Circling Taiwan by Car: A Travelogue (開車環島的心得)

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This month marks the 10th anniversary of this blog, so to celebrate I am making a blog tracing back our first round-island trip lasting 14 days and 13 nights made in 2014. During this journey we rented a car in Taipei, and circled Taiwan clockwise, visiting Taroko Gorge, Kenting, Xiaoliuqiu, Alishan, Sun Moon Lake, and many more places along the way. I am the kind of guy who likes to bask in nostalgia, but also I hope that laying out this experience in the open as well as the lessons we learned about travel in Taiwan along the way (and what I know now in 2024) will be helpful to other foreigners coming to Taiwan.

Planning your trip to Taiwan?

Here are some top travel tips for you:

• Best time to visit: Spring and Autumn when it is not too hot or cold and less rainy
• How to get there: Plane tickets via Trip.com
• Best places to stay can be found on Agoda
• Book tours and activities in Taiwan on Klook
• Stay connected with a local SIM
• Rent a car to explore distant sights

Some background on why this trip happened: 
This was not our first trip to Taiwan. Scott and I had been Latter-day Saint missionaries in Taiwan from 2011 to 2012 in the Taichung Mission, which covers Taichung to Pingtung but nothing north or east of that. We still had a lot of friends in Taiwan that we missed, we missed Taiwanese food, and there were the entire north and east parts of the island for us to explore.
We decided it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tour Taiwan now because later on in our lives we would likely have work and family obligations that would not allow us to take a 14-day trip around Taiwan. 
Being poor college students at the time, we had a very limited budget (for reference, I was making 700 USD a month as a janitor and I could only save about half of that after rent and food). Originally another friend planned to come with us, but he backed out because he got married. Scott's brother Matt decided to come along too. 
Just so you know, Scott and I know Chinese, but Matt doesn't. It makes traveling easier to know the language but you can still get by in Taiwan without it. 

The Plane Ride:
We took the cheapest flight available on Shenzhen Airlines, which had many flights for cheap to the US at the time. For 700 USD we bought a round trip from LA to Beijing to Taipei and back. 

Renting a car in Taiwan:
Before we began our trip, we planned on rounding the island by Scooter. This can be a fun way to explore Taiwan. 
As a side note, you can book a Motorcycling experience on Klook here, or a half-day Motorbike Tour on KKday here. If you are looking for a multi-day, in-depth tour of Taiwan via motorbike, we recommend contacting [email protected] who schedules regular 10-day motorbike tours of Taiwan. The tour guide is a long-term expat in Taiwan who has been giving riding tours of Taiwan for 16 years now. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
After crunching the numbers, we figured that we could rent a car for just as cheap as three scooters, and we wouldn't have to worry about rain or luggage. 
A scooter would be 300 NT per day, and for three people 900 NT per day, but we found a car rental place that would rent us a small Nissan March for 700 NT a day (that car company was called Good Cars 固得汽車 in Zhonghe, you can find their information in our Taiwan Car Rental Guide here). 
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After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport, we took a bus to Taipei and made our way to Zhonghe at a friend's house and picked up the rental car. At the end of the trip, we found the price was a few thousand NT more than we expected because of highway tolls (about 1.5 NT per kilometer).

SIM Card:
I bought a pre-paid SIM card from Taiwan Mobile for 500 TWD that lasted the whole trip. I think it was only a few GB of data, but I had a crappy phone and was not using much data. 
You can buy a cheap SIM card on Klook here. 

Map:
Check out a map of places we visited on this trip below:

A Brief timeline of our trip:

Saturday 4/26
Arrive in Taipei, get the rental car, SIM cards, tents, sleeping bags, and visited Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Tamsui.
Stay at a friend's house (in their living room) for the night.

Sunday 4/27
Go to Neihu Sports Park to rock climb, Pingxi, Shifen Waterfall, Lingjiao Waterfall. Eat at Luodong Night Market. 
Camp in Yilan for the night.

Monday 4/28
Drive to Hualien. Stop by the Suhua Highway Monument and hike for a bit on Nan'ao Old Trail. Drive into Taroko Gorge and check out Changchun Shrine and Binheng Park.
Camped on the side of the road because the camping spots were too expensive.

Tuesday 4/29
Spent the day recovering from barfing and diarrhea.
Slept at a hostel in Hualien.

