I originally came to Taiwan, like so many people, with the idea that I would have a bit of fun, teach English and then 6 months down the line I’d be off.. it’s been 4 years now and I’m still here! Before coming to Taiwan, I never really had much interest in hiking but now it has developed into a bit of an obsession. I’m not at the moment entirely sure what i plan to do with this blog other than keep track of all the places i visit and perhaps give other people ideas for places to go to. Any comments, queries, ideas are more than welcome!
Contact – stuartdawson42 at gmail.com
I am also one of the partner’s at Taiwan Adventures, an outdoor adventure company based in Taipei. We lead regular trips to the mountains of Taiwan. Have a look at the facebook group for some of our upcoming events.
Contact – info@taiwan-adventures.com
The new site looks terrific Stu!
Thanks! I’m really pleased with it. Finding wordpress to be so much easier to use and I’m glad I finally moved
Hi there!
The site looks great and is very informative.
Its very easy to navigate too.
I have a question about renting camping gear here.
Most important thermal underwear, socks & a winter sleeping bag
Do you know of any places that do this?
If not could you advise a good place to buy these?
I will be going up to Jade mountain next weekend.
Any info would be appreciated!
thanks
Thanks Tasha, I’ve sent you an email with some places to go for gear.
Dear Stu, would it be possible to send me this list as well ?
I will visit Taiwan for 2 weeks as a part of a longer trip ins Asia and don’t want to carry my camping/sleeping bag for the whole trip…
thanks in advance and regards,
Dear Stu, could you please send me the list as well? I need to rent sleeping bags and a tent for 2 persons. Thanks a lot!
我會在台北過新年,問問你一下,你有沒有晚上爬過四獸山(他們夜裡會不會關門?危險不危險?)我是想去高一點遠一點的地方看台北101新年焰火表演~~
I am not from taipei but will be in taipei during New Year’s and I was curious if you have ever gone up Si shou shan late at night? Do they close and is it dangerous? I am thinking about watching the taipei 101 fireworks from far and high.
I’ve been up Sishou quite a few times at night and it’s fine. Just watch out for the stray dogs!
Elephant mountain has lights on the trail but i hear it’s very busy on new years eve. There are plenty of places to get a view from on other paths but i’d take a torch and wouldn’t go alone. Prehaps Tiger mountain or Jiuwufeng would be best.
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hey, great blog.
i have a question, my family is coming to taiwan soon for a visit. i plan to take them around the island by car. but i am not very familiar with taiwas south east. so i am looking for a place for a 1 day hike somewhere around taidong. i wanna spend 2 nights and and 1 day, so i would be great if there would be some hotsprings to spend the evening. i wonder if u know some places down there. thanks
jens
To be honest, I’m not very familiar with any hiking trails around Taidong but there must be lots around there. As for hotsprings, you could try Zhiben or Hongye. I think the ones in Wulu are accessible now but the road isn’t in great condition.
Also if you have time, I’d definitely recommend you visit the Bunong tribe. Hope that helps!
Hi Stu, thanks for all the information. We want to hike Snow Mountain before Easter, I tried contacting Barking Deer regarding the permits but no reply so far. Do you think it is feasible for two foreigners without much knowledge about Taiwan to do the trip themselves? I can read quite a bit (but no spoken Mandarin) and we’re experienced hikers. If you have a moment, feel free to reply by mail.
thanks
Oliver
Dear Stu,
I’ll be visiting the National Taiwan University in Taipei next week for 10 days, and I have a weekend to spend. I am looking for a recommendation for a hiking trip of one (possibly two) days. I am reasonably fit (1500m in elevation won’t be a problem), but I have no car and I can’t speak Chinese.
Any suggestion would be highly appreciated.
Thanks for putting together this wonderful site.
Stefan.
Thanks Stefan,
Without transport it’ll be difficult to organise a 2 day trip. Most places that are suitable for that kind of thing are quite remote and don’t usually have public transport. What dates are you looking to go? If i’m not working, I might be able to sort something out.
Stu,
thanks for the prompt reply. I will arrive in Taiwan next week, and I have the weekend of March 27/28 free. I will probably be a bit jetlagged, so I might prefer a 1 day trip, but my mind is not set yet.
> If i’m not working, I might be able to sort something out.
