Cycling at Sun Moon Lake

7 Jan 2016

Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) is reputed to have one of the top 10 best cycling trails in the world. Cycling on this trail was one of the planned activity for our stay during this trip. Our minsu (B&B) host from Mei Jen House told us the Merida shop (one of the recommended bicycle rental place) is located near the big car and bus park behind the minsu.

On our way to the car park, we were approached by a staff from a bicycle rental shop so we stopped to check it out. The friendly lady staff quoted us 200 NT for 2 hours rental per bicycle which was what I had read and expected to be the going rates. And we got to choose any bike in the shop that we fancied.

The last time we cycled was a few years ago while staying at Banyan Tree Phuket where the resort provided free bicycles for us to move within its vast premises. We are not experienced cyclists. We spent some time to try out a few bicycles and also to polish up our rusty skills before finalising the rental. The staff even suggested we take a doubles bike, seeing that one of us (ahem…wonder who) is not so steady but I have confidence that we could both cycle on our own.

We selected a mountain bike for men and a smaller bike with a basket in front for women.

Map given by the shop. Recommended cycling route is marked is light green colour. More experienced cyclists could cycle round the lake within a day but the mountain roads are narrow and curvy. Not a good idea for novices.

Selecting our bike in the shop, along with other customers as well. Business was good on a nice day like today.

Using a Sun Moon Lake cycling trail map, the staff briefed us on the recommended route. She told us it typically takes about 75 minutes non-stop to go to the end of the route and back.  We figured that we will take longer than that and 2 hours rental sounded just right, with some stops along the way for photography.

Once the paperwork was done, 400 NT rental fees paid, we set off on the trail which starts at the car park. 50 metres along the trail, we saw the Merida bike rental shop.  So, we did not rent from Merida after all.

The trail from Shuishe Pier to the Shuishe Dam was relatively flat and easy. Some parts of the trail was on a boardwalk over the turquoise lake. All along the trail, nice views of the lake and mountains in the background could be seen. Thankfully, the weather was perfect for this activity, cloudy, cool, low humidity with some blue sky to be seen through the clouds. No sweat even with the exertions.

Since this was a weekday, the trail was not congested with walkers and bikers. It was a pleasant and fast ride to the dam where we made a brief stop for photos.

Quite interesting to watch people enjoying themselves and taking selfies and group photos.

For safety reasons, there was a sign instructing bikers to dismount and walk across the dam. Some bikers just don’t understand this and put themselves and others at risks by cycling across the dam.

After the dam, the trail slopes a little and we soon came to 2 nice bridges. The white Tongxin Bridge‘s design is based on the 4-hand dipnet used by the Thao tribe for lake fishing. Similar to what I saw and photographed earlier this morning. TongXin means “Together heart” and this bridge is a popular location for shooting wedding photos.

TongXin Bridge along the cycling trail.

The 54m long and 3m wide steel curvy Yongjie Bridge.

There was a good rest area and flower garden just after the bridges.  This garden had some trees in Autumn colours even though it was Winter in Taiwan!.

Nice romantic spot for couples.

The XiangShan Visitor Centre(向山遊客中心) is just after this small park. The building has a nice architecture and is on higher ground, overlooking the lake. This is a nice place for a lunch break. 

We started out at 10 AM and by the time we reached the XiangShan Visitor Centre, it was about noon.

Xiangshan Visitor Center.

Nice architecture of the Xiangshan Visitor Center offers a few photo opportunities.

Lunch time at the cafeteria - We chose to sit outdoor to enjoy the views and fresh air,

Taking photo of the lake and TongXIn Bridge, next to the infinity pool at Xiangshan Visitor Center.

The cafeteria was quite popular. It was relatively empty when we first arrived but soon got crowded as the lunch time approaches. Lunch was Taiwan beef noodle soup and special brew Sun Moon Lake coffee.

Taiwan Beef Noodle Soup.

Sun Moon Lake coffee.

After lunch, our next stop was the Xiangshan Scenic Outlook. This was a detour off the main trail but it was worth the short ride to go see it.

Cantilever structure of the XIangshan Scenic Lookout Point.

The lookout point was built on a steel cantilevered structure, hinged and supported by a cable. It actually moved a little with load, and made us feel as if we were standing on a diving board over the lake. It offered 270 degree views of the lake, the Shuishe Dam and the Qinglong mountain with the Cien Pagoda and temples we visited yesterday.

After enjoying this engineering marvel, we backtracked to the Xiangshan Visitor Centre and continued on the trail. The trail at this stretch was more undulating and steeper. We had to get off our bikes for some steeper uphill stretches. It was actually not bad to get down to push the bikes as our butts were beginning to feel the effects of the hard saddle.

There were lesser bikers and walkers on this stretch of the trail. We made another stop at the Toushe Dam to enjoy the nice views and peacefulness of  the surroundings.