Wednesday 4/30
Checked out Qixingtan Beach, then drove to Taitung and soaked in Zhiben Hot Springs in Taitung. Then we drove the wrong way over the mountain to Kenting ending up at Checheng Zhenan Temple. Visited the southern tip of Taiwan and Kenting Street Night Market.
Camped in Kenting.

Thursday 5/1
Drove north and visited Buddha Light Mountain in Kaohsiung, Monkey Mountain, and the 85 Tower. 
Slept at our apartment in Kaohsiung (we rented an apartment for the summer).

Friday 5/2
Drove back to Kenting and swam at Xiaowan Beach.
Camped in Kenting.

Saturday 5/3
Drove to Donggang Huaqiao Seafood Market and parked our car there. Then we took the ferry to Xiaoliuqiu for a day. We stayed at Geban Beach. We rented scooters and took the famous photo of the three of us in front of Shanfu Harbor which is now our logo.
We then drove to Kaohsiung and ate Renwu Roast Duck. 
Slept at our apartment in Kaohsiung.

Sunday 5/4 
Drove to Alishan. Then we drove to Nantou.
Slept at a friend's house in Nantou. 

Monday 5/5
We visited Xitou, Shanlinxi, Ershui Monkeys, Nantou Skybridge,  and Baihao Temple.
Slept at a friend's house in Nantou. 

Tuesday 5/6
Visited the Chungtaishan Monastery in Puli, and then went to Sun Moon Lake. At night we drove to Lukang Old Street and got dinner and scroll paintings.
Slept at a friend's house in Nantou. 

Wednesday 5/7 
Drove to Hsinchu to see friends. Then drove to Longdong to rock climb in the rain. Then we visited Shilin Night Market. 
We slept at Shen Went Hotel (神旺飯店) in Taipei.

Thursday 5/8 
We took Matt to the airport. Then we went to the Taipei Zoo, then visited the Taipei 101.
Stayed at a friend's house for the night.

Friday 5/9
We took a bus to Kaohsiung and officially ended the round island trip.
We would later spend the rest of our 90 day visas in Kaohsiung, where I would visit Qijin Beach and swim in the ocean every day. 

Now I will go into detail regarding every step of this journey.

Day 1: Saturday 4/26/2014

Taoyuan Airport 桃園機場

We took the cheapest flight available on Shenzhen Airlines, which had many flights for cheap to the US at the time. For 700 USD we bought a round trip from LA to Beijing to Taipei and back. ​After we arrived in Taipei Taoyuan Airport, we took a bus to Zhonghe to get the rental car. We also got SIM cards. I bought a pre-paid SIM card from Taiwan Mobile for 500 TWD that lasted the whole trip. I think it was only a few GB of data, but I had a crappy phone and was not using much data. We then took a trip to Carrefour to buy tents, sleeping bags, and visited Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Tamsui.
We stayed at a friend's house (in their living room) for the night.

2024 note: You may have been to the Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan's largest airport, but do you know about the two plane-spotting balconies in Terminal 2, Lego area, mock old street eating area, or dumpling-shaped benches? In this blog, we will reveal some of the secrets of Taiwan's Taoyuan Airport.

Liberty Square (CKS Memorial Hall) 自由廣場 (中正紀念堂)

First, we hit up Liberty Square (AKA Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall) which is one of the most notable landmarks in Taipei, as well as a symbol and gathering place of freedom and democracy. featuring a large public square, Chiang Kai-Shek memorial, opera houses, and gardens. It is officially a monument to the Generalissimo and President of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek. Its iconic scenery and architecture are a must-visit for anyone traveling in Taipei. Check out our full blog on the area here. 

​Tamsui 淡水

Next, we visited Tamsui per advice from our Taiwanese friend who lives in Taoyuan.
Tamsui District of New Taipei is famous for its delicious food and historical atmosphere. It is one of the most popular and well-known areas in all of Taiwan. Some local delicacies here include A-gei, iron eggs, fried squid, and other seafood. Historical places near here include Fort San Domingo, Hobe Fort, Tamsui Old Street, Bali Old Street, and the Shihsanhang archaeological site. There is plenty here to see and do for almost every kind of traveler...(read more)
​You can book a tour of Tamsui on TripAdvisor here or Klook here.
We also recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
Check out our full guide to Tamsui here. 

That night we stayed at a friend's house before departing the next morning. 

