Ben's Guide to Taipei and Taiwan

Original post on Fulong can be found here: http://taipeiguide.blogspot.com/2006/05/camping-at-fulong-beach.html I was hesitant to stay at such a large campsite but it is spread out enough that if it is not at full capacity it is a very nice campsite with good facilities. Most of the camp sites have some shade, but some more than others. Most have picnic tables. The bathroom and camp sites are reasonably clean. There is a pedestrian and bike only area with wooden tent platforms. There are old Carrefour shopping carts that can be used to push your gear from the car to the camp site. There are also drive in camp sites which were more popular. There are a limited number of cabins with private bath. There is a a bath and toilet house with hot water, a camp store selling very basic supplies (including flashlights, batteries, stoves, stove fuel, bottled water, 2 brands of beer, ice, Coke), a large covered picnic area (which some people also use to camp out of the rain). There is a walking/bi...

Sanxia can be reached by car or scooter on Highway 110. From Taipei County, Zhonghe City, AnPing Rd, go South into Xindian, and this will become Highway 110. Watch for signs toward Sanxia and Yingge. Queens Town campground is a large private riverside park in Sanxia. They have a swimming pool, restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, river access, hiking trail access, a small general store with only bare essentials, picnic areas with shade tents, and campsites, There are a few cabins with more under construction. Every campsite has parking, electricity, water, and large wooden platforms. Most campsites lack picnic tables and privacy. To reach Queens Town, from Taipei on Highway 110 turn left at the 33 km marker. There are other campsites in the area, including at least one which offers paint ball gun games. Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sansia

Tealit Directions

Taroko National Park / 太魯閣國家公園 / Tàilǔgé gúojiā gōngyuán Taroko is one of the must see sites in Taiwan. Winding along a mountain pass on one side the cliff goes straight down to the river and on the other side straight up. This is definitely at minimum a weekend trip, but a long weekend would be more realistic. Free camping was available, although this may have changed. In 2005 sites were available with parking, wooden tent platforms, and toilet facilities. The only thing missing was hot water. Also in 2005 the hotsprings were closed indefinitely after falling rocks killed and injured visitors. Taroko is an excellent site to drive if you have a car. If you are more adventurous, you can take the train and then rent a motor scooter. Depending on which shop you go to, you may or may not have a problem renting without a Taiwan driver's license. The closest larger city is Hualian. This is where many people stay and do day trips into Taroko. They have all of the necessities and luxuries ...

Pinglin is on Highway 9. From Xindian 新店 it is 26 km to Pinglin 坪林 and 47 km to Yilan 宜蘭. Allow about 1 hour from Xindian if traveling by scooter. From Taipei go South on Roosevelt Road ( 羅斯福路 Luósīfú Lù) . When you cross the river into Xindian, the name will change to Bei Shin Road but the road remains the same. Where you would turn right to go to Wulai, you will continue straight and the road will become Hwy. 9. Once you are out of Xindian you will start to climb the mountain hills. Roads can have dangerously sharp curves but traffic is not bad as many cars will use the freeway. To get to the campsites in Pinglin take Highway 9 from Xindian towards Pinglin. If you reach the town of Pinglin you have gone a few km too far. Near the 35.5 km road marker there will be a road turning to the right and going downhill. There will be some signs in Chinese only pointing to various attractions. Following the road you will round a bend and cross a bridge with a Chinese arch over it. You will trav...

Camping in Pinglin 7/22/2006 I must say, Roxie and I have a nice division of labor on these trips. I'm in charge of the camping gear and she's in charge of the food. I think I got the better deal. We started with some jazz, an ice cold beer, and a dip in the river. Roxie has determined that a beer can be in the freezer for 3 hours without exploding, so Saturday morning before departure that's where they went, then the beer took the place of the ice to keep the meat cool. While the fire was heating up, we had fruit salad. Then with the camp stove we boiled potatoes while heating up some buttered garlic bread, each slice was separated by a think slice of salami. This was wrapped in foil and placed on the edge of the grill. Then came the chicken wings and lettuce wrapped steak. Then the potatoes were put in a disposable foil pan with some seasoning and a lot of cheese. After this we needed to take a break before cooking the bigger steak. Roxie felt the...

If arriving in Pinglin on Highway 9 from Xindian. On the far side of town is highway 北42 (bei3/north 42). The road continues all the way to Taipei entering Muzha, but this is very much a secondary highway. The road is narrow, barely wide enough for two cars to pass and no center line or shoulders. Many of the sharp switchback turns have wide angle mirrors but many do not. It would be a nice country drive if you didn't have to worry about a car around every blind corner. There are several campsites available near the 4, 13, and 15 km markers of 北42. At the 4 km marker there are two campsites. At the 13 km marker there is one campsite and the road to 黑龍潭 hēi lóng tán . At the 15 km marker there is one site. Of the two sites at the 4 km marker, the first has nicer bathroom facilities. The second has nicer riverside campsites, but the toilet and bathing facilites are more rugged. The bathrooms do have hot water showers, but they were a bit dark and dirty. They also have a teahouse w...

