Day Trip: Danshui and XinBeitou

Hot Sulfur baths, river walks, a beautiful sunset, history and excellent shopping, these are the highlights of this day trip. The best part is that it’s all super convenient to access. No train tickets needed and it’s all on one MRT line (the red line). You will have to transfer from the red line to the XinBeitou line, but it’s really easy and fast.

Start your morning at XinBeitou, try to make it there by ten or eleven. Take the red line to Beitou station. There, transfer to the XinBeitou line and take it to XinBeitou station. At the exit walk up the hill. It’s a very short walk. Soon, you’ll find yourself at the Geothermal hot springs area. You’ll know you’re close when you start to smell rotten eggs. This is a really cool experience for anyone who has never lived near an active volcano before. Watching the steam rise up off the water, I understood why Dragons are so popular in Asian mythology.

After taking a couple pictures and admiring the steam, walk back down the hill. You’ll see that bathhouses and spas line the street. Try one! A hot sulfur bath is amazing for your muscles and is supposed to help clear away toxins. After half an hour in the bath, your muscles will fill like the inside of a steamed dumpling. Most of the baths have both a communal and private option.

If you enter a communal bath and are surrounded by naked people, don’t panic and play it cool. This is completely normal in Taiwan. (It appears the culture here has fewer taboos when it comes to nudity.) However, with an increase in tourism, many bath houses are now politely asking visitors to bring a bathing suit. I, personally, enjoy being naked when in hot water and prefer the private baths.

The private baths usually require an appointment and there are baths to accommodate up to ten people (if you’re into that sort of thing). I can personally recommend Beitou Hot Springs Resort. It is one of the few establishments that does private baths on a first come, first serve basis. On a weekday, there’s usually little to no wait for a private bath. Also, it’s very affordable. Around $1,500 NT ($50 USD) will buy you an hour in the baths as well as a free desert. The bath house will provide towels, shampoo, conditioner, etc. Just remember to bring deodorant. Also, each private bath comes with two different pools: a hot one with natural sulfur spring water and a cold bath for cooling off. There’s also a shower in the room for getting the sulfur off when you’re finished.

After soaking for an hour, you’ll be ready for some food. Most of the spas have a cafe or bakery on the premises. I recommend grabbing a quick lunch there before heading back to the MRT. After lunch, make your way back to Beitou Station and continue on to Danshui . Once you get to Danshui station, exit the MRT and walk down toward the water. Danshui has two main streets. One borders the water and the other is right next to it. You’ll see the entrances to both, but I recommend walking along the water first. One great thing about Danshui is that even when it’s crowded, you still have room to spread out. (It’s not at all like the suffocating streets of Jiufen on a weekend night.)

While you’re walking down the strip, get yourself a two feet tall ice cream cone and a cold sweet milk tea. There’s an assortment of excellent food and drink to choose from. Don’t forget to check out the shops as well. Some of the best souvenirs are at this market. You’ll be able to find bamboo steamers, chopsticks, luggage tags, etc.

Walk all the way until you get to Starbucks. There, stop for coffee obviously. Then head up from the water toward the street and check out the art gallery. It’s a cute little place with some neat pieces. It also has excellent bathrooms. After browsing for a few minutes, leave and continue down the street to Fort San Domingo. Just keep in the same direction as you have been. Keep your eye out while walking toward the fort and check out the local shops. Danshui has a really cool artsy and geeky vibe.

After a few minutes, you’ll be at the entrance to the fort, which is at a stop light. Also, entering and exploring the fort is free! It’s definitely worth a visit. To reach the fort, walk up the hill from the stoplight. Approaching the structure, you’ll see the flags of every country that’s ever owned Taiwan. Some countries of note are America, Japan and China. Originally, it was a Dutch fort. Walk around, explore, check out the buildings and canons. There’s even a cool old school complete with an elegant courtyard for you to walk around in right next to the fort.

Exploring the fort shouldn’t take that long and you’ll be ready for dinner by the time you’re finished. Danshui has several waterfront restaurants with outside seating. I recommend eating at one of these. To access them, simply make your way back to the Starbucks and continue walking along the water. After dinner, make your way  back to the MRT station, but this time walk along the street instead of down by the water. Again, be sure to try the street food and check out the local stores. Danshui really is one of the best places to visit in Taipei. It’s also one of the best places to catch a beautiful sunset. Try to be near the water when it starts going down.