After spending a few days amongst the hustle and bustle of Taipei it was great to take the opportunity to get out of the city and explore part of the Taroko National Park.
The park was named after the landmark gorge renowned for its canyons, vertical cliffs and waterfalls. For those interested in geology, Taroko Gorge is a fascinating study. According to geologists, this part of Taiwan is rising because of the subduction of the Philippines oceanic plate to the east. However, Geoffrey, a keen tramper and runner was more interested in possible walks in the park and also about possibly returning to run the Tarako Gorge Marathon one day.
We visited the Gorge as part of a 2 day tour which was great as it saved a lot of time dealing with all the practicalities of visiting the area. It’s only about a 2 hour scenic train ride from Taipei so it’s an easy and convenient place to visit.
Major highlights were the Eternal Spring Shrine, the Tunnel of nine turns, and the Baiyang waterfall trail. There’s a wealth of information at the Part Visitor Centre.
There’s a big range of accommodation options available at Hualien and we elected to treat ourselves and stay at one of the nearby 5 star hotels. There was also plenty to do at night with the famous Hualien Dongdamen Tourist Night Market (the largest night market in Taiwan) close by.
If you would like more information about this destination please contact me.
