Sun Moon Lake

Taipei is great and all, but sometimes you need some fresh air. Sun Moon Lake is one of the best three or four day vacations you can take from the big city. It’s got everything: night markets, shopping, bike trails, hiking paths, temples, great food, etc. Best of all, it’s beautiful and way up in the mountains away from the busy streets of the city.

To get to Sun Moon Lake, take the high speed rail to Taichung station. From there, go downstairs to the Nantou bus counter. The buses are frequent, which is good because passengers are unable to reserve tickets ahead of time. Just show up. The only thing you need to schedule is the high speed rail ticket. Sun Moon Lake is a short ride from the train station. It doesn’t feel very long and there are some interesting things to see along the way.

Before you leave the bus station make sure to purchase a Sun Moon Lake pass. This sheet of paper contains discounted tickets to everything you’ll need to do at Sun Moon Lake. It also includes your bus fair to and from the train station. Here’s a list of some other things that it includes: ropeway, theme park, bus, bike rental and a day of boat travel around the lake. This pass will reduce the cost of your whole trip significantly.

There are two main towns at Sun Moon Lake: Ita Thao and Shuishe. Stay in Ita Thao. It has way better food and scenery than the other town. It’s also closer to the ropeway and a few other main attractions. (That said, the bike trails start in Shuishe.) Your first night in Sun Moon Lake, be sure to check out the Ita Thao night market for food. You’ll find delicious drinks, stinky tofu, steamed buns and other delicious things to consume. Honestly, this is one of my favorite night markets. You can eat your finds down by the lake on the pier and listen to the waves. Other things to consider purchasing at he Night Market include plum wine, post cards and hand made aboriginal souvenirs from various stalls.

The next morning, you will want to do some exploring. There are two main ways to travel around Sun Moon Lake: boat and bus. Both are extremely timely and convenient. DO NOT SET YOURSELF UP TO NEED A TAXI. I repeat, DO NOT TAKE A TAXI. Unlike Taipei, they are extremely expensive and will shamelessly up-charge you. Honestly, up on those mountain roads, they are not even much faster than the buses. Back to the point, the two most convenient modes of transportation are bus and boat. I recommend both. Also, your adventure pass includes discounted day passes for both. So, use it accordingly. Spend one day traveling the lake by bus and one day traveling around on the water.

On the first day, I recommend using the bus pass to check out the ropeway, theme park and maybe the pagoda. After an early breakfast, hop the bus from Ita Thao to the ropeway. Take the ropeway to the island in the middle of the lake. Once there, you’ll be at the entranced to the theme park. Go ahead and walk through. It’s all downhill and once at the bottom, you can take a second ropeway back to the top in order to catch your ride off the island.

The aboriginal theme park is beautiful and educational. As you walk along the path, you’ll wonder into village after village. All of which are constructed to represent the many different aboriginal tribes of Taiwan. If you’re from the United States, think of it as a bigger and better James Town. Everything is evenly paced and spread out along the walkway, which is shaded and cool. The best thing is that there is very little supervision and all the buildings are open so you can just walk right in. Get there early enough and you may have the entire place to yourself (even on a holiday weekend).

Once you get to the bottom of the hill, you’ll leave behind the aboriginal village and be face to face with some Taiwanese roller coasters. Ride them. They are thrilling and feel a little scarier than the ones back home. After a few rides on the coasters, it’ll be time for some food. You can eat at the theme park or back at the ropeway pavilion.

After you’ve had a good meal and have made it off the island. It’ll be time to spend the afternoon at the Confucius temple and the pagoda. The pagoda is my personal favorite. Like the ropeway, it is a must see while you’re at the lake. Make sure you have enough time to hike to the top. There’s a bell you need to ring for good luck. After this, more than likely it will be time head back to Ita Thao for some dinner.

On day two, use the boat pass to get around. From Ita Thao pier, take a boat across the lake to Shuishe. Once there, use the adventure pass to get a discounted bike rental and take a morning ride down the bike trail. It’s easy going and hugs the lake, making it very beautiful and scenic. Bike as far as you want, but remember, you have to bike the whole way back as well.

I recommend heading back to have lunch in Shuishe. Return your bike and then settle in for some good food and refreshment. After lunch, spend some time exploring Shuishe before taking the boat to see the other temple on the lake and heading back to Ita Thao for dinner. There’s a great place to chill with drinks by the lake in Shuishe.

Of course, on your last day catch a bus back to the train station. You’ll have to pay for a ticket between Ita Thao and Shuishe in order to catch the Nantou bus back to the high speed rail station. Again, the buses are timely and convenient. As a side note, I recommend staying at this place in Ita Thao. It’s Airbnb, but the space is lovely, quiet and our hostess made us a delicious breakfast every morning. It’s, also, a convenient walk to the night market and bus stop.