On behalf of the Taiwanese Tourism Bureau, we spent 4 days travelling, learning and discovering the natural wonders that envelop Taiwan. From our original itinerary, we chopped and changed and even added to what we had previously planned, but this was to make better use of our time, and get more activities done. And why not!?
Day One;
Famous Taroko Gorge. You could spend days travelling within this gorge, and with accommodation available and transport accessable, it isn’t such a bad idea. But if you are on a tight schedule, the best can be seen in one day. Scooter is a low budget choice and allows for the most freedom giving you the opportunity to see what you want, at the pace you like. This may not be an option for some, so hiring a local taxi for a negotiated price (around $1700NT), is an excellent way to get around the expansive gorge. The bonus with having your own driver for the day, besides local knowledge of the area and history, is being dropped off at one point and meandering your way through a scenic section, only to be greeted by your awaiting driver at the end. Of course there is no rushing, which allows you to sit back in your seat and watch the grand marble cliff faces pass you by in air conditioned comfort.
The other option is tour buses that run through til mid afternoon. An in and out option showing only the touristic spots while providing loads of information, given you speak Chinese.
No matter how you get about, Taroko Gorge is a must see for the East Coast of Taiwan, and staying around is a definite, as the area encompasses more than mere sightseeing. Just south of Taroko Gorge, M and I signed up for river tracing. Good information can be found at: http://rivertracing.com/rivertracing.htm. Michael, our smiling tracing leader, escorted us up the fast flowing river and towards jump rocks from 2m to 10m. I was a little school boy all over again, not nearly jumping off the cliffs as often as I would have liked. M was more pensive on the higher jumps. She was nonnegotiable on my suggestion of a back flip, but with little coercion by myself, (supportively holding her hand but implying the only way down was jumping) M hauled herself off the highest point. It should be added, and can be viewed by watching the video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf-pf6HniUo; she actually lands on her butt! Kudos M for a brave achievement.
What is the best thing after exhausting yourself jumping off rocks and fighting the currents? A massive pot of noodles cooked by our new friend Michael.
Bellies full, the only way back to the car was down river. Sometimes sideways, sometimes bumping along, we floated (somewhat) gracefully back the way we came.
Day Two;
We reversed our previous day and decided to enjoy the water sports first, before a beautiful nature hike through the Yushan National Park, followed by a refreshing and well deserved swim at the Nanan waterfall.
The well anticipated river rafting couldn’t get underway soon enough in my mind! This activity set aside language barriers and shyness. In no time at all were we drenched, and trying to splash other rafters. Apologies to my co-rafter to my right, as I threw a whole bucket of water directly down his back, accidentally. But, it was a scorching day and he looked like he needed it…
There were four other boats, similar to ours, with eight people on board. I took a personal liking to the boat of four people. It seemed they were getting deliberately attacked by every other boat, which was true. I rarely saw their boat facing the right way, and constantly beaching on shallow rocks. I felt sorry for the poor people; that was until we came up close enough to surprise attack them for the umpteenth time! Haha!
To make it easy, there were two dinghy’s that provided support to stragglers and rafts imminently heading for large rocks.
Although much footage was lost, check out our video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93Aw-P09Wrc&feature=channel and for more information: http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002124&id=393.
Our video shows just a snippet of rafting, but as you probably know, you have to try it to fully enjoy it! And believe me, it’s worth doing.
That was an adventurous and fun start to our day. After floating by such awesome scenery, we decided that it would be good day for a hike and somewhere to swim after. Yushan National Park catered for what we were after. Walami trail is a significant trail for local aboriginal tribes. The actual trail is 14kms long and hugs the waistline of an enormous mountain, projecting views out to the valley and crossing numerous waterfalls. A couple of kilometres in, we noted how well the path was maintained and easy to walk, coupled with well designed signs for directions and providing information about the local flora and fauna. Newly installed bridges and handrails made us feel comfortable and safe while walking alongside a relatively steep and lengthy cliff face.
Time precluded us from walking the entire length, as M and I would have loved to have done. We curtailed our hike about the same time we came across the snake as seen in our video, and proceeded to find a swimming hole.
Nanan waterfall. As it happens, we stopped at this picturesque waterfall a few times during our stay in Hualien. But on this occasion, as M and I sat in the cool water enjoying our day and reminiscing, I felt tiny pecks on my toes. Startled, I mentioned this to M. Apparently, fish of a particular species can be found in such waterfalls, and their purpose (well, not entirely, but just imagine!) was to literally clean your feet! Not that my feet needed any cleaning. It was such an odd yet therapeutic sensation, that was until a slightly larger one found my little toe! Cleansed, I hopped out.