That would be just great. If you don’t have time, any recommendation would also be appreciated.
Thanks again,
Stefan.
Ok, cool. I usually don’t plan things until the last minute because the weather can be quiet changeable here. If I make a plan will definitely let you know. Otherwise 2 really good day trips to do are Huangdidian and Wuliaojian and they are accessible by bus or MRT/taxi combo.
Stu,
I followed your advice and went to Huangdidian. The hike was wonderful indeed. Thank you for the good advice!
Two minor suggestions for improvement:
a) in your blog you write “About 200m back from the east peak there is a turn to the left that leads down to a paved path.” On the signposting, it says 380m, not 200.
b) you write “It is possible to take a bus to Shiding, the 666 goes from Jingmei MRT.” We went to Muzha MRT t connect to the bus. Isn’t that more convenient?
Best, and thanks again,
Stefan.
Glad you liked it and thanks for the suggestions. I think with the bus it would depend where you are coming from. When I blogged Huangdidian, I lived close to Jingmei and so it made more sense to get the bus from there but otherwise getting it from the Mucha might be a bit more convenient.
Thanks
Stu
Hey, I’m living in Central Taiwan right now.
How can I get in on all the action?
I have a difficult time find anyone to do these things with! But grew up hiking and in the outdoors, really wanting to get back out there….would it be possible for me to join in on any future excursions? Or any advice, at least?
Thanks,
Brittney
Hi Brittney,
You could have a look at Barking Deer or depending on where you are, there will probably be a local hiking group you could join.
I live in Taipei so most of the hikes I do are around there, Next time I organise something I can send you an email.
Stu
Do you organize trips that we could attend / participate in? I have a car we could use.
Hi
I usually go hiking almost every weekend but we’re not especially organised. Unless it’s a big trip, we usually leave it until the last minute to see how the weather is looking before making a decision. If we get something together, I can send you an email about it. Do you use facebook? I normally use that to sort out hikes.
Stu
Please do contact me even at the last minute for hikes! If you don’t mind having an old man along…
Facebook – I am under “Boyd Jones” there, please feel free to add me!
Found you! Will speak to you soon.
Hello, Stu!
Nice blog- I really like it. Probably the best I’ve ever seen about Taiwan.
I’m from Russia but now I’m living in China, Qingdao). I have my own blog in russian and english concerning chinese way of life – sadpanda.cn.
And i want to retranslate some your pics on it. Of course, with the link to your site and you name).
Write me back
Best regards,
Arthur
Sure! No problem.
谢谢)!!
Hi,
Great web site. Extremely helpful! Just completed Snow Mountain 2 weeks ago!
Heres my question for you mate. I leave Taiwan in Sept 2010 after being here for almost 1 1/2 years. I have 1 goal before I leave.
3 mountains over 3,000 m
I’ve got snow mountain under my belt, I need two other mountains, however, I’m a teacher so I only have (poss fri night) Sat/Sun to complete them. I live in Hsinchu also. What mountains on the west-ish/central coast do you suggest? Driving to Taipei and around takes FOREVER!
Suggestions would be awesome!
Kind regards in advance, Matt
There aren’t many peaks over 3000m you can do in a 2 day weekend. You could try Nenggao, it’s easy enough to do 2 peaks over 3000m there but you’d probably want to head down on the friday evening.
Thanks Stu re: Neng Gao
I read your post about this hike. Any idea what are the two peaks in the Neng Gao hike? Do you have directions/map to Neng Gao? I heard you drive from Taichung to Nantou and then ascend from there.
Re: 大霸尖山 – the initial hike is 20kms (blimey!) to the trail head..correct? How far from the trail head to the summit is it?
regards,
Matt
The two peaks at Nenggao are Qilai South Peak 奇萊南峰 and Nanhuashan 南華山. If you have a look at my post, there’s a map at the bottom. Clicking on it will take you to the google map and gives you driving directions. You head to Taichung, then to Puli and then up from there towards Hehuanshan on the 14. Finally turn off at Renai and head for Lushan.
I’ve never hiked Dabajianshan before but you can have a look at Barking deer, they have a page about it. He says it can be done in 3 days, though that might be a bit knackering!
Hope that helps.
Stu,
Thanks. Directions are in chinese, will have to get someone to translate, but thanks none the less.