Day 2: Sunday 4/27/2014

​Neihu Sports Park 内湖運動公園

Next, we visited Neihu Sports Park, which has a huge free rock climbing wall which Matt was interested in. Matt is an avid rock climber and wanted to keep up his rock climbing muscles. Neihu Sports Park is one of the best parks in Taipei. Besides a rock climbing wall, skate park, track, water splashing area, baseball fields, a large playground area, and plenty of grass, there is also a viewing platform directly in front of the Songshan Airport that lets you see airplanes land and take off from a close distance. Check out our full blog on Neihu Sports Park here. 
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​​Lingjiao Waterfall 嶺腳瀑布

After rock climbing, we drove out to Pingxi to see the waterfalls. The first one we saw was Lingjiao Waterfall (aka "Lingjiao Grotto Great Waterfall" 嶺腳石窟大瀑布), which is a large waterfall and swimming hole right next to Lingjiao Station, on the Keelung River. Its large cliffs are popular for jumping and has a large deep pool that is safe to swim in. Its accessibility via the Pingxi Railway has made it a popular spot, but most of the time there will not be any crowds there. For our full blog on ​Lingjiao Waterfall click here.​
Don't forget that there are many activities available around Pingxi such as Rock Climbing, Hiking,  Waterfall Zipline, Waterfall Diving, and more on Klook here or KKday here. ​

Shifen Waterfall 十分瀑布

Next, we visited Shifen Waterfall which is the widest waterfall in Taiwan and perhaps the most picturesque in all of Taiwan. It is easily accessible by foot from Shifen Train Station and includes restaurants, gardens, and suspension bridges along the way. Its spectacular cascading falls are definitely worth a stop for anyone in Taiwan. ​For our full blog on ​Shifen Waterfall click here.
​You can book a tour to Shifen on Klook here or KKday here. ​

​Luodong Night Market 羅東夜市

After Pingxi, we drove through the Xueshan Tunnel to Yilan, and ate at Luodong Night Market which is the largest night market in Yilan and is one of the area's top tourist destinations. The night market covers a large area and usually is packed with people. Delicacies here include mutton soup, shaved ice, duck noodles, and onion pancakes. It is definitely worth a visit on your next trip to Yilan (read our full blog on the night market here).

​Day 3: Monday 4/28/2014


​Suhua Highway Monument 蘇花公路安魂碑

Next, we drove along the East Coast Suhua Highway, and stopped to check out the view at The Suhua Highway Monument (蘇花公路安魂碑) and nearby Kailu Xianfengye Temple (開路先鋒爺廟), which was built to commemorate the 13 workers who died building the road from Su'ao to Hualien from 1932 to the present. It sits on one of the most scenic viewpoints of the highway between Su'ao and Dong'ao, overlooking Dong'ao Bay. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to the east coast of Taiwan...(read our full blog here).

2024 Update: Now there is a highway for cars to travel from Yilan to Hualien which is much safer, and travel time has been cut down but over an hour. Further improvements to the road will mean travelling by car will be even faster in the future, but you will miss the amazing scenery like the photo above. 

Nanao Old Trail 南澳古道

Next, Scott took us to Nanao Old Trail (aka Nanao Historic Trail or Nanao Old Raod), which is a historic hiking trail in Yilan County, Taiwan. It was once a major route for the Ayatal aboriginal tribe, and was improved by during the Japanese colonial era. Now you can hike only a small section of the original trail, but you can still see beautiful mountainous scenes, rivers, and wildlife, as well as appreciate the history (read our full blog here).​
You can book a Pack Rafting, tour at Nan'ao on Klook here. 

The whole hike took less than an hour, and we were on our way south again to Hualien. 

​Taroko Gorge 太魯閣

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The main reason we came to the east coast was to see Taroko Gorge. 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. 

Eternal Spring (Changchun) Shrine Trail 長春祠步道

One of the most beautiful places we saw in the gorge was the Eternal Spring Shrine, which is a Buddhist shrine built on the eternal spring shooting out of the mountain near the entrance of the park. The shrine was originally built to reverence those that died building the cross island highway. There is a trail tunneled through the mountain to the shrine, and an additional trail up the the bell tower. As of 2018, the trail to the bell tower was closed off....(read our full blog here)

​Jinheng Park (靳珩公園)

We also stopped at the beautiful Jinheng Park, which commemorates the engineers that were killed during an earthquake that destroyed a wooden bridge that was built in this spot. 
See our full guide to Taroko National Park here. ​

Swallow Grotto 燕子口​

There are many tunnels on the road up to the gorge, but one section called the Swallow Grotto is especially breathtaking, and is a popular spot for tourists. Helmets can be rented at the beginning of the tunnels.
See our full guide to Taroko National Park here. 

