From Taipei we took a train to Hualien, on the east coast of Taiwan. We rented motorbikes to drive less than one hour to Taroko National Park, easily accessible via one uncrowded highway. You don't have to pay an entrance fee to go to Taroko. You are free to hike, drive, and explore on your own. The highlight was definitely an area of the park called "Swallow Grotto." It's a place where the road going through the park twists and turns, hugging the cliffs, and around every corner is another brilliant photo op. We stopped so many times to take pics!
A man-made highlight of the park was the Eternal Spring Shrine, a memorial built for the 212 people who died while constructing the highway during 1956-1960. The shrine has been destroyed by landslides twice, and was most recently rebuilt in 1989. The name comes from the waterfall, which is eternally flowing.
After visiting the main area of the park, we drove outside down the highway to see the Qingshui Cliffs, huge cliffs that just drop into the ocean below.
Taroko was definitely the highlight of our trip to Taiwan, and is not to be missed. The best way to see it is by motorbike. Taking a tour bus will not allow you to have time to appreciate the sights, and you won't be able to pull over around every twist of the road to take photos. Walking through the park is not practical since it's huge and you won't cover all the space. This place should be on every nature-lover's travel list.
VERY impressive!
ReplyDeleteIt really was! After the first short hike we did we were wondering what the hype was, but once we drove further into the park it got better and better!
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