I will allow the photos to give you a glimpse of our experience in the gorge. It is definitely the highlight of Taiwan. The natural beauty is stunning and it is such a nice way to get away from the bigger cities.
Several people made our day unique and fun. First off we met a New Yorker named Jonathan. He had plenty of travel stories about Peru, Columbia, Japan, and Burma. He was a fun travel partner for the day and even appeased my requests for jump shots. He had with him a collapsible bike that was really impressive. We were jealous, because we were limited to waiting for the bus and he could just unfold his bike and take off to the next stop. The other person we met was Amhad (spelling? Sorry!). He is from Turkey originally, but now lives in the United Kingdom. He is a psychologist and it was fascinating discussing the education culture in Taiwan with him. Overall, today did not fit the trend of pseudo failures. All around a perfect day!
Recommendations for Taroko Gorge:
If you are facing the train station, the bus for the gorge is directly to the right. It costs 250 NTD for a jump on and jump off bus. For a one day trip through the gorge I suggest first getting off at Tianxiang. Walk 800 M up the hill. It looks like you are just walking into a tunnel, but along the wall of the tunnel there is a cave opening. This is the beginning of the Baiyang trail. This is my favorite part of the gorge. Make sure you bring a poncho or rain jacket because you will be going through a small waterfall. You should also bring a flashlight for there are several dark tunnels. After you walk back down to Tianxiang, take a half hour to check out the temple across the river.
Next take the bus to Lushui Trail. The trail takes about 30-40 minutes and leads to a cable bridge with excellent views. The next stop could be the Swallow Grotto. This isn’t necessarily a must do if you are on a time crunch. It is a rock face with many natural niches where swallows have set up shop. Stops like this are nice for taking photos, but may not be worth having to wait for the next bus.
Your last stop should be the Eternal Spring Shrine. Don’t stop at the main shrine with all the tourists. Continue to walk up the stairs all the way to the Changguang Temple. You will get some of the best views of the gorge from here. The walk is steep and takes some lung capacity, but is not long.
Many people like to get the iconic photo with the Taroko archway. I did my first time in the gorge, but didn’t feel the need to stop again.
If you will be in the area for longer than one or two days, plan on requesting a hiking permit for the Zhuilu Old Trail at least 10 days in advance.
NOTE: You need to pack your own food. At the Tianxiang stop there are some stands selling sausage and fruit, but it is overpriced and didn’t look appetizing to me personally.
Several people made our day unique and fun. First off we met a New Yorker named Jonathan. He had plenty of travel stories about Peru, Columbia, Japan, and Burma. He was a fun travel partner for the day and even appeased my requests for jump shots. He had with him a collapsible bike that was really impressive. We were jealous, because we were limited to waiting for the bus and he could just unfold his bike and take off to the next stop. The other person we met was Amhad (spelling? Sorry!). He is from Turkey originally, but now lives in the United Kingdom. He is a psychologist and it was fascinating discussing the education culture in Taiwan with him. Overall, today did not fit the trend of pseudo failures. All around a perfect day!
Recommendations for Taroko Gorge:
If you are facing the train station, the bus for the gorge is directly to the right. It costs 250 NTD for a jump on and jump off bus. For a one day trip through the gorge I suggest first getting off at Tianxiang. Walk 800 M up the hill. It looks like you are just walking into a tunnel, but along the wall of the tunnel there is a cave opening. This is the beginning of the Baiyang trail. This is my favorite part of the gorge. Make sure you bring a poncho or rain jacket because you will be going through a small waterfall. You should also bring a flashlight for there are several dark tunnels. After you walk back down to Tianxiang, take a half hour to check out the temple across the river.
Next take the bus to Lushui Trail. The trail takes about 30-40 minutes and leads to a cable bridge with excellent views. The next stop could be the Swallow Grotto. This isn’t necessarily a must do if you are on a time crunch. It is a rock face with many natural niches where swallows have set up shop. Stops like this are nice for taking photos, but may not be worth having to wait for the next bus.
Your last stop should be the Eternal Spring Shrine. Don’t stop at the main shrine with all the tourists. Continue to walk up the stairs all the way to the Changguang Temple. You will get some of the best views of the gorge from here. The walk is steep and takes some lung capacity, but is not long.
Many people like to get the iconic photo with the Taroko archway. I did my first time in the gorge, but didn’t feel the need to stop again.
If you will be in the area for longer than one or two days, plan on requesting a hiking permit for the Zhuilu Old Trail at least 10 days in advance.
NOTE: You need to pack your own food. At the Tianxiang stop there are some stands selling sausage and fruit, but it is overpriced and didn’t look appetizing to me personally.