​Lanting Pavilion 蘭亭

Past Swallow Grotto, you will come to Lanting pavilion next to Cimu bridge (慈母橋). Here are some great views of the marble canyon and Liwu River.
​See our full guide to Taroko National Park here. 

That night, we camped on the side of the road because the camping spots were too expensive. It turned out to be a not so good idea.

​Day 4: Tuesday 4/29/2014

On this day, we spent the day recovering from barfing and diarrhea.
I woke up in the morning and had to go. We were camped on the side of the road so there was nowhere to go. So I went in the forest. Luckily, a farmer nearby and saw we were distressed, and was kind enough to let us use his shower and bathroom. I will never forget the kindness of the Taiwanese people on that day. 
We also went to the local clinic and I paid only 400 NT for medicine, with no National Health Insurance. 

That night we slept at a hostel in Hualien.

Day 5: Wednesday 4/30/2014

Qixingtan 七星潭

After we had somewhat recovered from our illness (all three of us got sick and spent the whole day resting at the hostel), we visited Qixingtan is the best beach in Hualien City. It is a few KM long and also features a long grassy park next to it. It is famous for its oval shaped stones which tourists like to stack together. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Hualien...(read our full blog here)

Zhiben Hot Springs 知本溫泉

Next, we drove down to Taitung and soaked in Zhiben Hot Springs, which are one of the most popular hot spring areas in Taiwan, similar to Beitou or Wulai. In addition to the hot springs, you can also enjoy beautiful mountain scenery and aboriginal cuisine and culture. 
You can book a hot spring hotel at Zhiben Hot Springs on Agoda, or here and here. 

Originally we planned to go to Green Island but we thought that the ride was too long and too expensive for us. 

After that, we drove to the very end of the road on the East Coast (which was not a good idea) and took a bunch of tiny mountain roads over to Kenting. Finally, we ended up at Checheng Zhenan Temple. 

Checheng Zhenan Temple 車城鄉統埔村鎮安宮

Checheng Zhenan Temple is an important place for Taiwanese folk religion and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Checheng Township of Pingtung. It is dedicated to Guanyu, a deified military general from the Eastern Han Dynasty of China. It is the most prominent landmark on Highway 199 from Taitung to Pingtung. 
For our full blog on Checheng Zhenan Temple, click here. 

​Most Southern Point in Taiwan 台灣最南點

We kept on driving and reached the most southern point in Taiwan before sunset. Taiwan's most southern point looks like this and is mainly just coral rock. Eluanbi Lighthouse is a nice place to relax on the very southern tip of Taiwan in Kenting National Park. It is surrounded by a grassy park and hiking trails through tropical forests with coral rocks. It is also within walking distance of the most southern tip of the island of Taiwan on Cape Eluanbi. It is a must visit place for travelers to Taiwan...(read more)

You can book discount tickets to the lighthouse park on KKday here. 

Kenting 墾丁

We then looked for campsites and decided to stay at Banana Bay pictured above. Kenting has some of the cheapest campsites in Taiwan. However unfortunately this one had chickens that crowed very early in the morning. 

Yes, you should go to Kenting. Kenting has some of the best natural scenery in Taiwan, from beautiful white sand beaches that are warm year round to limestone mountains with hundreds of caves and waterfalls to explore. Although it may not be a world class beach resort destination yet, it should definitely be on your list on your trip to Taiwan. 

There are so many places to see in Kenting that we have made a separate guide, and we will not cover Kenting any further in this blog. 
See our full guide to Kenting here.

Kenting Street Night Market 墾丁大街夜市

We then drove over to Kenting Street to look for dinner. Located right next to the beach is Kenting Street, a great night market for snacking and tourist oriented shopping. It is the main street in Kenting, and at night both sides come alive to become a tourist night market in Taiwan. It may be the purist tourist night market in Taiwan, with most visitors coming from out of town to enjoy Kenting's warm weather and beautiful beaches. (read our full blog here)