Resting by the trail at Toushe Dam. Shueshe Village could be seen in far distance.

We soon came to the end of the recommended trail. By now, we had way exceeded our 2 hour rental period but no worries…we were enjoying ourselves, so we were prepared to pay more for the rental extension.

We saw some flowers that looked like Cherry or Plum Blossom on our way back.

The word on the road means SLOW in Chinese. It was slow going, pushing the bike up the slope.

By the time we arrived back at the rental shop in Shuishe Pier, it was just after 3 PM. The nice friendly lady staff said something like “ you guys are really super riders huh..” in Chinese; half in jest and possibly half in relief to see us back safely. We were 3 hours late.  We returned the bikes to her, collected my deposit and part ways. She said goodbye to us and did not charge us a single cent more for the time extension. So nice of her and her colleagues at the shop. 

A good way to relax after the cycling was to chill in a pier-side restaurant and enjoy some desserts and hot tea. And watched the hordes of tourists and day trippers coming and going at Shuishe Pier.

Waffles and Fruit at a restaurant next to Shuishe Pier.

View of Shuishe Pier from the restaurant.

Just then, the rain clouds rolled in and provided some intermittent rain. Thankfully, the rain soon stopped and we were able to spend some time browsing through the few souvenir shops near the pier before walking back to our minsu to freshen up before dinner.

Where we stayed at Sun Moon Lake:

Mei Jen House is a small minsu (homestay or B&B) located near Shuishe Pier and bus station providing clean rooms and nice Taiwanese breakfast. In mornings with good weather, the owner brings guests to the best spot by the lake to photograph the sunrise.

Check the latest availability and prices.

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A day in Taichung City with visits to YiZhong Street and Feng Chia Night Market

8 January 2016

We travelled to Taichung City after two nights stay at Sun Moon Lake. The day began with rain at dawn washing away my hope for another sunrise photo-shoot at dawn. So it meant we could sleep late and enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the Mei Jen House minsu before taking the Nantou Bus to the Taichung HSR Station. From there, we took a taxi to the Kun Hotel, our hotel in Taichung. The hotel was chosen because it is located within walking distance to the Feng Chia Night Market.

There is plenty of taxi queuing up for passengers at the HSR station and travel to the hotel via the highway was fast and convenient. Fare was about 260 NT which was reasonable. We were too early for check-in and the hotel staff stowed our luggage away at the hotel so we could go sightseeing without our luggage. We took a taxi to YiZhong Street, known for shopping, cafes and street food.

It was just before noon and the stalls and shops were beginning to open for business. We walked from one end of the street to the other end, junction of JinNan Street, before backtracking along the YiZhong Street to decide on a restaurant for lunch. During this time, students from the nearby Taichung University of Science and Technology began streaming into the cafes and streets for lunch. We sat, amongst mostly students, in a restaurant selling steak, egg and noodles served on a sizzling hotplate.

View of YiZhong Steet near where we alighted from the taxi.

After lunch, we sampled our first Taiwanese street food and did some shopping while exploring the side roads in the area.

Dog, creatively “painted” with leopard spots.

Once tired of walking, we took a taxi back to Kun Hotel for check-in and took a rest before going to the night market. We got upgraded to a slightly bigger room on the top floor. We were quite satisfied with the room which came with complimentary soft drinks, mineral water, tea and coffee, kettle and even an electronic WC with seat warmers like those commonly found in Korea and Japan.

Feng Chia Night Market is about 10 minutes walk from the Kun Hotel. Along the way, there were shops to browse as we walked along FuXing Road to the edge of the night market. Time for more street food in this famous night market. In my last trip here, I had a bad experience with street food. So, have to be careful what to eat this time.

We took the courage to try the stinky tofu. The deep fried version which is not so stinky and actually was quite good with the crispy deep fried exterior, moist interior with sweet and tangy dipping sauce.

Stall selling the deep fried stinky tofu.

Our first course – stinky tofu.

“Big Intestine Wrapped Small Intestine” stall.

Next up was the “Big Intestine Wrapped Small Intestine” – basically grilled sweet pork sausage wrapped in a glutinous rice bun. There are two famous competing stalls here – the red stall vs the yellow stall. Both are equally good according to reviews, so we just bought from the yellow stall.

Feng Chia Night Market (and Taiwanese Night Markets) are all about cheap and excellent street food.  So much to eat, so little space in our tummy. So we had to be selective and pick those with good reviews in the internet.

Grilled Squid. It takes some skill to not overcook the thick squid. There were a few types of spices to choose for flavouring.

Yummy grilled squid.

Fried Oyster Omelete – this was good. Cost 60 NT. Taiwanese oyster omelette comes fried with fresh vegetable, oysters and sweet sauce.

Fried Chicken with salad as featured in a local TV show – this is not bad.

