It’s me again!!! I know everyone should have heard of TAROKO PARK (the one in Taiwan) before. You usually need to apply for the entry permit to enter some specific places inside the park since some of the spots have daily tourist entry quota. For the application of entry permit, you can go to this web for more information: https://npm.cpami.gov.tw/en/
No matter how lazy you are, you need to check the availability of the hiking trails the day before your trip as some of the trails will be closed because of weather conditions or other safety issue. Though I have to admit I am a lazy person, I also did look up some information on their official website : http://old.taroko.gov.tw/English/
My friends were so surprised that I could go to Taroko Park for a day trip because this park was really so far away from Taipei. The trip was so hectic as I needed to wake up earlier (as the departure time was 7:30 am) to get on (1) the shuttle bus to Luodong from Dapinglin station (the green line of metro); and (2) take the railway to Hualien from Luodong train station. After reaching Hualien, I purchased a day pass for taking bus to Taroko Park. That bus terminal was located at the orange building which was right opposite to the train station. For that day pass, I could take the bus multiple times – getting on and off at different spots – after paying the lump-sum amount. For a tourist like me, it was definitely so convenient as I didn’t have to count how much I should pay for when I needed to take a ride on bus. The one day pass cost NTD250. Of course you could choose to pay for each ride if you have had a concrete plan about which parts you would go which made the cost of paying separately would be cheaper than paying lump-sum. Alright, for more bus service information, you may check it out here: http://www.taiwantrip.com.tw/bus/19?x=4&y=1
As I only spent a day at Tarok, I didn’t have time to go to all the spots. My friend and I just decided to go to Taroko the night before so we didn’t apply for entry permit either. However; if you were getting there for a day, you would have so much fun even without the entry permit. For our plan, we just went to Tianxiang(天祥), Lushui(綠水) and Yanzikou(燕子口).
(1) Tianxiang
It was the last station of the bus route and there were some restaurants so it was a nice resting spots if you wanted to look for food during your trip.
(2) Lushui
There was a hiking trail at this place. The entrance of the hiking trail was not that close to the bus stop that you got off. The signage there was unexpectedly less, so you really needed to pay attention to see if there were some people also seeking for the entrance XD. For us, it was kind of lucky that we saw a group of people were walking at the mountain side so we knew the entrance should be somewhere around.
For this hiking trail, you would be walking along the cliff lol… form a higher level, you would be able to enjoy the riverside view and also the mountain view clearly. It was quite amazing that you couldn’t find the end of the landscape. YES, literally you were embraced by the mountains that you couldn’t find the ending point.
Just a friendly reminder that you would have to walk through a short tunnel and it was like completely dark inside. For a person like me who have night blindness, be ready for the torch function of your phone before getting in 😐
(3) Yanzikou
Personally, I think Yanzikou is a place more about rock fragments and the river. One point to be noted was that you’d better borrow the helmet before getting the trail of Yanzikou. There were a lot of signs told you there would be rock fragments fallen from the mountain. Just for your safety issue merely even you bought the travel insurance lol. Below I attached a few photos to give you guys a general idea about how Yanzikou looked like:
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You would find the rocks there had different layers of color. For me, the most impressive part would be the trickle of the stream. I have always stay at city and it was definitely a good experience that I could hear the sound of the water. Everything here could give you a peaceful mind, and also impress you the greatness of mother NATURE.
If I got much more time, I would like to go to the places where require the entry permit. Okay, someday I may update the Taroko trip again hopefully. Life is about having adventure all the time. Don’t stop traveling, GUYS! Travel can make you stay young and healthy (both physically and mentally!)
Nostalgia Moment: On My Way 