​Day 6: Thursday 5/1/2014

​Fo Guang Shan (Buddha's Light Mountain) 佛光山

Next we drove north and visited Buddha Light Mountain in Kaohsiung, Monkey Mountain, and the 85 Tower. Fo Guang Shan (aka Buddah Light Mountain, Buddah's Light Mountain, or Buddha Memorial Center) is a Buddhist sect based in Dashu District of Kaohsiung. The headquarters in Dashu feature the largest Buddhist monastery in the country along with a 8 pagodas, a large pyramid, huge sitting Buddha statue, and Buddha museum. The massive complex can fill a tourists itinerary for more than a day, and is TripAdvisor's top ten tourist landmarks in Taiwan.(read more)

Kaohsiung 85 Sky Tower 高雄八五大樓

Next, we had to take Matt to the Kaohsiung 85 Sky Tower, which is the tallest and most recognizable building in southern Taiwan. The tower is shaped like the character "高" (as in 高雄 aka Kaohsiung or gao xiong), to represent the city of Kaohsiung and show Chinese symbolism through architecture. The observatory level open to visitors provides excellent views of the city. The tower can also be seen most anywhere in Kaohsiung, making it truly the symbol of the city...(read more)

2024 update: unfortunately the viewing deck on the 85 is temporarily closed as of now. 

​Monkey Mountain (Shoushan) 壽山

Matt was also very interested in seeing monkeys which do not exist in the wild in North America. Monkey Mountain (officially Shoushan, aka Chaishan 柴山 and other names) in Gushan District of Kaohsiung City, is one of the most easily accessible trails in Kaohsiung with perhaps also the best views of the city. You are sure to see wild monkeys here.  It should be on the top of your list of places to visit in Kaohsiung...(read more)

That night we slept at our apartment in Kaohsiung. Scott and I rented an apartment for the summer and planned to take classes online for a few months and at the same time take a very extended vacation in Taiwan. 

Day 7: Friday 5/2/2014
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Xiaowan Beach 小灣沙灘

On Friday we drove back to Kenting because we missed it so much. We had an extra day because we decided not to go to Green Island. We then swam at Xiaowan Beach in Kenting (aka Little Bay), which features beautiful white sand and a long, flat beach, as well as clear water that is relatively warm year round. In addition, the beach has sunshine for most of the year. Popular activities include surfing, swimming, and sunbathing. Located right next to the beach is Kenting Street, a great night market for snacking and tourist oriented shopping...(read more)

We camped again in Kenting that night. 

Day 8: Saturday 5/3/2014

​Donggang Huaqiao Seafood Market 東港華僑魚市場

Next, we drove to Donggang's Huaqiao Seafood Market, which is a popular place to shop and eat in Dongang Township of Pingtung. It is also right next to the ferry terminal to Xiaoliuqiu (Lamay Island) which is just a few kilometers offshore. Because of this, the seafood market is usually packed with people. Popular foods here include sashimi, fried fish balls, oyster omelets, and crab cakes. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Pingtung, or on the way to Xiaoliuqiu. 
See our full guide to Huaqiao Seafood Market here. 

​Parking at the market is only 20 NT per day, and so we decided to take a day trip to Xiaoliuqiu. 

Xiaoliuqiu Island 小琉球

My original post from 2014 is as follows: "This day we went to an island off the coast of Kaohsiung called 小琉球, Xiao Liu Qiu. We drove to Dong gang 東港, but were not quite sure which boat to take to get there. Parking was cheap, only 30 NT per day. We ended up taking the public ferryboat over. While buying tickets, a lady asked us if we wanted to rent scooters, and set us up with her friend who rents scooters on the island. We paid her right then, which seemed shady but it worked out."

At that time, fishermen still came to Geban beach to reel, which is unthinkable now. As of 2024, Tourists have taken over all the beaches in Xiaoliuqiu, much to the ire of local fishermen. 

The boat ride was crowded and somewhat slow, but we made it to the island safe and sound. Right when we got off the boat, the scooter rental people found us and took us to our scooters. It was 300 NT per scooter, which is very cheap for scooter rental. We rode around the island on our scooters and saw everything from the shops to the beaches to more beaches and some restaurants. The weather was great. There were a few private beaches that you had to pay to get into which was lame. Also everything seemed to be a little more expensive than one would expect in Kaohsiung. One place that stuck out to me was a mango ice place that served their ice in sea shells, as well as providing sea shell spoons (海の家貝殼海藻冰 address: No. 61, Minsheng Rd, Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County, 929). There was the usual street markets that you would expect to find in Taiwan. I think the most fun part about that island was us just randomly driving all around on those scooters, and going full throttle down the streets. ​

There was a nice lighthouse at the top of the island but not much of a view. All in all, we had a fun time. We almost got lost trying to find the port home; there are three different harbors on the island, and it took us a while to find the third one. The scooter people didn’t even look at our licenses, and they said themselves that helmets were not required. Matt’s military discount ended up being only 50 NT cheaper for the boat ride. We made it safely back and tried to eat at 仁武烤鸭, (Renwu Roasted Duck address: No. 95之21, Fengren Rd, Renwu District, Kaohsiung City, 814), but they close early, 8:00, so we had duck noodles instead, which were fine. 

