Stories from the other side.
Last October, we set out on a 10-day journey across Taiwan. Our trip started from Taipei City in the north and we clubbed the towns of Jiufen & Shifen (northeast) on one of our day trips. Next, we travelled to the west coast (Taichung) and passed through the hill towns of Sun Moon Lake &…
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Exploring Village Roads It had been a long and eventful day. We had explored Sanbangsan and the yellow canola fields. We had also walked along Yongmeori Geo Trail A and got a sneak peek of Geo Trail C. After a quick meal at a local cafe, we walked back to our pension house. The roads…
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Liang-tan (Inter-beach) Bike Trail Cycling is one of the hottest activities to pursue in Taiwan. We got a small taste of it at Sun Moon Lake (Shuishe Pier-Toushe Dam) and hoped to repeat our experience in Hualien. Hualien County lies on the east coast of the country and is home to the stunning Qixingtan Beach. We picked…
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Jeju Island is a creation of intense volcanic activity and the sea. Long sandy coastlines, dense forests, parasitic cones (oreums), cascading waterfalls, and South Korea’s pride: Hallasan, dominate this natural gem — situated off the coast of the Korean Peninsula. Not surprisingly, Jeju is one of the ‘New 7 Wonders of Nature’. But, very few foreign…
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Getting There Sanbangsan (Mountain) is situated on the southern tip of Jeju Island. There are many buses that connect Jeju-si (north) to Seogwipo-si (south). We took Bus No. 600 from Jeju International Airport and got off at Changcheon-ri bus stop. In hindsight, it was a mistake to get off at that bus stop. We had…
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Timing is everything in chasing cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms typically bloom in the last week of March in Jeju Island. The local tourism site (VisitJeju) is the best place to get regular updates on the forecast and help you plan your trip. Canola flowers bloom around the same time and last longer than cherry blossoms.…
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Getting Around Jeju Folklore & Natural History Museum (Tour Course 4) Travelling in Jeju can be tricky if you haven’t figured out the right transportation. Unlike Seoul (or other big cities) which has a dense subway network and timely buses; Jeju’s more laid-back and endorses ‘slow-travel’ (천천히). Time can literally stand still when you’re waiting…
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The View from Hotel Bayview, Xincheng Township, Hualien We reached Hotel Bayview in the afternoon. It had been a long ride from Qingjing Farm to Qixingtan Beach in Hualien. The hotel staff were kind enough to allow us to check-in before time. We were hungry and hadn’t eaten lunch yet. But those views from the…
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Road Map It’s difficult to find transportation from Qingjing (Cingjing) Farm to Hualien. Tourism buses or trains don’t connect these two points — located on either side of Taroko National Park. Taxi drivers (from Cingjing) don’t like the journey because of constant road blocks, unpredictable weather, and empty rides back to Cingjing. The manager of…
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Getting There It isn’t easy reaching Hehuan Mountain by public transport because local tourism buses don’t connect Qingjing Farm to Hehuan Mountain. Cabs can be quite expensive and not easy to find. Our B&B owner arranged a morning sunrise tour to Hehuan Mountain for us. We’d share the ride with 7 other passengers. Stargazing We…
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