Yuanzuishan: Taipei's Alpine Ridge Hike

One of five ridge hikes accessible from Taipei, Yuanzuishan's altitude gives it a defining characteristic from the others and makes it an instant favorite. The 4-6 hour hike is tucked inside the Snow Mountain Range outside Taichung, resting between 2,000 to 3,000 meters above sea level. So, climbers are rewarded with the smell of pine trees and cooler mountain weather as opposed to the dense undergrowth and humidity of jungle trekking. Rhododendron bushes also line the path, making it a beautiful hike for early springtime.

This super fun climb shares all of the same defining characteristics as other more accessible knife-edge ridge hikes: ropes, rock scrambles, repels and stunning views of surrounding mountains. I would say gloves are optional depending on how callused your hands already are. I finally had to put mine on during the descent down from the ridge. However, sun protection is a must as much of this hike completely exposed.

Long lines on weekends mean that climbers can get stuck in uninterrupted sun for hours. My partner and I made great time, passing other groups and hikers, but the lines for the ropes down caught us and added at least an hour to our trek, which was spent sitting between the rocks and chatting with others about trekking bucket lists and favorite trails.

One would think that this hike's lack of public transport and distance from the city would make it less popular, but sadly this is not the case. Try to avoid Saturday and Sunday if possible unless you don't mind scenarios like the one described in the previous paragraph. Also avoid rainy, windy weather. There are better ways to die than by slipping on a wet rock from the top of this ridge.

There you have it. The elevation, evergreen flora and beautiful views of the Snow Mountain Range firmly place Yuanzuishan in the list of must-do day hikes from Taipei. Like Wuliaojian and HuanDiDian, it's also a great full-body workout that can be used to train for longer, more challenging high-mountain climbs.

Huang Di Dian: Ridges, Ropes, and Bats

There's a great, big bat cave... with bats! The off-trail trek to the giant cave is completely optional and should probably be saved for last on this eventful day hike. Unlike the other knife-ridge hikes around Taipei, Huang Di Dian doesn't follow a convenient loop and the best route to take is from west to east, starting with the wilder, less popular West Peak trail and then hiking through to the East Peak ridge. The constant up and down scrambles put this trail on a similar level as Wuliaojian, but it still isn't quite as challenging as Taipei's most famous day hike.



Be warned, there are two different sets of steps leading up to the West Peak trail. The first one you come to on the road from Shiding is not the one you want to take as it's two hours of unrelenting hell. (Whoops.) Bypass this illusion of beginning and continue up the road until you see a second set disappearing into the woods. This second set will get you to the trail faster and has a nice little pagoda where visitors can take a short break to enjoy the view. (I think I remember an abandoned building nearby as well as lion guardians marking the entrance, but my memory may be getting fuzzy.)



Once on the West Peak trail, things get more fun with a nice dirt trail that climbs over roots, around trees and up steep, smooth rocks. It's a nice quiet trek as most tourists don't wander onto this side, preferring instead to climb up the East Peak Ridge, get their pictures and then return to the safety of civilization. After an hour or two, the trail crosses another set of stairs heading down, this is the East Peak entrance as well as your exit. You'll start seeing more people now on the way to East Peak's famous bald ridge. The best views are captured from that side.



On your way down the East Peak exit, there is a VERY small trail leading off into the woods that is marked by a set of steps and a pile of trash (unless some good Samaritan has come along and cleaned). Beyond the empty water bottles and candy wrappers, this trail leads to Huang Di Dian's bat cave, which rests just below the East Peak Ridge. "Trail" is used figuratively here as it's more like a game of "hide and seek" with decaying tree flags.



Our trek to the cave was very slow as we were constantly searching the surrounding area for signs of past traffic (flags, ropes, etc.). We were basically picking our way through an overgrown path that had never been very large to begin with. Just before the cave, it turns into a narrow footbridge against a cliff supported by the thinnest line of vegetation growing against the rocks. Residents of the bat cave don't need to worry about hoards of tourists, as this precious little path could easily kill them all.




Our trailblazing skills were ultimately rewarded though. Soon, the giant cave came into view and we carefully half ran/half scrambled up to the mouth, zig-zagging between a few well-placed trees to keep from falling back down the cliff. Once inside the mouth, we were pleasantly surprised to find bats sleeping above us in the cave's ceiling. (Everything I'd read up to this point had said that the cave was deserted.) After some pictures and a dare-devil descent into the cave from my climbing partner, we slid back down the mouth and headed back the way we came. Familiar with the way and racing a setting sun, we made it back to the main trail in about half the time.