Renwu Roast Duck 仁武烤鴨 ​

After getting back from the island, we drove to Renwu Roast Duck which is a delicious roast duck place in Renwu District, Kaohsiung. It opens every day except Tuesday from 2:00 pm to 8:00pm. You can choose to either sit in the restaurant or get takeout. The wait for the restaurant is usually long, and so is the takeout line. There are tons of people waiting in line for this place every day...(read more)
​That night we slept in our apartment in Kaohsiung.

Day 9: Sunday 5/4/2014

​Alishan Forest Recreation Area 阿里山森林遊樂區​

On Sunday we made our way up to Alishan (Mount Ali 阿里山). It was a very long ride, with windy roads and lots of fog. At the Alishan park were some shops, with decently priced food, and a train that went around the mountain. We took the train over to see that sacred tree when we were once again confronted with hundreds of Chinese tourists taking pictures of everything. The forest was definitely pretty, and there were some huge trees; it was kind of similar to the redwood forest, but there were only a handful of big trees. There was also a peaceful pond (姊妹潭) there that we relaxed at. The shops there were ridiculously overpriced, but among them we found some delicious wasabi peanuts.

​We took the train back around the mountain, which we still had to pay for (100-200NT), and had some decent fried rice at one of the restaurants. Then we made our way back down the mountain toward Nantou. On the way down, we tried to take a shortcut down a narrow road, but the fog would only let me see like ten feet in front of us, so I decided to turn back and take the main road where I knew there were at least two lanes. The rest of the way to Nantou went smoothly, and we were able to stay at a friend’s house. 

Alishan National Scenic Area is one of the most famous mountain areas in Taiwan (aka Mount Ali, or Ali Mountain). Formerly a timber harvesting area during the Japanese Era, it still has a working rail system for park visitors to ride around the mountain. The mountain villages, ancient forests, waterfalls, hiking destinations, and tea plantations have made it a popular destination for tourists. It is also a popular destination to see the sunrise over a sea of clouds. Overall, it is one of the most iconic and well known mountain destinations in Taiwan...(read more)

Day 10: Monday 5/5/2014

Xitou 溪頭​

On Monday we went to Xitou (溪头) which was similar to Alishan but in Nantou. I think the scenery was prettier here. There was a nice rainbow bridge and lots of unique plants. The sacred tree was not as impressive as the one at Alishan though. There was also a nice fishpond and bamboo forest. We didn’t spend any time at the shops, though personally I think the shops at Xitou had a more unique feel than Alishan. Also there were no Chinese tourists here, only Taiwanese people on their regular morning walks. 

​Xitou, officially known as Xitou Nature Education Area (溪頭自然教育園區) is a forested nature park in Nantou County Taiwan. The park includes a forest sky-walk, bamboo forests, forest experiments, over 70 species of bird, and a monster themed village. It is a great day trip for nature lovers and hikers, and a unique way to enjoy Taiwan's ecology....(read more)

Ershui Songbo Temple Trail 二水松柏廟步道

Next, we made our way to Ershui, (二水), to see the monkeys. We got lost, and finally asked a guy who told us that the road was just ahead. But that was all he said. Luckily it was the next road to the left. We walked up the trail a ways before we saw the monkeys, but there was an entire family of about 20 monkeys. It was fun to interact with them and we may or may not have fed them. Matt named a monkey George and tried to adopt it, but it seemed George was happy to stay right where he was. 

The Songbo Temple Trail runs through the forest that goes from Ershui Village in Changhua County up the mountain to Songbo Temple in Nantou County. Along this trail, one can spot lots of Formosan Macaques which are indigenous to Taiwan. If you come, you can enjoy a sure sighting of monkeys, but for your safety do not feed them or get close to them...(read more)
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Baihai Temple ​白毫禪寺

Next per Scott's advice, we drove over to Baihai Temple which is a Buddhist temple in Mingjian township of Nantou. The views were nice and also you can ring the giant bell they have.

