Help with itinerary needed + language question

Hello everyone,
I will be visiting Taiwan soon and have been wondering roughly how much time I would need to visit those places:
Taipei, Beitou, Keelung, Taroko Gorge, Puli, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan National Scenic Area, Tainan, Taitung, Hualien and back to Taipei.
For the time being I have two weeks booked in Taiwan, but I don’t think it would be enough and, if needed, I can make it longer.
Also, is it possible to get to those places in the order I mentioned?

Another question is about the language. My Chinese is (unfortunately) still not good enough to make myself understood in most situations. Could I use Japanese? Would I be likely to come across people speaking Japanese and/or English? Wouldn’t they feel offended?

Any help appreciated

If You don’t want to have a rush visting ,I think 20 dyas may be better.

As for the languages,Japanese is as useful as English in Taiwan.People won’t feel offended.

Good luck!

English is a compulsory subject for high school students in Taiwan, so young people should know at least a little English. Elderly Taiwanese, including Aborigines, may speak Japanese and be happy to do so. Be careful, though - elderly people born in mainland China may not like it if you speak to them in Japanese. Try an opener in Chinese:
Qingwen, nin ting de dong Yingyu huo Riyu ma?

請問,您聽得懂英語或日語嗎?

You might want to change the order of your tour to:

Taipei, Beitou, Keelung (Jilong) [you could also add Danshui, Yangmingshan, and the North Coast]

Taroko Gorge, Hualian, Taidong [further down to Kending?]

Tainan [after visiting Kaohsiung first?]

Alishan National Scenic Area

Puli, Sun Moon Lake

back to Taipei.

That would be a typical clockwise tour around the island

Two weeks are sufficient, provided you don’t want to stay at one of the places for more than a day or two.

And if you have trouble call the 24-hour tourist hotline: 0800-011-765. They speak English, Japanese and Chinese and can answer pretty much any question and will also help you to talk to a local, such as at a hotel if needed.

If you are under 30 you can pick up a free cell-phone (you have to return it when you leave) at the airport when you arrive. It’s got a built in English-Chinese dictionary.

Also, there are good tourist offices in the train stations of all the major cities. Staff speak English. So Taipei, Keelung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Chiayi, Taidong, Hualien, etc.

You don’t need to spend any time in Taidong and Hualien. They are ugly little towns. Lots of cool places to stay between these two. Sun Moon Lake is pretty but it’s really more of a local attraction for all the promotion it gets. If you are here by yourself, on a short trip, you can miss it. On the other hand, it makes a good base if you want to go to Puli (and the Snake Kiln in Shueili).

Don’t forget to take the new gondola up to the hills of Maokong when in Taipei.

Puli: I take it you are going for the Chung Tai Chan Temple. Make sure you call or email first to book a tour. Occassionally they have a day off.

Alishan. There is a great new hiking path linking Fenchihu and Rueili. Get off the train at Fenchihu and head up the main road. The trailhead is obvious and there are English map boards the whole way. Lovely walk through bamboo forests. About 4-5 hours.

Your itinerary is a bit skewed. From Taroko you would head south to Hualien and Taidong. From Taidong take a train to Kaohsiung and then work your way up to Tainan, then Chiayi (the start of any journey to Alishan), then Taichung for a bus to Puli or Sun Moon Lake.

Keelung and Beitou are day trips from Taipei.

Fenqihu is indeed worth a stop. Lots of forests there, quite a contrast to Taiwan’s mostly ugly cities. And if you need a nice budget place to stay contact the little catholic church hostel. Simple and clean rooms and friendly staff.

Fenqihu is indeed worth a stop. Lots of forests there, quite a contrast to Taiwan’s mostly ugly cities. And if you need a nice budget place to stay contact the little catholic church hostel. Simple and clean rooms and friendly staff.[/quote]

Actually you couldn’t pay me to stay in Fenchihu anymore. It used to be a very quaint stop but now all the tour groups pass through and the village destroyed the whole atmosphere of the old street by adding a shiny 7-11. The restauarant shop at the start of the old street also keeps (hopefully kept) 4 dogs in a cage that was hardly big enough for one. Didn’t care at all when I complained and said she was a bitch for keeping 4 tugou in a tiny cage when she was asking for tens of thousands of dollars for each dog.