Getting Around:

Huang Di Dian is easily accessed by public transit via a bus from Muzha. Catch a ride to the town of Shiding where you can make a last-minute pit stop at the local 7-11. From here, use Google Maps to direct a taxi up to the West Peak entrance of your choice. After exiting the trail on the East Peak side, there is another bus stop where you can catch a ride back to town and ultimately back to the city. True confessions: We decided to split an Uber instead.

Seven Days in Bali

Sometime in 2018, the text arrived: "Hey, want to climb a mountain in July 2019?". Of course, the answer is yes and the following vacation is laid out at the beginning of the year. What began as a simple few days on a mountain quickly escalated to include beaches, river tracing, scuba diving, and jungle terraces.

Day 1: Arrival and Seminyak 

We spent one night on Seminyak beach and to be honest, it was enough. This is a classic party beach with drinks starting early and continuing late into the evening. We enjoyed our alcohol with a sunset and then turned-in early to have a cheap massage before an early morning journey to Lombok.

Day 2: Lombok Waterfalls

Always on the move, we woke up around 6 or 7 to catch the ferry over to Lombok Island and meet up with friends. Two complimentary taxis and a "fast boat" later, we stepped into our mountain villa around 3 pm that afternoon. Dropping the bags in the door, we headed back out to squeeze in some late afternoon river tracing under the mountain.

Days 3 & 4: Rinjani

On day three, we began what we came here to do and started up the mountain. This adventure is outlined in its own blog here.

Days 5 & 6: Snorkeling and Scuba Diving

Arriving from the mountain the previous day, we were able to wake up early on Gili Trawangan and get in the water. We started this day by diving with baby sharks and blowing bubbles. Shortly after surfacing, we got back on another boat to enjoy a private snorkeling tour of the local islands.

This was the most touristy thing we'd done since stepping off the plane. Thankfully, the private boat helped us at least pretend to have some of this paradise to ourselves. We visited five different spots to swim with turtles, underwater sculpture gardens, blue coral and barnacle-covered bicycles.

At the fifth location, we stopped for lunch on one of the more resorty islands nearby where a seller convinced us all to buy matching turtle bracelets made from local volcanic rock and tiger's eye. They were custom made for us on the spot and subjected to the fire rest, so they must be real. Right?

We spent the afternoon exploring by bicycle and ended the day with drinks on the beach while watching the sun go down. The next morning, we did it all over again, but instead of snorkeling, we did a wreck dive instead. Everything else was basically the same: baby sharks, bicycles, drinks, and sunsets. It was perfect.

Day 7: Ubud

We had to get back to Bali to catch our flight out, so we decided to spend our last night in Ubud. This tourist-loved destination is all over Instagram because of the famous Bali Swing over the Teggalang Rice Terrace and I wanted to see what that was all about. Unsurprisingly, like most things on the internet, it's cool, but it's not "I just climbed a mountain and swam with sharks" cool.

The terrace is very pretty and there are swings EVERYWHERE for tourists to enjoy... for a price. It was here that a little girl selling postcards for "school" got me. Tracking us all over the field, she got her money and my family got their postcards.

In town, we tried civet coffee (look it up) and did some temple exploring. The jungle town had a very different feel from the other destinations on our trip. To our disappointment, we also learned that souvenirs were much cheaper here.

Conclusion

We made the most of our time. Rinjani is absolutely worth it. With more time and a bigger budget, I think I would have skipped Gili Tragawan and flown over to Komodo Island instead. Ubud and Seminyak were disappointments to me. However, choosing an out-of-town hotel in Ubud with a private jungle pool may have changed that.

Getting Around

Boats, boats and more boats. We took boats everywhere: private boats, fast boats, ferry boats, etc. They were economic, efficient and I think the complimentary hotel transfers in Seminyak and Ubud made them worth it for us. We went with Blue Ferry Express for the long journey from Bali Island to Lombok because they let us prebook online.

Lanyu: Scuba Diving in Taiwan

Climbing into the back of a pickup with oxygen tanks and fins, we make our way back to Chicken Rock for our second dive of the day. Under the water, we swim between coral tunnels to hunt for clams, sea snakes, Nemo, and other life. It's fly fish season, so diving on the other side of the island with the ships is forbidden to protect the precious food source. I get it. We've been eating char grilled fly fish every day since coming ashore and it's delicious. It's our daily routine now: dive, eat fly fish, dive, drink, sleep, repeat. Not bad for a short spring holiday.