Any idea of the distance in Kms from trailhead to Qilai South Peak 奇萊南峰 and trailhead to Nanhuashan 南華山? Which one can be done in 1/2 days? Qilai south peak or Nanhuashan?
Cheers,
Matt
Hi Matt.
The best way to hike Nengao would be to hike to either the Tianchi cabin (14km) or go a bit further to the Tianchi pond (15km). Camp for the night and then hit the peaks the next day. From the Tianchi pond you can head north to the Qilai south peak and back. It takes about 1hr 30min. Nanhuashan is to the south of the Tianchi pond and takes about the same amount of time (I think!). After the peaks, you just need to walk back out the same way you came in.
There’s a guide to the expected times here. Click on M12. It’s all in Chinese though!
And there’s English directions here, at least half and half
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Thank you
Stu,
Quick question about Nengao trail.
We are hiking to the Chilai south peak on Saturday.
At what point should we cancel the trip due to the rain? We were told by someone that landslips are increased during rainy periods. Have you hiked this in the rain before? Should we only do it in full sun shine?
Cheers
Matt
Matt,
For the most part Nenggao is relatively safe but there are landslide sections. I should imagine the large one would be dangerous in heavy rain. We did it after light rain and it was ok.
Perhaps your best bet would be to ask at the police checkpoint on the way in, they’ll know from what other hikers have told them how the trail is. You could even try calling them before setting out, 049-2982155.
Stu
Hi Stu,
Love your site! Can you tell me if you know of any river tracing companies that organizes these trips?
Thanks!
Brenda
Hi Brenda,
Have a look at the companies listed on the river tracing page
Hi Stu,
I found your site following a comment from my blog and then here… I was born in Taiwan and raised in Taiwan and got to the States and now live in the States. I always have a dream to take English speaking people to travel and know Chinese speaking countries. Especially my home town Taiwan. I just launched my adventure travel company LittlePo Adventures in Seattle this March and I am trying to do my kick-off trip in Taiwan this summer. It’s a rock climbing trip and feature cultural activities as well. You can look at my website and find the link to the trip details. It’s probably asking too much for you to help me spread the words to your western friends in Taiwan to come to my trip (people can choose to do 3, 5, 7, and the whole trip out of the date). However, I do have another favor to ask if you don’t mind. I am thinking of writing some articles about westerners in Taiwan who fall in love with the outdoor scene in Taiwan. Do you think I can talk with you this summer when I am in Taiwan? let me know, thanks!
Szu-ting (LittlePo)
Hi Szu-ting,
Yeah, no problem. Just send me an email when you’re coming and we can arrange to meet. I’ll put a link to your site on my blog too.
Cheers
Stu
@Stu, sounds good. I can’t seem to find your email on your site. Can you shoot me an email? Thanks. I’ll let you know before hand and I’d love to connect with you!!!
Stu,
Semi-newbie question here: what outfitter stores do you know of in the Hsinchu-Taipei area? Apologies if you’ve already covered this in a post, but in the next month, I’ll be teaching English at a Hsinchu private school for at least a year and would love to continue backpacking.
Thanks,
Josh; http://joshintaiwan.com
Hi Joshua,
I’ve no idea about Hsinchu but there are loads in Taipei. Easiest places to go to are around Taipei Main Station. Just head towards Zhongshan Rd. and turn north.
Personally, I like Dengshanyou 登山友(Spelt Tingsanyiuo or something odd like that) and Metroasis. Both have pretty good gear. Hope that is useful.
Stu,
I envy your life in Taiwan. I am originally from Seattle and currently living in Shanghai. Looking at your photos and reading your blog has made me yearn for the mountains and alphine lakes more than ever. I hope to visit Taiwan soon. And when I do, I will definetely reference your blog for inspiration.
Thanks for sharing your adventures!
Best,
Anna
Thanks and if you need any more info, feel free to send a message.
Hi Stu,
My name is Richard and I’m the site admin for Cruisy, (http://www.cruisy.com.tw) a brand new website for English speakers living in Taiwan. It is up and running and inviting Taiwan bloggers to contribute. At present this offer is only open to WordPress bloggers, so I really welcome you to try it out.
