Luye Highland (aka Luye Platform, Luye Gaotai), is a hill in Taitung County's Eastern Rift Valley, and is one of the most popular spots in the country for hot air ballooning and paragliding. Every summer since 2011, the longest running hot air balloon festival in Taiwan has been held here. Even if you are not a fan of going high in the sky, the area has beautiful scenery, especially of the surrounding eastern rift valley.

Background:
Luye Highland rests on a hill in Luye township of Taitung County that is about 350 meters above sea level. In 2011, the Taitung government organized the first "Taiwan International Balloon Festival" with over 350,000 people in attendance, which has been held every year since. Because the festival lasts for more than a month, according to Taiwan Everything this makes it the longest hot air balloon festival in the world.

Apart from the festival, Hot Air balloons and para-gliders take off from Luye Highland year round, weather permitting. There are paragliding lessons and rides daily which you can sign up for on site. There is also a large grassy area in the center of the hill for public use, such as push car rides. 

How to get there:
By Car: From Taipei, take National Highway 5 to Yilan, then drive south on provincial road 9 until you get to Luye. See the map below for the location of the Highlands. It will be hard to miss.
By Train: Take the TRA to Luye station, and then walk, take a taxi, or take a bus to Luye Highlands (the train station is roughly 2 kilometers away from the highlands).
By Plane: Fly into Taitung Airport from Taipei, then take a taxi to the highlands.

Price:
Paragliding: 1800-2500 NT
Hot Air Ballooning: 500 NT and above depending on time
Push Car Rides: 100 NT per ride

Hours:
The grounds are open 24 hours, but if you want to paraglide or ride in a hot air balloon, you should go between 8:30 am and 6:00 pm.

When to Go:
The Taitung balloon festival runs from June to August, which is when we recommend going. For exact dates of the festival, check here.
Other than that, go when the weather is good. However, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to ride in a hot air balloon any day of the year, but it is much more likely you will be able to paraglide.

Map:
Please see below:

Are you a fan of rice fields, biandang, and rice in general? Chishang is the place for you! As the unofficial rice capital of Taiwan, its unspoiled views of rice fields with a backdrop of the eastern rift valley is one of the most unique and unspoiled scenic areas in Taiwan.

Historical Background:

The name Chishang comes from the town being located near Dapo Pond (or Daopochi 大坡池). The area was first settled by aboriginal tribes relocated from Pingtung. Qing dynasty Chinese farmers started settling there in 1875, as a reaction to Mudan Incident of 1871 (in which a crew of shipwrecked Japanese were beheaded by Taiwan aborigines) and the Japanese punitive expedition to Taiwan in 1874. After the Japanese took control of Taiwan, Chishang's main industries were growing sugar cane and rice. A train station was completed in Chishang in 1926 as part of the eastern railway line.

Because of its flat land and and abundant water, Chishang naturally became a great place for growing rice. It's rice fields and biandang (lunchbox) have generally been accepted as the best quality in Taiwan. Many of the rice varieties grown here can trace their roots to Japanese rule. Besides its unadulterated rice fields, the area also became famous due to a Mr. Brown coffee commercial shot here (at what is now know as Brown boulevard) as well an ad for EVA Air featuring Takeshi Kaneshiro (金城武）a Taiwan born Japanese actor (famous for many movies, the one which I remember him best in is the male protagonist in House of Flying Daggers), in which he drinks tea next to a tree. The tree is still there and is growing strong, although it was damaged in 2014 by typhoon Matmo.

I'm not sure if this is the original Mr. Brown Coffee commercial, but its at least pretty close:

Dulan is a quite coastal town just 20 km north of Taitung City. It has somehow become the a surfing destination as well, especially for foreigners. Some foreigners would even say that it is the coolest beach hangout in Taiwan! There is no public transportation to Dulan other than by bus, so do not expect large crowds. It is for sure one of Taiwan's most beautiful and uncrowded seas side destinations.

