2023 Taiwan Highlights Tour
We joined our local guide Eddy and started to walk towards the main village, finding flocks of Vanuatu White-eyes and Long-tailed Trillers along the way. Birders landed at daybreak on Champagne Beach and Vanuatu Whistlers kicked off the dawn chorus. Ten minutes later we loaded three trucks and drove to the Vatthe Conservation area. The thirty minute drive followed a good paved road first before turning down a gravel road winding through coconut plantations and pastures.
Located within walking distance of Kangle Railway Station, Formosa Naruwan Galaxy Hotel Taitung offers guests a convenient base while in Taitung City. Guests also have exclusive access to the on-site 台東名產網購 Aquarius Beauty Soup and Swimming Pool. Providing a shuttle service to Taitung Airport, as well as complimentary wireless internet, Kai Shen Starlight Hotel is a convenient base in Taitung City.
A not-so-hard to miss feature in the park is the breathtaking Pipa Lake. The waters of this lake are home to marine life, both animal and aquatic. Catch a glimpse of rare species of marine life from the viewing platform that overlooks the lake. Alternatively, take a relaxing stroll or cycle down to the shore and enjoy the fresh ocean breeze. Located off the eastern coast of Taiwan, Green Island is a natural hub for endless outdoor activities. It is particularly famous for a cave that serves as home to a stalagmite said to resemble the Goddess of Mercy.
It also features free Wi-Fi, luggage storage and a tour desk. Just a short walk away was a lovely park by the bicycle trail (向山落羽松). Took countless photos including the first photo of this post. Clean and spacious hotel at Sun Moon LakeAfter a short rest, we drove to Ci En Pagoda and managed to catch an amazing sunset view of Sun Moon Lake for free. A good way to force ourselves to wake up early is to choose a hotel that comes with free breakfast. Yes, how could we miss a 5-star hotel breakfast since we hardly stay in one?
Hotels located in the Taitung City area sorted by price and hotel class. We've also highlighted the most popular hotels and best value within each hotel class. Pisces Youth Hostel is set in Taitung City and is within a short walk of local attractions, such as Fu An Gong. Guests can also make the most of free internet access throughout the property. Traveller-Inn Tiehua Light Spot Hotel offers a comfortable setting while in Taitung City. Jin Lon Hotel is set in Taitung City and is within a short walk of local sightseeing spots, such as Tiehua Music Village.
The birders headed for the hills into ‘the bush’ with the remainder of us being led by the passionate Ricky Simeon Mol, the local tourism representative. Walking past government offices and the well-appointed sporting arena to the ‘kastom’ house tucked away in a mangrove bay, we were welcomed by Chief Melkio into his village of Nereqon. For the patient amongst us we are soon toasting our experience on Sola with a shell of kava , expertly minced in front of us. Kava-drinking rituals help to strengthen ties among groups, to reaffirm status and rank in the community, and to communicate with the spirits. My sister's family took this trip in 2019, and provided their recommendation to us.
Our guide Eric showed us educational videos which were helpful for me to better appreciate the history of the sites we visited. I would definitely recommend this tour for a good overview of the country at a reasonable price. After a very relaxed morning in Usili Village, we set off to enjoy the waters along the coast before lunch. We were inundated with sightings of larger animals including a spotted eagle ray, whitetail stingray, hawksbill turtle and a wonderful bumphead parrotfish. The steep drop-off created the ideal place to look out into the blue while expansive beds of coral covered the reef wall.
After lunch we were invited to join Chief Francis at Puma Village on Teanu Island. The curious mythological appearance of the Tamate dancers, shrouded in banana fibre, topped with colourful masks hiding the dancers below is completely different from the other traditional dancers we have seen on the trip. Villages take inspiration from the islands ancestral legends shrouded in myth and magic culminating in the development of spirit dancers and stories. Chief Moffat takes the opportunity at the end of the dance to explain the intricacies of the traditional dance to the young of the village – to them a rare occurrence to witness the festivities. Our return path to theSpirit of Enderbywas lit by the late afternoon sun rays.
Enjoy the peaceful countryside and coastline at parks, such as Xiaoyeliu Scenic Area and the accompanying rock-strewn beaches. Cycle around Taitung Forest Park and its three lakes or take a boat to Green Island for snorkelling and soaking in saltwater hot springs. Kaishen Sinsu Hotel provides comfortable 3.5-star accommodation in Taitung City.
Hakka lunch at Sanyi (三義)Next, we made our way to Remains of Longteng Bridge. That was a bad decision because the mountain road was badly jammed due to road construction work and the influx of holiday domestic travelers. We took an overnight Cathay flight and reached Taoyuan Airport at 9am on the eve of New Year 2019. While Taipei is well connected by buses, MRT and train, it’s a little harder to explore Taichung using public transport. We like the tour, however you need to go to the tour bus earlier to get the seats if the couple want to seat together.
Later in the afternoon on our Zodiac cruise we would take time to visit the monument to Le Perouse, erected by fellow explorer Dumont Durville in 1827. In the nineteenth century Charles Darwin made a number of observations there about the formation of atolls. In the 1920s a New Zealand-Australian company began logging and milling kauri logs for export, based at Peou. This day in 2017 the inquisitive travelers of theSpirit of Enderbystep onshore to explore this island wonderland. Approximately 1,000+ people inhabit Vanikoro and the island of Tenau with a mix of Melanesian and Polynesians originating from nearby Tikopia.