The overall aim of the Cruisy website is to give people living in Taiwan a place to read and comment on the latest of Taiwan blogs, browse and comment on Taiwan Flickr photos, and catch up on international news.
If you decide to become a contributor, there would be plenty of links through to your site and all links in your blog entries (including comments) would remain in tact. Featured blog entries will be promoted on the homepage, other pages throughout the site, and through the site’s facebook page.
How do you contribute your blog? Just register and click the “Yes, I want to contribute” button and, once your blog has been approved, your blog entries will automatically be grabbed and displayed as an article on Cruisy. And if, for any reason, you find it’s not right for you, you can just hit the “No, I don’t want to contribute button” on the user profile page at any time.
You can read more about becoming a contributor at http://www.cruisy.com.tw by clicking the contributor link at the bottom.
I’d be interested to hear what you think!
Regards,
Richard Lovell
Cruisy Site Administrator
Thanks for the link back, Stu! Looking forward to reading about your next adventure.
Richard
Hi!
I wil go to taiwan for business in end october and will propably have two or three days for hiking. I’m very much interested in wildlife and forest (but not much in high altitude climbing). Could you advise me any trail which would be suitable for such short trip. I will bring my camping equipment to taipei.
Michal
Hi
There are quite a few places that you could go to, but it’s always best not to go alone. The other problem you’ll face is transport. Most trails that are suitable for camping aren’t accessible by public transport.
The 523 Mountaineering Association speak English and organise group trips.
Here’s a couple of places you could look at
Jaulo Lake seems almos perfect for such a short trip of two-three days. I need only to solve the problem of geting to siji village. I think the best idea would be to rent a taxi or something like that in yilan and agree with the driver to pick me back after the hike. Is that feasible? I was also thinkink of combining the trip with a visit in taroko gorge (on a road back to Taipei). As far as concerns the hiking team i will contact Mountain Assotiation. Otherwise i will just inform my friends in Taipei about my itinerary.
Many thanks
Michal
I should imagine getting a taxi would be ok. Might be a bit expensive though!
The hike is pretty well marked until you get to the top where it is easy to get lost in the thick silver grass so take care there. Will you be going on a weekend? If so there’ll almost certainly be other ppl there and you could always try to tag along with them!
Good luck!
Hi there, really interesting and useful site you have here. Will be sure to come back. Love the photos by the way.
Thank you for your great blog.
I’m moving to Taiwan in July 2011.
I am very excited to hike some of the places you recommended.
Thanks again,
karin.
Hi Stu,
thanks for the link. I love the picture of Snow Mountain and the banner pic and your pic with Taipei 101 in the background. I’ll surely visit again to get ideas for places to visit in Taiwan.
Taiwan should pay you for promoting tourism!
Lolit
Hi,
What a great blog. Very interesting posts and great pictures. Do you belong to a hiking club or group here in Taiwan?
Hi thanks! I don’t but if you’re looking for a group, have a look at Richard Saunders’ website. he regularly organises hikes.
http://taiwandiscovery.wordpress.com/
Stu,
what a great site full of useful information. I’ve been living in Taipei for almost 2 years now but only last week did I manage to go to 陽明山 for the first time making it my first hike in Taiwan ever! After reading your blog I feel terrible acknowledging this:)
Thank you so much for the inspiration. I might go and trace the 頭前溪 this week if the weather is nice.
Do you happen to know whether there are any dangerous insects on these trails that people should look out for? I usually don’t mind bugs or anything like that, but something bit me into the shoulder on Yangming mountain a week ago and the bite is still there.
Vladimir
Hi
Glad you found the site useful! Touqian is a great place to river trace but it’s really not very easy to find. You might be better off starting with Jiajiulliao near Wulai.
Sometimes you see the odd hornet, but they’re usually nothing to worry about. I wouldn’t worry too much about insects, just take some mosquito repellent. If you’re river tracing, you’re likely to encounter leeches at some point, a drop or two of iodine gets rid them easily enough.
Stu
Hi Stu,
Came across your blog and was hoping you could give me some idea. I’m thinkin of travelling to taiwan but couldnt decide on whether i should go in ending july to early aug or during the mid sept / mid oct. I’m afraid to encounter the typhoon but if i’ll be goin in autumn period, i’ll be missing out on the shopping part since it’ll all be thicker clothings..any suggestion?