This is our first visit to Lanyu and the fresh seafood is amazing. The diving isn't bad either. I wouldn't mind a return trip to go explore the sunken ships nearby. Like Ludao, Lanyu is a coral island with a thriving underwater reef as well as many interesting rock formations, caves and other places to explore both on and off land. Unlike Green Island, it's big. The whole thing takes multiple hours to circle by scooter as compared to Green Island's short, little joyride.



Lanyu, also known as Orchid Island, is located a good three hours from Taiwan and supports a local population of traditional Tao. There are some Taiwanese on the island as well, but they are mostly seasonal workers, such as our scuba guide Xiǎobō. He was on working holiday as an instructor after quitting his job at Asus. We were also diving with a bunch of Google engineers. Apparently, this is where the techies go to unwind.



Between dives, we spent our time scooting around in search of pretty rocks and food. We found all the formations, including a few that aren't on the maps. If you go, ask your host about the secret cave next to the more famous Lover's Cave. Maybe they'll tell you. There's also a secret little swimming hole hiding under the rocks on the East side of the island.



On your way around, keep an eye out for a great little driftwood cafe serving fresh crushed juice to-go in mason jars and little rope bags. We got in the habit of swinging by there to stock up before heading around to find a cave or catch a sunset. Speaking of, the best place to watch the sun go down is Mantou Rock on the west side. You can watch it disappear from view in the company of some local goats looking for their dinner on the rocks.

Where to Stay

We stayed at Blue Ocean Scuba Center. Of course, we were on a scuba trip, so sleeping literally above the dive shop made things super convenient for us. I'd stay there again though. It was clean and cute with fresh breakfast served every morning. Plus, the location was good. Walking distance from the harbor, it made both our arrival and departure easy. Our host was also always nice and knowledgeable with some great tips for making the most of our time.

Getting There

I want to go back. I do, but the sad truth is that in less time it takes to get to this island, I could also fly to Indonesia. This fact really puts things in perspective on how committed you have to be to get out there. First, it's a 3- to 5-hour train ride from Taipei to Taitung. After that, it's a three-hour vomit-inducing ferry out to the island. We did it. We held our stomachs, tilted our heads back and kept it together. I'd probably do it again, but I am starting to question the logic behind this.

Hehuanshan: Taiwan's Pink Peaks

With thousands of wild rhododendron bushes blooming every spring, Hehuanshan is a yearly favorite. From late April to early June, the mountains turn a beautiful shade of pink. The flowers just take over, covering hills, slopes, and even peaks. 

Hehuanshan is a national recreation area home to multiple hikes. My go-to's are Hehuan North Peak and East Peak. North Peak is a natural dirt trail that takes about four hours round trip. There's also a split in the trail leading off to a quiet little campsite for those interested. It is a great place to try and catch the Milky Way. 

Stairs the whole way up... and down, East Peak is a little less enjoyable, but the two-hour round-trip hike is a fun challenge with a rewarding view at the top (when it's not raining). 

For a quick weekend trip, the thing to do is drive up, hike to North Peak campsite and stay overnight. The next morning summit North Peak, then hike down to quickly run up East Peak before heading back to the city. 

The other trails in the recreation area are all easier and shorter than these two, with one exception: West Peak. This overnight trail looks fun, but I've yet to accomplish it and probably won't anytime soon :P

Other than West Peak, these are the easiest high mountain hikes in Taiwan and it's very possible to complete 2, 3, or even 4 of the shorter routes in a single day. Just drive up, park the car and get going. There are also a few rest areas around where visitors can grab some hot chocolate and warm steam buns. 

A word of caution: The quick ascent by car has a nasty habit of making these trails more difficult than they should be. Make sure to take proper care for altitude sickness by going slow, drinking lots of water, staying warm and sleeping lower than you climb. Bringing a hefty supply of ginger tea never hurts either.

Mt. Rinjani: The Prettiest Climb in Indonesia

It went moderately steep, intensely steep, moderately steep, intensely steep, and so on in a repeating pattern... for 10-12 hours. Unfortunately for the men, it quickly became apparent that if we were all going to make it to the top, they were going to have to do most of the lifting. We're not weak, every single person in our little group has a history of over-night high-mountain climbing, but we all struggled with this one.



Don't get me started on the ascent to the campsite. That was just hiking uphill on loose ground that would literally give way and roll you backward. You had to dig the hiking sticks in before taking a step or run up. (Yes, we had to go back down the same way. Yes, everyone fell.) This was hard work that really pushed us and made us question our sanity for spending our precious few vacation days on this. What the hell were we thinking?