Grilled Sweet Corn  as featured in a local TV show. We have to take a number and queue for the corn to be prepared – but the taste was disappointing.

On the way back to hotel, we saw a stall selling oven baked buns filled with braised pork along the main road (FuXing Road). The buns were made by hand, stuck and cooked on the sides of clay oven. Interesting.

The cylindrical drums are the oven.

Even though we had ate a lot, we had to buy one for 40 NT to try!

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From Taichung to Taipei and seeking the best beef noodles in Taipei at Yong Kang Street

9 January 2016

After Taichung, we took the High Speed Rail (HSR) to Taipei and checked into our hotel in Taipei (CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch III), located within 10 minutes walk from the Taipei Main Station. Once again, we left our luggage with the friendly staff at the hotel, since it was too early for check in, and go explore Taipei. Prior to the trip, I had researched on where are the best beef noodles restaurants in Taipei. Top of the list includes the Yong Kang Beef Noodles.

To get to the restaurant, we took the subway to Dongmen Station and walked a short distance to the restaurant. The restaurant is actually on Lane 31, JinSan South Street, next to a school. Easy to find with help of google map.

This was what we came for!  Best Beef Noodle. Extra soft beef in thick and slightly spicy Szechuan-style sauce.

It was about 1.20 PM, slightly after the peak lunch time but there is still a queue outside. The line moves fast since everyone comes here for the food, not the ambience. It is order food, eat and then leave. No time to linger in this rather packed and busy restaurant.

Queue outside the Yong Kang Beef Noodle restaurant.

The following are the recommended side dishes to try before the beef noodles were served.

Braised tofu.

After enjoying the nicest beef noodles so far in our trip, we walked to the main Yong Kang Street where people were crowding round the Smoothie House stall selling Mango Shaved Ice. Nice dessert to have after a Beef Noodle lunch.

Preparing the dessert using a ice shaving machine.

Mango Shave Ice dessert at Smoothie House.

Where we stayed at Taipei?

We chose to stay within walking distance to the Taipei Main Station for convenience. It is a transportation hub for regional and local trains, High Speed Rail (HSR), all the subway lines, airport limousine bus and buses to nearby towns. There are also many malls and eateries nearby.

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Dogs of Taiwan at Yong Kang Park

9 January 2016

Yong Kang Street has many shops, eateries and cafes but what caught our attention while exploring this area was the dogs of Taiwan. There was an event or dog show at the Yong Kang Park, so the dogs of Taiwan are out in numbers, dressed in their Sunday best.

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Climb Elephant Hill or Xiangshan (象山) and get an excellent view of Taipei 101

9 Jan 2016

Xiangshan (象山) or Elephant Hill is one of the peaks near to the iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper and is one of the best place to get a good view of it. The other peaks are also named after animals (Tiger, Leopard etc) and the Elephant peak is the recommended one to go for as it is most easily accessed.

We planned to get to top just before sunset and spent some time there to see the city lights after the sun had set. Getting there was relatively easy by the subway. Nearest station is the aptly named Xiangshan (象山) Station.

Just follow the sign to the trailhead at Lane 150, XinYi Road.

Once out of station, we saw a park and signs pointing us to the trailhead, just next to a temple. There are many trails leading to the top of the hill. The trail was all about stairs and more stairs!

Trail map at the start of the Elephant Hill trail.

This cute terrier is accompanying its owner up to the peak as well.

The climb to the peak was not too difficult although it is mostly stairs. Along the way, glimpse of Taipei 101 could be seen and there were lookout points to take some photos of the building and the city.  It took us less than an hour to walk from the train station to the trailhead and climbed to the peak, including stops along the way to take photos.

Taipei 101 as seen near a lookout point at the early part of the trail.

Weekend could be crowded at some parts of the trail nearer to the top.

A popular spot to view Taipei 101 on Elephant Hill is where there are some huge boulders. Keen photographers were already perched on the top of the some of the boulders when we arrived. These guys were quite serious with their DSLR and tripods. I was not going to risk life and limb to be on top of these rocks, so we continued on the trail to one of the many lookout points. Finally we settled down at the edge of one of the lookout points and waited for the darkness to set in and the city to light up.

Taipei 101 as seen from Elephant Hill.

Hazy view of the city as as the sun sets.

Elephant motif on the railing with Taipei 101 in the background.

Watching the sun set and the waiting for the city lights.

Thankfully we had our windbreakers and jackets with us as the wind picked up a bit and it got a bit chilly as the sky darkens.

View of Taipei City at night as we made our way back down.

We could have stayed longer to appreciate the views and carnival-like atmosphere at the hilltop but hunger triggered us to go search for dinner.  As we made our way down the hill, more visitors were making their way up to the top.  The trail was well lit at night and was quite safe for walking. In no time, we were back at the Xiangshan train station where we took the train to the Shida Night Market located in the vicinity.

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