Hi
I’d say Sept/Oct is best. It’s cooler, drier and less chance of seeing a typhoon. I think you’ll be able to get summer clothes during that time. Winter doesn’t really kick in until November and even then it’s not too bad!
HI Stu.
What kind of snowfall is expected on Jade mountain if we are planning a trek in 25-29 Dec?
Hi, it really depends on the day. December can see a fair amount of snow and so I’d be prepared for it. Keep an eye on the weather a few days before you go http://www.cwb.gov.tw
Whoa! Killer Taiwan hiking blog Stu!
I was searching for vegan hiking boots in Taiwan when I came across your blog. Haven’t stopped reading for an hour!!!
Do you have any idea where I could score a pair of Men’s Merrell Outbound Mid GOR-TEX boots? I’m in Hsinchu but can make the trek to Taipei if need be. I just found that the soles of my 4 year old Garmounts are crumbling off into a fine powder~weird, I know. Never seen anything like it. Beyond repair. I’m totally choked. And they were sooooo comfortable and have seen many-a peaks.
Also, I’d love to join your Snow Mountain trek next month. But I’m in need of new boots.
Xie-xiers,
KB
Hi there,
I haven’t seen that particular boot in Taiwan, but Merrels are fairly easy to find. I’ve also got a pair of Garmonts and I love them. Got them from Metroasis for $4500. http://www.metroasis.com.tw/ In Taipei there are a load of hiking stores near the main station on the Civic Boulevard and Zhongshan Rd.
There’s got to be hiking shops in Hsinchu though. I’ll ask someone I know who lives there and let you know.
Hope you find some boots and can join us on the hike!
Stu
Howdy,
Thanks for the swift reply. I guess I should of mentioned I was searching for some vegan hiking boots. Yeah, there actually is a MetrOasis just north of Hsinchu in Chubei….actually, correct me if I’m wrong but I reckon it is the original MO on the island….it used to be a one room shop and now it’s a triple floor hiking MEGASTORE…quite the empire. It was actually the first place I checked and yes, they actually have Merrells but no vegan animal friendly backpacking boots (like the OUTBOUND MID GOR-TEX) except for a wimpy basic pair of day hiking boots. I may in the end have no choice but to settle for them as they seem to be the only animal friendly option. I got my old (sniff) Garmounts from MO and they were vegan…but this year they don’t seem to carry any vegan boots….sigh. I know they have Merrells at the FE 21 department store, but there’s some sort of MEGASALE going down and I was in no mood to brave the crowds yesterday.
Anyways, I guess I was just trying to confirm that the Merrell Outbounds were not available on the island before I go ahead and purchase the wimpy-yet vegan whathaveyous…..Actually (can I use ‘actually’ any more in this post please?!!) I’ll be heading north tomorrow (surf looks potentially good!), so perhaps I’ll assess the train station shops on the way home. Thanks for the suggestion.
Also, where exactly are you guys meeting up on the 25th at 7pm for the Snow Mountain trek? I actually (HA!) don’t have facebook, so I haven’t checked out your sign up page. And can you cater to picky vegan hikers?
Cheers,
KB
Hi KB,
The food’s no problem. Or if you like you can bring your own and we’ll give you a discount. We’ll meet at Wanlong MRT on the Friday night at 7pm. Let me know if you’re coming ASAP as the trip is filling up fast.
Stu
Hi there! Congrats for the blog, it provides unique information for discovering Taiwan. I will use it next time I go there!
I have linked it on our website (http://sinalunya.com/). Is it possible a link back? Thanks!
Hi Stu,
We are planning to hike Snow Mountain this January, but none of use speaks Mandarin. Would you know anyone who can help us organize this trip?
Also, for January, we are just a group of 3, but for May (also next year), we are planning to go back again with a group of 15.
Hi Stu,
My buddy and I are arriving in Taiwan from New York the week of Monday, January 16th. We love your pics and can tell you really know what you’re talking about! I just hiked Ciudad Perdida in Colombia, and we’re looking for another amazing hike, preferably about 3 days. Would you be interested in guiding us? Or, can you point us in the right direction, or recommend someone else? Much appreciated!!!