Then we saw it... a massive caldera filled with crystal blue water and a little smoking chimney. Suddenly, the hike didn't seem that bad anymore. It was perfect. Better than we could have hoped for. After six months of planning, we were looking at what had before just been an image on our computers, another name on our bucket list... and it was better than any of us imagined. It's not often that something actually looks better than the photographs.



So, was it worth it? Absolutely. We summited twice. Once for sunset and then again for sunrise.

The guys carried most of our gear (clothes). While the porters carried everything else and a little extra. They literally carried a watermelon up this volcano. Sitting in a circle, chowing down on fried bananas, noodles and watermelon on top of a f*ing 3,000 m mountain, it was decided that they were getting a massive tip. The porters were also nice enough to share other things with us, like some hand-rolled local cigarettes to celebrate with at the summit. It was a great time.



We were extremely lucky to have such a great team that took care of us. There were definitely some less fortunate groups on the mountain. We're experienced hikers who know to pack rain gear, but when it started to pour on the way down, they pulled out ponchos for us that they had packed just in case. I didn't see any other hikers getting free ponchos. One greedy lady came up and even asked for ours. Poor unfortunate thing. Luckily, the rain held off until we were almost off the mountain and through the trickiest climbs. We practically ran down the last few sections, jumping over roots and quickly expanding mud puddles.



On this trip, we hiked with Hajar Trekking and our guide's name was Oggy. Great guy. Highly recommend. We bonded over music, relationship problems and good tobacco. This is the kind of hike that resets the bar on what you think you can accomplish as well as on what you think mother nature is capable of. It's short, only two days and one night, but a game-changer. From here, we went on to do two days of diving at one of the nearby islands.

Images courtesy of Louis :)

Shuiyang Forest: The Best Campsite in Taiwan

It started out normal enough, just another four-hour hike through the woods. At the three-hour mark, we could have sworn we were making good time and would be out of the woods before dark. Two hours later, it's five o'clock and we're still in the woods. It's getting foggy, the sun is going down and we can't see ten steps ahead of us in the slippery medium-altitude evergreen forest. We just walk now, no stopping, no talking. We have to get out of the woods. Luckily, half an hour later we reach, drop the bags and give each other a big hug of relief. On the lake shore, we have just enough time to set up camp and collect firewood before night sets in.



Needless to say, this hike did not go as planned. The anticipated mostly flat four-hour trail turned out to be a five and half hour trek with four steep, roped rock climbs. Surprise! Not a problem, just unexpected, especially since the dogs were with us. There were multiple instances of dropping the bags in order to carefully assist the dogs down through the more challenging sections. They were champs though. No one panicked, complained, gave up or turned around. In fact, Atai really came alive on the second-day trekking back to the car. I could see the wolf. Poor Snoopy started strong but then began to wilt on the second day. An early morning swim in the lake may have had something to do with this.



What's been said so far doesn't sound very flattering, but the truth is we'd gladly do it again. We'd just be smarter and drive up the night before to camp at the trail head to get an earlier start and have more time at the lake. Staying two nights on the lake is also an option as there's a healthy running stream right next to the campsite. It'd be a great long-weekend getaway. I dream of going back there with a hammock, swimsuit and good book. Especially if you catch it during the week and have it to yourself.



The location is just amazing and the best camp site I've seen to date in Taiwan. This is mostly because of the view, lake, and freshwater source. The trail isn't bad either, a good three hours of it is on flat ground, winding in and out of evergreen forests and silver grass. It also crosses over a handful of running streams that could be made useful with one of those special filtering straws. As we learned the hard way, it's the final two hours of the trail that get you.



As we were running low on time, we hiked the lower, faster forest path to the lake. However, there is a higher mountain-way that crosses over a 2,000ish m peak. There are conflicting opinions over which way is easier, but the mountain way is most definitely longer, averaging out to about seven hours. The split in the trail for the different paths is clearly marked and easy to see. With more time, I'd have loved to try both ways, taking one in and a different one out.



The trail entrance is tucked behind a pagoda inside the Sun Link Sea Recreation Area. Campers will need to pay a $300 deposit per person upon entrance that includes overnight parking. From the resort parking lot, the trail entrance is about a 20-minute walk down the road. The pagoda is just beyond the flower center? or something like that? You'll figure it out. From the pagoda, the trail goes up into the woods, cutting over a road multiple times before letting out onto an old logging road. Follow the yellow and red tree flags.



Avoid Saturday night if possible when there can be as many as 50 to 80 people camping with tour groups. We went on a Sunday/Monday and it was perfect. There were maybe eight people total at the lake, including us.