Background:
Dulan is a village of the Amis Aboriginie Tribe (阿美族) which have lived there since at least 1500 BC, and even now there are not many Han Chinese that have started business there. The area is still a center for Amis rituals and traditional ceremonies, as well as aboriginal culture.

How to get there:

By Car/Scooter: We recommend taking highway 11 from Taitung north 30km to the town. Feel free to stop and enjoy the scenery along the way.

By Bus: You can take bus 8102 or 8103 from Taitung, but according to Google this will take about 3 hours.

Map: Please see the map below:

If you only have a few days in Taiwan and you want to go somewhere outside of Taipei, you should definitely go to Taroko Gorge. On an island full of mountains, rain forests, beaches, and abounding natural beauty, Taroko Gorge might just take the top spot as the most beautiful scenic area in Taiwan. 

Taroko National Park is well known for its  amazing marble cliffs and canyons carved out by the Liwu River. It is also a popular spot for hiking, rafting, and river tracing. If you have the time, come to the East coast and see it. If you don't have time, then make some time!

​History and Background:

Taroko National Park is well known for its  marble cliffs and canyons, and is also known as "The Marble Gorge." Millions of years ago, the rock we see today was sediment at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, but oceanic and tectonic pressure turned it into limestone, and later into marble. Later the Eurasian plate was uplifted where Taiwan is today, and a gorge was cut out of the limestone thanks to the Liwu River. 

Taroko means "human being," from the Truku tribal language. Originally the Tupido Tribe settled in the area of what is now Tianxiang Taiti mesa. They built the Tupido Tribe Trail which was only 30 cm wide, and resided there until they were massacred by the Japanese in 1914. In 1917, the Japanese expanded the original trail made by the Tupido Tribe to 1.5 M and forced aboriginal tribesmen to carry goods along the trail to the east coast. This is now the Zhuilu Old Trail. Currently only 3km of the trail is open to the public. The Japanese created a national park in the Area in 1937, which was disestablished by the ROC in 1945, and then reenstated in as a national park in 1986.

How to get there:
By Car: From Taipei, Take National Highway 5 to Yilan and then drive on the Suhua Highway 9 to Hualien. A few miles before Hualien City, the gorge will be on your right.
By Train: Take the train to Hualien station, and from there you can rent a scooter or car, or take a tour bus to the gorge.
​For more travel information see here.

Hours: 8:30AM-5PM (Zhuilu old trail is open from 7AM to 10PM).

Flying a Drone? 
​Apply for a drone permit here.

Price: Free! (Except Zhuilu old trail, which is 200 NT per adult. See below for more info.)

​Map: Please see below:

​Here is a list of other Taiwan Blogs that we think are of note, as well as our list of blog lists (bloggoramma), and vlogs. We will keep this updated as best we can. If you feel that you should be on this list, please let us know.

Blogs:

If Taiwan is the best kept secret in Asia, then Penghu is the best kept secret of the best kept secret in Asia. It has just everything you could possibly want from a tropical island vacation getaway. Less than an hour plane ride from Taipei with multiple flights daily, its also easy to get to. We are sure that a trip to Penghu is one that you will not regret, and there will be more things to do than you could ever have time for.

History of Penghu:

The Penghu Islands were historically an important strategic position for trade and military defense in the area. The Dutch, French, and Japanese all led campaigns against these islands. The Dutch first invaded Penghu in 1622, but soon after retreated to Anping after a treaty was made with the Ming Dynasty.
Konxinga later took control of Penghu and Taiwan after defeating the Dutch in 1661, Later, Kongxinga's kingdom fell to the Qing Dynasty.
In 1885 during the Sino-French war for control of Vietnam, the French sent as fleet to Taiwan, but failed to take the island. Later they attacked the Penghu Islands and occupied them for a short time, before retreating to Vietnam due to the Treaty of Tianjin.
After Japan took control of Korea in 1894, they also attacked and occupied Penghu in 1895, after which the Qing Dynasty ceded the islands to them.
After World War II, the islands were given to the ROC government, who retreated to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil war and still control the islands today under a free democratic government.