​Nantou Houtanjing Sky Bridge 猴探井天空之橋

Then we went to the sky bridge in Nantou; there were nice views of Yuanlin and the high speed train there (猴探井天空之橋Houtanjing Street, Nantou City, Nantou County, 540). But it seemed like a place just to take advantage of Chinese tourists. Finally, we ate a fine hotpot in Nantou and called it a day.

​Nantou's Houtanjing Sky Bridge (aka just Sky Bridge) is a tourist attraction near Nantou City, which features great views of Yuanlin and Changhua county. If you visit Nantou, this place should definitely be on your list...(read more)

Day 11: Tuesday 5/6/2014
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​Chung Tai Shan Monastary 中台山寺廟​

Tuesday, we made our way to Puli to see the Zhong Tai Shan （中台山）. It was an impressively tall Buddhist temple made by the same architect who designed the 101. We had to wait an hour for the guided tour, but it was worth it. There was a monk there who gave us an English tour. It was interesting to hear the meaning behind the many statues and emblems in the building. We got to go to the upper levels where people normally don’t get to go, probably because we are white. There was an impressive white room as well as a full size wooden pagoda behind a glass curtain. Toward the end of the tour, another monk took us aside and told us the tour was over. We didn’t know if it was because they promised the tour would only be an hour or we were being too disrespectful or because we weren’t Buddhist. We will never know, and we will forever be weirded out.

​The Chung Tai Shan Monastery in Puli, Nantou County (aka Chung Tai Chan Buddhist Temple) is a large monastery, built by the same architect that built the Taipei 101. The building features a full size wooden pagoda inside the main tower, as well as a Buddhism museum. It is the tallest Buddhist Monastery in the world...(read our full blog here)

The Ultimate Guide to Sun Moon Lake 日月潭極限指南

Next, we went to Sun Moon Lake. It rained the whole time, and it was foggy. We checked out the shops there, but didn’t find anything we particular wanted to buy. We went to the 慈恩塔(Ci En Pagoda), but we couldn’t see much because of the fog. And we took a power nap there. Then we went to the main temple on the lake, which was impressive, but not unlike any other temple we had seen. We had enough time, so we decided to go to Lugang （鹿港） from there. 

​Sun Moon Lake is a beautiful scenic area in Taiwan and a popular tourist destination. Besides the lakeside scenery, one can also enjoy boat rides, Taiwanese street food, gift shops, temples, a gondola, aborigine theme park, and more. It is for sure a must-see destination for anyone coming to vacation in Taiwan...(read more) 

​Lukang Old Street 鹿港老街

It took a while to find the night market in Lugang, but we eventually did. There we found a scroll shop and each bought landscape painting scrolls and had fun bargaining with the owner, and ended up buying scrolls for 500 kuai a piece. We had some delicious shrimp and some good 便當 (Bento). Then we made our way back to Nantou for the night.

​Lukang Old Street is one of the biggest and best old streets in Taiwan. Not only is it full of historical buildings, but it also has some of the most distinctive shopping and food choices.  During the Dutch and Qing eras of Taiwan, it was the most populous city and most important trading port in central Taiwan. There are more historical buildings here than anywhere in Taiwan except Tainan. Now the area is a tourist shopping district, famous for traditional crafts and foods such as oyster omelets, shrimp balls, taro cakes, and meat buns...(read more)

​Day 12: Wednesday 5/7/2014

​We made our way out of Long Dong to rock climb.

Long Dong 龍洞

On Wednesday we made the long trek to Long Dong 龍洞 where Matt was determined to do some awesome rock climbing. But alas it was raining the whole time, and the sea cliff was too slippery to climb. On a normal day though, the sea cliffs seemed like they would be a great place to climb, some of the cliffs were almost 70 meters high, and there were anchors in the rocks everywhere. We hiked around the beach until we decided we couldn’t go any further, the cliffs were too gnarly. So we went around to the other side of the beach to go to the dragon's cave Long Dong. Scott stayed in the car, and I don’t blame him because the trek to the dragon's cave was a treacherous one. There was a lot of boulder hopping on the way there, and it was raining, topped with the fact that there was also moss on lots of the rocks. It was fun, but at some points I had to get on all fours to not slip. There was also a small cliff jump which was fun, which I biffed on the way back, but I was fine. The cave was grand and majestic.