Fulong Beach is on the northeast coast. The China Post definitely gives a feel good review but Fulong is a nice area. The beach is clean, but the lifeguards are overprotective and the designated swimming area is very shallow. Camping is available near the beach inside the park. There is an entrance fee to enter the park and another fee for camping. There is a toilet and shower house, which are reasonably clean. The problem is that the campsite is just a field. There is no shade, so if you go in the summer you can expect to be cooked alive in your tent when the sun comes up in the morning. There is a convenience store located within the park. Another option is Longmen campsite , which boasts that it can accommodate 1600 campers. I did not check this out as there is an admission fee to use the park for the day or you can pay to stay the night. I imagine this might be a nice spot in the off-season, but if I want 1600 neighbors I will stay in Taipei. 4/2011: Updated Post can be fou...

Bai Sha Wan 白沙灣 literally translates as white sand beach. This is a nice beach on the North coast, almost the northern most point in Taiwan, and is an easy day trip from Taipei. You can rent shade tents for $250, showers after your swim are $20. Entrance to the beach is free. Even during the summer season it is not too crowded. From Danshui MRT Station, cross the street to the bus stop which has a shack with a ticket window. You may need to ask for assistance as to which bus to get on, as Bai Sha Wan is not a final destination for the buses that run this route. Taipei Site Seeing Index: http://taipeiguide.blogspot.com/2006/05/sites-in-taipei-city.html Update July 2010 : From Bus Station in Danshui you can take the following buses: Bus 1261 to San Zhi, 1262 to Jin Shan, 1263 to Keelung. Bai Sha Wan is located in San Zhi Township, bus 1261 will make its final stop there. You can use your Easy Card or buy a ticket at the little shack that passes for a bus station. Beach tents now cost...

Update 2007 : In July 2007 the gondola began providing access from the Taipei Zoo. This gondola will be under the same management as the MRT and you may use your Easy Card. From the Taipei Zoo MRT, exit and walk about a block to the gondola entry. This is the opposite direction from the zoo entrance. This will definitely cause Zhinan temple and the tea houses near the gondola station to see a lot more traffic, but the less accessable tea houses will probably keep their character. Official Website 貓空 māo kōng is one of Taipei’s best-kept secrets. This is a small mountain lined with tea houses overlooking Taipei. It is not crowded and offers a nice escape from the city. There is an excellent view of Taipei city, both day and night, and on the same mountain is the impressive Zhinan Temple (sometimes spelled Chihnan Temple). Mao Kong is located in Taipei’s Muzha district, which is on the southeast corner of the city. From Gongguan or Wanfang Hospital MRT Stations, take bus 236 ...

Wulai 烏來 The Wulai Falls are not Niagara Falls, but are a nice waterfall and an easy day trip out of Taipei. While the scenery is beautiful, there can be a lot of tourists and vendors to remind you that the city is not far away. In addition to the waterfall there are hot springs here and some scenic areas along the riverside. There is a mini-train that can take you to the base of the waterfall. The cost is $50. There is also a cable car that goes to the top of the falls. At the top are some really lame amusement park rides and games, a hotel, and some good hiking trails where you can leave the crowd behind. Wulai Hotsprings 烏來溫泉 wūlái wēnquán There are many spas and hotels in Wulai where you can pay to play in the hot springs or you can enjoy open air hot springs along the riverside. Spas offer communal baths, private rooms, or both. The communal baths are sometimes separated by sex, and are sometimes co-ed. The free pools can be crowded and get dirty quickly, but you definitely g...

Toucheng 頭城 is located on the east coast near Yilan 宜蘭 and in Yilan County 宜蘭縣. From Xindian 新店 follow Highway 9 towards Pinglin and Yilan to the coastal flat land. When you cross the mountains and are on the coastal flat lands you will follow the signs to the north (left) away from Yilan which is to the south. Once in Toucheng another clearly marked road sign will direct you to the Toucheng Seaside Park. It is roughly 60 km so allow at least 2 hours from Xindian if traveling by scooter or car. From Taipei go South on Roosevelt Road. When you cross the river into Xindian, the name will change to Bei Xin Road but the road remains the same. Where you would turn right to go to Wulai, you will continue straight and the road will become Hwy. 9. Once you are out of Xindian you will start to climb the mountain hills. Roads can have dangerously sharp curves. Much of the road has little or no shoulder to drive on. The beach is not the greatest for swimming or sunbathing but it is ok for wading...