Sending you an email now. Thanks
Hello Stu
Excellent blog you have here, most of the stuff you describe is quite mouthwatering. I am spending roughly 4 weeks on holyday in Taiwan and have now two weeks left. I really want to do some hiking here (preferably mountainhiking with some views), but after reading about a dozen of your posts for longer hikes I’m a bit frustrate, because there really seem to be permits necessary everywhere. I live in the swiss alps and am used to go when the weather is right – sounds weird to apply for permits, if weather is unclear and if one does no have a fixed address because of travelling around 😦 Do you have any suggestions? i am looking for hikes with stunning views, 1-2 days… Anywhere in Taiwan, although weather next week seems to be better in the south/central…
Thanx, sorry for the bother!
Kaspar
Hi Kasper,
I’ve sent you an email.
Stu
Hey Stu,
Just spent a few weeks in India and up in the Himalayas and am back on the island. I was just wondering if there was still space on the Snow Mountain trek or did I totally miss the boat?
Thanks,
KB
P.S. Got some boots and they’re broken in and ready to rock!
I’ll look into it. We might be able to get one more in. Send me your details and I’ll let you know. If not we’ll be running another Snow Mountain trip in January.
Wow! Great! Do you have an email address where I can send my info to? If it’s too late, no worries. I can always gear up for January.
Cheers,
KB
Hello Stu,
Would you please tell me if there are any longer hiking trips? Like 20 days long? Hiking or Cycling is fine.
I have never hiked in Taiwan before. I have planning this for the coming February 2012. For the whole month I have nothing much to do 🙂
Thank you.
Cheers,
Tony.
Hey Stu,
I sent you a few emails last week in regards to the Snow Mountain trip but have yet to hear back from you.
Thanks,
KB
Hi there,
We are planning to visit Taiwan from 22 Dec to trek Mt Jade or Snow mountain if we could get permits for these mountains. Is the end of December snowing in the top of mountain? We are not planning to carry Crampons so if we need it, we will give up these mountains and try to trek lower mountains. I have some questions for you: Do we still need a guide to climb these mountains? If we need a guide, how do we find a guide? Would you recommend any other interesting mountain in south area? In addition, where can we get a trekking map in Taipei? We are trekking 3000m mountains with a tent in Japan except winter. Hope you can help us.
Thank you.
v/r
Yoji
Hi,
It can snow towards the end of December in the high mountains but it’s difficult to say how much there might be. The Paiyun Cabin at Yushan is still closed so you could try for Snow Mountain. You don’t need a guide, but I you want one, I can guide you. As for crampons, smaller 6 pointer crampons are usually OK for getting to the peak at Snow Mountain. You can get hiking maps at Metroasis near Taipei Main Train Station.
Let me know what you think,
Stu
Hi,
congrats for your great blog!
I am planning a visit to Taiwan in mid-February and I am considering a hike to Mt. Bei Da Wu (3090) near Pingtung. Do you know that hike? I would be really grateful for any practical information on permits, getting to the trailhead by public transport, estimated hiking times and how difficult (and how crowded) it may get in February.
Is it possible to do it as a two-day trip from Kaohsiung by public transport?
Many thanks in advance!
Marek (Poland)
Hi
There’s a lot of good info here http://www.forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=65889
There’s no public transport to the trailhead. It’s doable in 2 days, but 3 is better. I think it’s about 6 hours up to the cabin and then 6 hours to the peak and back to the cabin. 4 hours to hike down. Are going on a weekend? It gets quite crowded then and you may need a tent if there’s not enough room in the cabin.
Hi
I’ve actually posted in that thread as well. What lacks there are estimated walking times, so many thanks for that! I figured out from Google Maps that there is a bus going to the village of Wutan only, some 15 kms short of the trailhead, so we will take a cab from Pingdong or hitch-hike from there.
We will aim at doing the hike during the week or maybe Friday/Saturday, to avoid the Saturday/Sunday night. Anyway, do you think that weekend crowds can be an issue even in February?