Longdong (aka Dragon Caves -龍洞 Lóngdòng) is a popular spot for snorkeling, scuba diving, and rock climbing. There is also a large sea cave there (pictured above) from where the place gets its name...(read more)

You can book activities at Longdong such as Rock Climbing, Cave Draping, Diving, Snorkeling, SUPing, Freediving, and more on Klook here or KKday here. 

​Check out our full guide to Longdong here. 

​​Shilin Night Market 士林夜市

Next, we went to the Shi Lin Night Market (市林夜市). It was definitely a large night market, but we were not impressed with the lack of food there, especially the lack of sweet potato fries. Things were reasonably priced there though, and we bought some t-shirts there for 250 NT a piece. Then we made our way to eat sushi. We went to one of the conveyor belt sushi bars. I enjoyed the food, but I am not but of a sushi expert. We ended up eating 43 plates of sushi between the three of us. Then we stayed at the Shen Went Hotel (神旺飯店). It was nice to have a real shower for once.
Shilin Night Market (aka Shihlin Night Market) is the largest night market in Taipei and also one of the most popular. Full of delicious street food, small hole-in-the-wall restaurants, souvenirs, and clothes, it is a great destination to experience Taiwan's night market culture...(read more)
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You can book a Shilin Night Market Walking Tour With a Private Tour Guide on TripAdvisor here. 

Check out our full guide to Shilin Night Market here.
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Day 13: Thursday 5/8/2014

On Thursday we took Matt to the airport. He seemed to enjoy his stay and the food grew on him over time. Then we made our way to the Taipei Zoo. 

​Taipei Zoo 臺北市立動物園

The Taipei Zoo is not only the largest and most varied zoo in Taiwan, it is also one of the best zoos in Asia, and at the same time has an extremely affordable price of only 60 NT per adult. If you have time you should definitely stop by and visit this zoo, if not for anything else but to see Taiwan's ingenious animals like the Formosan Black Bear and Sika Deer which are hard to see in the wild...(read more)

The most unique part about this Zoo it showed all of the Formosan big game animals, and it had pandas. It also had the usual insects, lions, elephants, giraffes, penguins, and children. We wanted to go on the gondola, but it happened to be closed, and the National Palace Museum that we planned to go to that evening closed at 6:30, so we went to the 101 instead. 

The Taipei 101 (臺北101)

The 101 was impressive to see at night, but not much different from the 85. And we hadn’t ever lived in Taipei so we didn’t really care to be honest. That ended our day.  We stayed at our friend’s house that night.

​Day 14: Friday 5/9/2014

In the morning we returned the car; the rental company charged us an extra 700 NT for driving on the highway, but didn’t mention any tickets. Then we took a bus to Kaohsiung, our home, through Ubus 統聯客運, which was about 200 NT cheaper than the train.
The bus to Kaohsiung officially ended the round island trip.
We would later spend the rest of our 90 day visas in Kaohsiung, where I would visit Qijin Beach and swim in the ocean every day. 

Later on:

Scott and I spent the next two months living in Kaohsiung and taking classes online. We found different friends and hung out less and less together. I would also take long bike rides along and often run into packs of wild (or unleashed) dogs.

Both of us started the Foreigners in Taiwan blog as contributing writers, and Scott originally bought the domain name. We planned to write stuff helpful for foreigners and also maybe turn it into a business someday. Our visas expired in August and we went back to the USA to finish our college degrees. Scott never came back to Taiwan.
I came back with my bank account empty and not a penny to my name. All that money spent eating out in Taiwan took its toll. I spent about 10,000 NT every two weeks on food. Also, there was an ATM fee every time. I had to borrow some money from my dad in order to not starve at college. 

I came back to Taiwan in 2016, restarted the blog, and have been blogging ever since. I haven't figured out how to make a living off this blog full time, but it is still my passion and I enjoy writing these blogs, sharing my experiences, and reliving past memories and travel adventures.
Thanks for taking this journey with me, I hope that it is helpful to you in some way.

Looking back on this trip, I am amazed at how much time we had, how many places we visited, and how much money we saved. Such a trip would not be possible for me know that I am married with small kids and a full-time job. But if you don't have kids and want to backpack and camp around, this blog is proof you can do it and have a great time. Also, Xiaoliuqiu was the highlight by far. I think this trip was one of the greatest vacations I ever took, and I hope it is remembered by many in the hall of fame of great vacations.

​- Larry

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