Blind trust. It never came easily to me. I’ve always relied on questions to have a better understanding of any situation. I think: it’s an innate need to be in control of uncertainty and also have a better grip on my anxiety. I was scared of dentists and the dark I was scared of pretty…
Read MoreReflections of a Travel Blogger
Over the past couple of years, our blog has meant many things. There were times when the blog meant everything to me. I’d spend hours writing posts, getting likes, chasing followers, participating in challenges, and leaving random comments on the blogosphere. The highs and lows weren’t always easy to deal with. I was destined for…
Read MoreThe Best Sights & Experiences of Taipei City
Taipei is a bustling city with a heady mix of natural beauty, spiritualism, and national monuments. The local gastronomy is diverse and famous for its unique ‘Q’ texture. It’s the best entry point to start any trip in Taiwan and proves to be a good base for day trips. We visited Taiwan in the month…
Read MoreOn a Culinary Trail Across Taiwan
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 &…
Read MoreCycling in Hualien (Inter-beach Bike Trail)
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…
Read MoreWalking Along Qixingtan Pebbled Beach
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…
Read MoreDiscovering Hidden Gems in Taroko National Park
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…
Read MoreSunrise at Taiwan’s Hehuan Mountain
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…
Read MoreA Walk Among the Clouds in Qingjing (Cingjing) Farm
Getting There We checked out immediately after our morning cycling tour of Sun Moon Lake. There aren’t any direct buses from Sun Moon Lake to Qingjing (Cingjing) Farm. So, we bought our ticket to Puli Bus Terminal (at the Shuishe Visitor Centre), and at Puli (above), we bought tickets to Qingjing Farm. We had to…
Read MoreCycling Around Sun Moon Lake (Shuishe Pier-Toushe Dam)
Sunrise at Sun Moon Lake It was our fifth day in Taiwan and Qingjing/Cingjing Farm (a mountain town) was the next destination on our itinerary. Basil woke up early to watch the sun rise over the cascading mountains of Sun Moon Lake. I skipped sunrise for sleep and to conserve my energy for the travels…
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