Thanks for your advice! It seems that altogether I collected enough information from different sources to give it a try 🙂
Hi Stu,
I plan to be in Taiwan in mid March and would like to do some hikes in the Taiwan mountain. A two to three days trip is the best. Will you be having an organized trip during that time? Any other tour groups you will recommend? I’m not a beginner but prefer a group hike so I don’t have to worry about trail finding, condition, weather,etc. Any info is appreciated. Helen
Hi Helen,
We’ll have a trip to the Thousand People Cave planned for March 9-11th. We haven’t got the details up yet, but if you join the facebook group, the event should be up in a few days or so.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/TaiwanAdventures/
Hi Stu, We are a group of 14 dutch women from Hong Kong who are visiting Taipei for 3 days in Mai. We were thinking about doing an easy hike (1-2 hours) followed by a hotspring. Which one can you recommend us? Thanks a lot for your info. Kirsten
Hi Kirsten,
Would you be OK travelling by public transport? Probably Yangmingshan would be the best place to go. Qingtiangang is a nice short hike with some great views. There are lots of places to go for a hotspring afterwards too.
Stu
Thank you! I guess we will book a bus or taxis as we are with a big group. I also saw Wulai on your website. Is this also a good one for us, you think? Thanks again!
Hi
There aren’t that many short hikes around Wulai that are good. I’d stick with Yangmingshan.
Stu
Also if you’re interested, we now run a hiking company in Taiwan and can help with any travel arrangements or guiding that you need. http://www.taiwan-adventures.com/
Thanks again, I just send a request to your hiking company!
[…] a fairly easy climb), the best months to go are May, June, October, and November. According to Stuart Dawson, “it is a beast of a mountain and from a distance, looks near impossible to climb but in […]
Will be heading to Taiwan this summer for an internship and will definitely use your blog as a guide to where to go! Can’t wait!
Hi Stuart,
I’ll be visiting Taiwan in December and was in the midst of doing research for my trip that I chanced upon your blog. Thanks for the valuable information and tips! Just wanted to ask if you actually bring people on guided trails etc? I’m planning to do the Zhuilu trail in Taroko and am wondering if you would be able to guide?
Thanks a million!
Hi
Sent you an email
Stu
Hi there – great blog! What’s the best city to live in with good access to nature? thanks!
Clare
Probably Taipei or Hualien. Taipei’s in a basin surrounded by mountains and so you can be out of the city in 30mins easily. Hualien is much smaller but great for mountains too.
Just came across your blog. I have just sold my house and switched to working part-time online so that I can spend the next 3-5 years exploring the world by bicycle, foot and packraft.
I am currently decidiing on where I want to go in December 2014-February 2015. I was thinking Myanmar and Hong Kong but might add Taiwan. I won’t have my bicycle with me for this section of my travels … I’ll be focusing on completing some day and overnight hikes. I am eyeing off some long walks in Hong Kong but am going to read your blog in more detail to see which of Taiwan’s hikes and wild hot springs I might like to take on … By the look of your blog Myanmar might need to wait for another time.
I have wanted to visit Taiwan since I saw tourism advertisements for Taiwain on television when I was in China in 2009. And Taiwan probably fits ore into the theme of my September 2014 – May 2015 plans: I am cycling South Korea 21 Sept – 24 Nov and Japan 8 Mar – 12 May. I need to return to my home town in Australia in November and May for 2 weeks each for work.
Food for thought. Thanks for the inspiration.
Could you help me find places to rent hiking equipment? I was interested in doing Jade mountain later this year, but need sleeping bags and a few extra things. Thanks!
I’m from Colorado and traveling to Taipei in the spring and curious to the “dangers” in the woods while camping.
last August I had the chance to travel in Taiwan and it was one of the best surprises!! I had a great time in the island, as I went to Taipei, Tainan and Kaohsiung 🙂 wish to return there! soon I will post some pictures in my page 🙂 regards PedroL
Hey! Short notice but me and my two travel buds are in hualien and looking to make it to the gorge tomorrow and maybe up north to the next national park.
We don’t have sleeping bags- looking for advice on where to find rental gear around here? Thanks!
Trying to buy your English online trail guide but can’t seem to locate it on the IPhone App Store. Can you post a link to it? Love your site. Thanks.
Hey Stu, this is Vincent from germany first of all i want to thankyou for this amazing and well written blog about hiking in beautiful Taiwan. i would like to do snowy mountain at the end of december! Have you ever been up there in wintertime? ´ve been hiking quiet a lot in Taiwan already and i am ready to challenge this mountain! Any tips ? Thx and keep blogging. Cheers Vincent