Top Three Places to Eat, Sleep and Drink in El Nido

Truth be told, it’s literally been a year since this trip happened, but it’s been on my mind lately and luckily my diligent-self wrote down all these ideas while the knowledge was still fresh. So, this guide should actually be pretty helpful to anyone hoping to hit the ground running while also avoiding food poisoning and bed bugs while traveling through El Nido.

Food

Evening view from Outpost Beach Bar.

1. Art Café:  This is hands-down the best food in town. It’s been a year and my mouth still waters at the thought of their fresh, daily-catch ceviche salads. However, I can’t remember anything else on the menu, except for the rum and cola that almost killed me.  Neither I nor my girlfriend could bring ourselves to finish that one.

2. Altrove Pizza: I didn’t actually eat here, but my travelling partner did and I remember the queue for the place stretching all the way down the street every night. I also remember everyone being like “Yeah, I’m going to Altrove for dinner” and I never heard anything bad about it. Plus, it does smell amazing, which probably explains the line.

3. Outpost: With great bar food, free shots and epic sunsets, of course this place is on the list. Also, the backpacker atmosphere makes it easier to meet new people. Definitely had the best conversations here and would highly recommend to anyone wanting to chat about local culture and find interesting people. Watch out for the shots. They’re made of sugar rum and taste like candy.

Hotels and Hostels

The room view from Makulay.

1. Spin Hostel: This is a clean, safe, in-town option that’s super close to everything and great for meeting new people. It was full of groups, singles and couples, so my girlfriend and I were able to make quite a few new friends or at least she was. No seriously, I’d be in the water all day, only to get back and find that we both had dinner reservations with 10 people she had just met. This actually happened. I don’t know how she did it, but I admire the talent.

2. Makulay: This is more of a couple’s thing, but it worked out better than expected. Our suite was split level, so management brought up a second bed for us and it was like we both had our own private space. We stayed in the Loft House at the top of the stairs and it was amazing. We’d wake up to ocean views and come back to relax with beautiful sunsets.

It felt secluded, private and wonderfully romantic. Again, I’d be gone most of the day, but my beautiful traveling mate got to spend at least one day lounging around mostly naked, drinking coffee and working on scholarship applications in the most romantic setting possible. The only drawback to this place is that the secluded location makes it an easy target. Remember to leave any valuables in the office safe.

3. Outpost: We didn’t actually stay here, but visited often as it’s an awesome spot in a prime location. This place feels like what you’d get if the other two spots were mixed together to form the perfect combination of amazingness. Like Makulay, it’s got tons of atmosphere and is right next to the water for epic sunsets; however, it also maintains the backpacker friendly vibe of Spin, which is great for meeting new people.

Plus, the food is great as are the drinks. Every day, at sunset, the bar starts off the evenings with free shots for everyone, which is a definite plus. The one drawback is that this spot is a bit inconvenient to get to from the main town, so you need to rent your own wheels for traveling back and forth. Unless you decide to just never leave, which is possible, the place does have everything you need for a perfect getaway from reality. 

Bars and Clubs

1. Rooftop Bar: The definition of chill, this place is littered with cuddly couches and pillows to lounge on after a long day. It didn’t do anything for me except make me sleepy actually, but my friend loved it. It fits perfectly into the hippie niche of relaxed, quiet drinking. To be honest, I don’t even remember why we went here, maybe just out of curiosity and to enjoy some cheaper drinks before going to a legitimate club. That said, it is better than the street bars crawling with window shoppers.

2. Sava: The music is loud and the assholes are many. This is where you find all the desperate Tinder travelers waiting for a success story to write home about. I’m proud to say we didn’t give them the pleasure. These assholes will literally chat/message the same lines to every girl in town, telling them all to meet at the same place in hopes that one will actually be dumb enough to give them the time of day. Assholes.

I actually like the venue. It’s an open bar with an ocean front view, so you can lounge on leather while sipping cocktails and watching the waves roll in and out. Alternatively, you can also go bump and grind on the tiny dance floor with the rest of the tourists. I say tourists, because you won’t find many locals here as this venue requires them to pay a cover charge. It really is kind of an assholes’ place to be. 

3. Pukka: This was by far our favorite spot and we ended up here more than once. It’s got everything you need for a great night: live music, a large local crowd and an open layout that lets you sip triple-shot mojitos while watching the ocean do its thing. The best part about this place is the local crowd. El Nido isn’t that big, so it’s not uncommon to find yourself sharing drinks with the same scuba guides you were just underwater with earlier in the day.