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.
Visit Ata Aboriginal Culture Craft to watch handmade glass bead creation and to buy textiles, bead art and leather goods. Hawaii Resort Hotel offers 3-star accommodation in Taitung City. Guests can also make use of complimentary Wi-Fi during their stay. I’m glad that we allocated one day at Sun Moon Lake as it was quite an enjoyable experience – we’d 台東必買 intentionally avoided the touristy spots such as Shuishe Pier. I still recall how our car spent an hour crawling towards Longteng bridge when it was right before our eyes, like just a few hundred metres away. I could reach there so much quicker by walking but couldn’t abandon our car along the single-lane rural road without further worsening the jam.

Now a stable, liberal democracy, Taiwan sees the occasional street protest, especially in Taipei, where placard-carrying activists rally against everything from China's claims on Taiwan to nuclear power plants. Fringed by temple-speckled hills, Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan's largest body of fresh water - and a romantic spot for a cruise. Formed by the collision of two major tectonic plates, tremor-prone Taiwan is dotted with bubbling, soothing springs. Some are public baths; others are housed in five-star resorts on the island's rugged green alpine spine, which sports more than 200 climbable peaks over 3000 metres; the highest being 3952-metre Mount Yushan .
It was a great way to end our visit to Santa Isabel Province before moving on to Malaita. ’ Eager to be on the move to catch the early morning birdlife, the birders landed at Lubiria logging camp on San Jorge Island, ready for an energetic walk to track down the endemic species of the island. This comfortable hotel in Taitung City offers complimentary wireless internet, as well as a shared kitchen and luggage storage.
Once you find a table and flick through a restaurant or café menu, you'll realise that pork and chicken are a few ingredients commonly used in local cooking. There's no better way to understand a destination than to literally take a bite out of it! You're invited to explore Taitung County by dining on some of its most tantalizing food and drink. Taitung sits 40 kilometres away from Chishang and is an important part of the local area. Surrounding sights include the National Museum of Prehistory, the Taitung Railway Art Village and the Fu An Gong. Hop in the car and journey to Yushan National Park, 45 kilometres away from Chishang.

Visitors can also see an array of Toyota cars, including environmentally friendly vehicles, plug-in hybrids and even electric Toyota cars such as the ‘Mirai’, the hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle which generates its own power. There is also an exhibit area where they showcase the various mechanisms for cars, showcasing how cars are designed and teaching children traffic safety in fun and interactive games. For that behind the scene’s experience, you can even partake in guided tours. The secondary forest along the track was full of birds and we quickly added Dark-brown Honeyeater, Fan-tailed Gerygone, and Shining Bronze-Cuckoo to the trip list. During the hike up to the village we noticed a promising fruiting tree and saw a suspicious fruit-dove fly in.
When it's time to fly off, allow yourself extra time to get to Kaohsiung International Airport . Sitting 110 kilometres to the southwest from downtown Chishang, this is the closest terminal. If you can't imagine a holiday that doesn't involve sports, check what events are on at Taitung  Stadium.

This comfortable hotel in Taitung City offers complimentary Wi-Fi, as well as a coffee bar and a wake-up service. It provides 3.5-star accommodation with air-conditioned rooms. Breakfast with a view again at a B&B in CingjingShortly into the drive, it started drizzling. By the time we reached Hehuanshan an hour later, the weather was still bad with on-off rain . So many bento sets to choose from, at 7-11 in TaiwanOur final destination was Cingjing, a popular highland where people mostly visit to feed sheep and enjoy great mountain views. Breakfast with a view at Hu Yue Lakeview HotelWe checked out of Hu Yue Lakeview Hotel and started our real sightseeing tour of Sun Moon Lake.
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.

Trumpet fish were present stalking prey along the reef, with one lucky snorkeler witnessing their suction capture technique on a smaller unsuspecting fish. Some species were quite inquisitive including redfin butterflyfish, and perhaps too inquisitive, the piano fang blenny which attempted to take a nibble of a snorkeler. Goatfish were abundant actively searching the bottom with their barbels (‘whiskers’ beneath their chins) for food and humphead banner fish cruised across the reef.
Alan Chou our tour guide was fantastic....informative and took care of all our questions and concerns. Hotel where all 5 star and a couple had hot springs in our room. You get to see beautiful coastlines, mountains and Taroko Gorge. Don't hesitate to take tour as it is a great way to see the best of the island for a great price. Our driver, Eason was experience and smooth, making you feel safe on the twisty roads. However, it would be nice if we can spent  more time in other interesting places in Kaohsiung.