As much as these places being the hot topic of conversation, the journey is half the experience. Travelling by scooter, generously lent by one Vicky Lee who we were staying with, allowed us to take in the rice patties and Aboriginal villages that most would pass too quickly in a train or bus. Often, we would stop and watch as farmers would hoe, or pick flowers and take in just a part of the life of the local Taiwanese.
Day Three;
After such an activity filled first couple of days, some chilling out was pencilled in. This included a bit of time around our home stay, a walk amongst the flowers, and a night time bathe at the local hot springs. You wouldn’t say no, would you?
A traditional breakfast both grown and cooked at the home stay was more then enough to get us started on day three. In fact, it was so nice, we decided to hang around and chat with the lovely family and wander around their property. Imagine, nestled in a tiny valley facing 4000 to 5000m mountains covered in lush forest with no neighbours or unsightly power lines to be seen or heard. A casual stream of water flowing from high up in the mountain tops, cascading over a small waterfall and winding along through the front yard before making its way further down the mountain. Colourful flowers stretching for the sun all around you as you slip off your thongs and feel lush grass between your toes. The delicious home made Taiwanese breakfast settling in your stomach as you stretch out on your chair soaking up the rays.
Sixty Stone Mountain is a densely touristic spot, but alas, we still had access to Vicky’s scooter, allowing us to get off the touristic hotspots and search for our own private flower patch where we could do our videos. Covered in daylilies, the mountainside is just a flurry of colour and once again provides magnificent sweeping views of the surrounding area.
So flowers can be eaten. No, don’t go into your backyard and begin munching on the roses! Daylilies are used in local cuisine as seen in our day three video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faGehkaM5Fk&feature=channel
Without much flavour, the Taiwanese have managed to add ingredients and established heaps of recipes to make this golden flower delectable.
After such a tough day, it was mutually agreed that hot springs were in order. The Antong hot springs are five minutes down the road from Wisdom Garden B&B, and one of the best ways to witness the sun go down. You have a choice of private rooms, social rooms and the large, outdoor pool that overlooks the valley which is helped by slow melodic music in the background.
You get two hours at a fair price, add in a beer, and you have a selfish moment of complete relaxation and not a care in the world. Imagining it aren’t you!
All good things must come to an end, but fear not. Taiwan is peppered with hot springs. So where ever you go, steal a couple of hours out of the hustle and bustle of being a tourist, and sink into the warm, natural, soothing waters only a hot spring can provide.
Day Four;
We took the final day up a notch by riding the scooter up highway 11 which incorporated Sansiantai Island, the beach, and where we had organised a seafood dinner in the town of Chengkung.
After recent typhoons, the beach was littered with wood that had been washed down the valleys and into the sea. The locals were doing their bit by collecting the debris for firewood. Enjoying the beach a little too much, I proceeded to turn a shade of red, which embarrassingly can be viewed on our fourth video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msMokBb_OoU&feature=channel
From the beach, we made our way along the highway, stopping at view points dotted along the way, until we came to Sansiantai Island. This volcanic island houses a variety of birds and animals as well as unique plantation. More can be found at the website, http://tourguide.sinotour.com/scenery107.html
You can spend a fair chunk of time on this island, and with nothing special in mind, we watched the sun go down and couple of fishermen throwing in a line.
Time for dinner. Told before we left, the seafood along the coast is extensive, cheap and damn good! So we headed for the fishing town of Chengkung where finding a fish restaurant was easier than finding tofu in a night market. M did the ordering and once again, proved she can pick a winning meal.
So that’s a quick sum up of our four days spent in Taiwan for the Taiwan Best Trip Competition. It’s an easy itinerary that will help you see a snipit of what this side of Taiwan has to offer.
Though the basic rules of the road are the same as in most other countries, Taiwan has a widely practiced, alternative highway code. This alternative code is built around getting to your destination as quickly as possible with little or no regard to the safety of yourself and others. Some of the main points: 
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, to burek in the Balkans, 
horse burgers in Slovenia, to the unique and debatably tasty snack in the Philippines called balut. Believe me, balut will take your mind off the fact that you’re hurtling down a mountain on barely developed roads in a rusty, ancient Filipino jeepney.
