately, it was pretty late when we arrived, and they stopped selling entrance tickets, but it looked quite interesting from outside. We stayed in the mountains in a hotel called Beverly Holiday Centre for the night.
Our third day in Taiwan was probably the most tiring and memorable day of the trip. We left our hotel early and went to Qingjing Farm (清境農場). The scenery there was breathtaking. Because it rained the night before, we got to see 雲海, sea of clouds. The fog kept coming and going, but we were lucky enough to take photos of the clouds. Our next destination was Wuling (武嶺), the highest paved road area in Taiwan. The high altitude made it hard to breathe, and I constantly felt dizzy and nauseous. Entering Taroko National Park (太魯閣國家公園), we stopped at Tianxiang (天祥) for a quick lunch. You get an amazing sight of the mountains here, and it reminded me of the scenery that Jin Yong describes in his wuxia novels. We drove through the winding roads of Taroko, making quick photo stops on the way and stayed in Hualien City for the night. Before calling it a day, we went to Dongdamen Night Market (東大門夜市). The variety of food, drinks and games was overwhelming, and the prices were unbelievably cheap. I would recommend trying the brown sugar milk and sweet potato balls here.
After a well-rested night at HK77villa, which was my favourite hotel during this entire trip, we began the day with breakfast at (花蓮公正包子店). They served the best xiao long bao I have ever eaten and were incredibly cheap. After a taxing day in the mountains, we decided to take things slow for the day. After breakfast, we went to a Starbucks outlet in 洄瀾門市. This Starbucks, being made up of shipping containers from around the world, is a new tourist attraction because of how “insta-worthy” it is. Beside this Starbucks is another attraction, 洄瀾灣日出會館, which is also a building with cool architecture. Making our way back north, we stopped at the Pine Garden (松園別館) and Chisingtan Scenic Area (七星潭海岸風景特定區) for some photos. Our last stop in Hualien was Shimizu cliff reef rocks (清水斷崖礁岩), another breathtaking photo spot. We then enjoyed a seafood lunch at a restaurant called 新海樓活海產餐廳 in Yilan County. Finally, we went to Shifen Old Street (十分老街) to release sky lanterns, which was quite a special way to end the day and incidentally, the year. Reflecting on 2019, we made wishes for health and happiness for the new year. We stayed in an Airbnb by Jiufen Old Street (九份老街) for the night.
Because we didn’t get to see much of Jiufen the day before, our fourth day began with a stroll along the Old Street. Near noon, we finally ended back in Taipei, staying in Ximending (西門町). It was nice to be back in the city where it was rowdy and eventful. We did not have anything planned for this day, so we simply walked around the district, enjoying food, drinks and shopping along the way. We stayed in East Dragon Hotel, which was conveniently located right beside Ximending’s walking district.
Coming too quickly, our last day in Taiwan was spent in Taipei. As I felt under the weather, I did not join my parents and a family friend on their tour of the city. They took the MRT, using a day-pass to get to various destinations like Taipei 101, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂), and Lungshan Temple (龍山寺).
Planning the trip for such as long time, it felt unreal to actually be in Taiwan for the six days. I feel so blessed to have spent the last week of 2019 exploring this beautiful island, where the people are so passionate and welcoming. For this trip, I would really like to thank Mr.Ning, who was our driver/tour guide for the three days outside of Taipei. He was so kind and accommodating, and I would truly recommend his service for anyone interested in exploring Taiwan. (If interested, feel free to contact me). Lastly, I would like to thank our family friend, Irene, who took the time to show us around Taipei and went beyond with helping us plan our trip. She kept us informed about the weather and made sure we were all ready before arriving in Taiwan. The scenery and experience was beyond my expectations, but what really made the trip were the people. Thank you.
Awaken your dreams 