How to get there:
By Plane: There are daily flights from Taipei Songshan, Taichung, and Kaohsiung airports to Makung. the flight takes roughly under and hour. Rates can range from around 2200-6000 NT for a round trip.
There are also flights to and from Chiayi, Tainan, Kinmen, and Chimei, with charted flights to Hong Kong starting September 2018.

By Boat: There are daily ferries from Chiayi and Kaohsiung. A one way trip takes about 4 hours from both locations. A one way ferry from Kaohsiung costs about 900 NT for just a reclining seat, and a one way ferry from Chiayi costs about 1000 NT.

When to go there:
Spring to Autumn. Winters are rather miserable.

Map: Please see below:

Qimei is a beautiful island getaway on southernmost end of Penghu County. The main attractions there are the iconic double heart rock (Twin Hearts Stone Weir), as well as little Taiwan rock. Getting there is not easy, but it is definitely worth the visit. 

Qimei's History:

The name Qimei, meaning seven beuties, refers to seven women that committed suicide during the Ming dynasty on the island (in the mid 1500s), rather than be defiled by raiding Japanese pirates.
The name also has come to mean the seven beautiful things about the island: the scenery, seawater, products, hearts of the people, geology, buildings, and history. Taiwan touch your heart!
This island and double heart rock are also central to some of Taiwan's tourist marketing in the recent past.
The island is 7km2 and has a population of just under 4,000 people. The main industry is fishing and fish farming, but goat and cattle farming is a growing industry as well.

How To Get there:

By Boat: Boats leave daily from Magong (Makung) from 6:30-9:30, stop at Wangan island, and make the round trip back in the afternoon. It takes about 2 hours to get to Qimei from Magong, and then 2 hours back. A boat ticket for one person round trip from Magong is around 800 NT.
You can buy ferry tickets at the dock or via travel agency (travel agencies include scooter rental, but times are not as flexible).
You can also reach the island by boat via port of Kaohsiung for about 900 NT.

By Plane: There is an airport on Qimei with service to Kaohsiung and Magong.

By Swimming: Do not try to swim there!

Map: Please see below:

Whale Cave is a natural basalt sea cave on the north side of Hsiaomen Island in Penghu (Shomom 小門嶼) , and one of the many tourist attractions in the area. According to some it looks like a whale, but that is not the true origin of its name.

The actual reason for the cave's name "Whale Cave" is that, a long time ago, a whale got stuck in the cave and died. According to local legend, a bone from that whale is now inside Dayi Temple. See more about Dayi Temple in our blog here.

How to get there:
The best way to get there is via scooter or car from Magong. But be careful to park in a designated spot because the cops there are strict.

Hours: Open 24 hours every day.

Price: Free!

Map: Please see below:

Erkan Historical Village is a unique place in Taiwan that preserves nearly 300 years of Southern Min culture. Isolated and cut off from the rest of Taiwan for quite some time on Siyu island of Penghu County, the village is a living museum for visitors. Every home is built in traditional red brick Southern Min style, and offering a unique splice in time. 

How to get there:
The easiest Way to get there is by car or scooter from Magong.

Price: Free, except for the Chen family ancient house which charges an admission of about 30 NT.

Hours: 8:00 AM - Dusk

Map: Please see below:

Siyu East and West forts are some of the best preserved fortifications in Taiwan dating back to the Ming Dynasty. They provide a rich history of the many invasions of Taiwan throughout the ages. Currently they are open to the public if you can get yourself over to the west side of Penghu.

​
How to Get there:
The easiest way to get there is to take a car or scooter from Magong to the very southernmost part of Siyu (Xiyu, or Fisher) Island.

Hours:
Siyu East Fort: 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, closed on holidays
Siyu West Fort: Open all day every day!

Price:
Siyu East Fort: Free!
Siyu West Fort: 30 NT per adult, 15 NT for students and seniors

​Map: Please see below: