Has anybody got any information on this small town? It’s seems to be the last town on the rail line before the line turns westward. I am thinking of shipping my scoot south by train from Taipei and meeting up with it there. Then, just spend 2-3 days cruising the area. This is one area of Taiwan that I haven’t visited and it’s seemingly remote location looks inticing. A 3 star accomodation (or decent homestay) location would also be appreciated. Perhaps those of you in the Taitung area have some advice. Thanks for any information. Post or PM. Thanks in advance.
[quote=“Enigma”]Has anybody got any information on this small town? It’s seems to be the last town on the rail line before the line turns westward. I am thinking of shipping my scoot south by train from Taipei and meeting up with it there. Then, just spend 2-3 days cruising the area. This is one area of Taiwan that I haven’t visited and it’s seemingly remote location looks inticing. A 3 star accomodation (or decent homestay) location would also be appreciated. Perhaps those of you in the Taidong area have some advice. Thanks for any information. Post or PM. Thanks in advance.[/quote]It’s alright. I’ve been through that area before. I’ve heard the no.199 over to the west side is a very nice road. But I think you’d get bored if you only stayed around Dawu itself for 3 days.
I don’t think you can send your scooter by train to Dawu, or even to Taidong. Ask at the train station, but I don’t think it’s possible. You might have to use a trucking company. PM me if you want the number of one company.
I was through there twice last summer…They are in the process of widening the road and Tawu has lost some of it’s small town flavor.
I’d take Joesax’s advice and head for the 199, one of the least spoiled sections of the island and as of yet not much traveled.
From Tawu, head south on the 9. It won’t be long before the road turns inland and begins to climb. At the very top of the pass there will be a large police station (ex military checkpoint) and there you’ll see the turnoff to the 199 on your left. This road will take you to the 200, which will in turn take you all the way to Hengchun near Kenting.
We camped in this area over CNY and it was fantastic…
Highly recommended.
Thanks for the suggestions. Mountain driving is EXACTLY what I am looking for. My wife is typically afraid of snakes so she refuses to camp which is a favorite activity of mine but we get by with homestays and the like. Anyway, I intend to see this area the second week in March and will report back. Thanks again for the suggestions.
Thanks for the suggestions. Mountain driving is EXACTLY what I am looking for. My wife is typically afraid of snakes so she refuses to camp which is a favorite activity of mine but we get by with homestays and the like. Anyway, I intend to see this area the second week in March and will report back. Thanks again for the suggestions.
Yes this excellent advice. The turnoff is called Shouka. About 7 km down the road there is a Paiwan homestay. I haven’t stayed there but I chatted with the folks there and it seemed like a good place to stay. This whole area is very much worth exploring–Xuhai is interesting and there are hot springs on the Pingtung side in Sicong. You might find it easier to get your scooter down there on the west coast. If I were doing it though, I would send my scooter to Hualien so I could ride the beautiful coast road between Hualien and Taidong. Even better on a bicycle.
Cut over to the rift valley at Shitiping and then go back to the coast at Fushan.
[quote=“Feiren”]You might find it easier to get your scooter down there on the west coast.[/quote]Yes, I think so, at least if you send it by train.
[quote=“Feiren”]If I were doing it though, I would send my scooter to Hualian so I could ride the beautiful coast road between Hualian and Taidong. Even better on a bicycle.[/quote]I was there a couple of days ago. That road looks like one of the best cycling routes in TW. Little change in elevation so OK even with a moderate level of fitness. Nice wide motorbike/bicycle lane. Only problem is when impatient car drivers decide to use that lane for overtaking. I strongly recommed that cyclists invest in a left hand mirror.
[quote=“Feiren”]Cut over to the rift valley at Shitiping and then go back to the coast at Fushan.[/quote]Does Fushan come out at Fuli on the coast road? Lovely little winding route if it’s the one I’m thinking of.
I’ve got my Sun River maps out so I can be a little more precise. I’m suggesting heading south from Hualien on Route 11. Then at Dagangkou (about 3 km south of Shitiping) head west on Hualian Route 64. You will come out in the Rift Valley at Ruisui. At this point, consider spending the night at the Hongye hot springs west of Ruisui. This is a funky old Japanese era hot spring that cost I think NT$300/person for the night.
Then take 195A south until it runs into Route 9 just east of Yuli. A highly recommended side trip from here is to take 18 west from Yuli all the way to the end where it turns into the Walami trail that goes deep into the heart of the Yushan National Park. Hike in for a few km and you’ll come to a gem of a waterfall that you can hike down to and swim in. This is NOT the waterfall on the road a few km back.
If you don’t have time for all that, you’ll have to stay on 9 for about 8 km until you get to Dongli. Cross the Changfu Bridge and turn left on the Zhuofu access road. This is a beautiful little country road that snakes along the mountains through some of the sleepiest little towns you’ll ever see in Taiwan. The access road will take you into Fuli. From there take 23 heading east and come out at Donghe. You can spend the night at the sugar refinery in Duli, catch some music at the cafe there if you’re there on Saturday night, and maybe splurge on some Italian food at Zorba Garden.
And all this is long before you even get close to Dawu. Apologies for thread jacking.
This isn’t thread jacking…This is top-notch travel info and excactly what he’s looking for 
My wife hails from a small village about 17km south of Yuli and I will second Feirens travel suggestions. The coastal mountain range between the rift valley and the East coast has some of the best out-of-the-way gems on the Island.
I’ve done all the crossings mentioned by Feiren and will heartily endorse every one of his suggestions.
You could start in Hualien, meander south criss-crossing the coastal range as mentioned above. Then head south of Taidong to Tawu, access the 199 south of there, connect to the 200, eventually winding up in the Kenting area. From there you could arrange to have your scoot shipped home, and fly back from the Hengchun airport.
Sounds like a nice trip.
Hi Enigma,
I just finished a bike ride in the southern part of Taiwan that included the Dawu area. While I didn’t investigate thoroughly, Dawu itself seemed to be a small town like many others. However, about 3km (or so) north of Dawu on Hwy 9 (main coastal road), there is a real jem. At that spot is a small aboriginal village (maybe 100 houses). I do not know the name of it but it is hard to miss. As you travel past that area, look inland and you’ll see what looks like a train tressle (bridge) nicely painted with aboriginal figures and art. Turn off the main road and go under the bridge. The village is on the other side of that bridge. I stopped there one morning and had breakfast. Very friendly people. Good luck finding the breakfast shop though. It’s one of those places that’s so small that it is tucked away and hard to see. As I recall, it is up the main road, near the top of the hill, and down a street to the left. I just kept asking and a local boy offered to walk me over there. One of the best breakfast burgers that I’ve had in Taiwan.
Enjoy your trip.
Seeker4
Oops, sorry, forgot to say something about shipping your scooter.
I shipped my bicycle from Taipei to Taidong on the train. Easy to do and it cost about NT $400. At the freight drop-off place in Taipei, I also saw a lot of scooters being shipped, and I saw many waiting for pick-up on the other end. The crucial tips are these:
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The drop-off station in Taipei is not Taipei Main Railway Station. No freight is accepted at TMS. The freight station in Taipei is the Wanhua Station, about 2 blocks from the Longshan Temple MRT station. Most Taipei city maps show it clearly marked. Also, that railway station is in two buildings, split by the road. Facing south (I think), the freight place is in the building on the left (not the passenger ticket building).
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Ship the scooter at least 2 full days before you need to pick it up. It is possible for it to get there in 24 hours, but unlikely. I shipped on a Friday and picked up on a Sunday and they made it sound like I got it in just in time. That isn’t all travel time, obviously, but sometimes the stuff isn’t shipped out the same day that you drop it off.
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The shipping forms (two) are of course in Chinese. The shipping clerks do not speak English. You might be able to muddle through if you don’t speak Mandarin, but I went and picked the forms up in advance and then filled them out with help before I returned with my bike.
Seeker4
[quote=“seeker4”]Oops, sorry, forgot to say something about shipping your scooter.
I shipped my bicycle from Taipei to Taidong on the train. Easy to do and it cost about NT $400. At the freight drop-off place in Taipei, I also saw a lot of scooters being shipped, and I saw many waiting for pick-up on the other end.[/quote]Interesting. I was told I couldn’t send my motorbike from Taidong to Taichung because they didn’t run the proper kind of train. But I suppose that was the Nanhui train line, round the south, that they were talking about. From your experience, it seems that they must run the necessary trains, whatever type they are, down the east coast from Taipei to Taidong.
[quote=“joesax”][quote=“seeker4”]Oops, sorry, forgot to say something about shipping your scooter.
I shipped my bicycle from Taipei to Taidong on the train. Easy to do and it cost about NT $400. At the freight drop-off place in Taipei, I also saw a lot of scooters being shipped, and I saw many waiting for pick-up on the other end.[/quote]Interesting. I was told I couldn’t send my motorbike from Taidong to Taichung because they didn’t run the proper kind of train. But I suppose that was the Nanhui train line, round the south, that they were talking about. From your experience, it seems that they must run the necessary trains, whatever type they are, down the east coast from Taipei to Taidong.[/quote]
I can confirm that this is correct. There are no freight cars on the Taidong-Kaohsiung line (that is, the Nanhui line). This also means that you cannot ship a scooter to Dawu by train - you can ship as far as Taidong only and you’ll have to drive the rest of the way.
Thanks to all who replied. This is GREAT stuff. I will heed the advise and I’ll let you know how it goes. I’m looking forward to a sit and soak evening and a bottle of cold brew. I plan on trying the homestay mentioned supra. Thanks again.