Have you been there recently?

I’ve been there earlier this year on a weekend, and yes there were some tourist buses and clogged roads/parking lots, but since that was my first time I can’t compare it to how it was before.

On a weekday it shouldn’t be that overrun by tourists, I guess, and once you are in the woods it shouldn’t be a problem anyway.

Btw, Kamome, if you want to take the train up to Alishan, you should make reservations well in advance.

[quote=“hannes”]I’ve been there earlier this year on a weekend, and yes there were some tourist buses and clogged roads/parking lots, but since that was my first time I can’t compare it to how it was before.

On a weekday it shouldn’t be that overrun by tourists, I guess, and once you are in the woods it shouldn’t be a problem anyway.

Btw, Kamome, if you want to take the train up to Alishan, you should make reservations well in advance.[/quote]

Actually the tour buses seem to be there all week and expect it to get worse as more and more Chinese tourists arrive. The amount of tourists on the trails was disturbing too as was the trash and noise they made. Certainly you are right that the place is better than most Taiwanese cities but it’s not the best forest experience. But then everyone’s mileage varies.

What difference does it make whether you go clockwise or anti? :doh:

Now it seems, you recommend NOT going to Fenqihu?!? :ponder:

I think Taiwan in general is not a place you would go to find peace and quiet in the great outdoors, at least not if you come here for a 2-week round-the-island trip. I would take the local tourists just as part of the cultural experience of visiting Taiwan. If you want to avoid crowds altogether you need to go to more remote mountain areas, but that’s probably not on option for the average visitor.

Yes, I am NOT recommending going to Fenchihu. I am recommending getting off the train at Fenchihu and hiking up to Rueili.

What difference does it make whether you go clockwise or anti? :doh:[/quote]

There are more transportation options for returning to Taipei if you travel clockwise.

If driving I definitely recommend clockwise travel so you don’t get stuck trying to get back to Taipei when everyone else is driving north on Highway 9, the only road running up the east coast between Hualien and Suao. Have you ever seen a 100km stop-and-go traffic jam? It’s not pretty.

funny iv done most of my round island trips on a counter clockwise rotation. Does that make me wierd?? :slight_smile:

And Taitung I agree is a ho hum little town (but the Royal Chihpen hotel nearby was great) and I thought that Hualian has always had a special charm . A certain “feel” to it that I cant describe. Maybe that was due in part to being happy to get there alive after driving the suao hualian “highway” in the old days with those cliff huggers !!

Er,I still think Hualian is worth visiting.
It is a very beautiful place of Taiwan.

[quote=“wisher”]Er,I still think Hualian is worth visiting.
It is a very beautiful place of Taiwan.[/quote]

I am talking about Hualian City of course. Even if you like it (and yes, it has certain charm in certain places and certain times of the day) what exactly would you recommend someone do there for a day or two? The OP is coming for a short stay. Spending time in dinky little Taiwanese small towns is a waste of time. Hmm. Stay in Taroko Gorge or Hualien City? Hmm, stay in Chihpen Hot Springs or Duli or Xiao Yehliu or Taitung Hongyeh Hot Springs or Taidong City? Hmm. Let me think. :wink:

You could hang out in McDonald’s.

You could hang out in McDonald’s.[/quote]

Damn. I knew there was something I’d forgotten.

Oh, and that lovely bike path that goes past the garbage dump. I remember you talking about that quite fondly, too. :slight_smile:

Er,I am not recommending him to stay there . :blush:
Visting Hualian ,I think no one will think it’s Hualian city.

A day or two in Hualien is easily filled, depending on what you like to do.

The stone market is quite interesting, with some great little shops for those who like to buy, buy, buy and provides free evening Amis dancing.

There are some really interesting temples, for those who like to see the “old religious culture”.

Chi Hsing Tan and Ji Chi beaches, just outside of town.

Shui Yuen Di has great river swimming.

Surfing.

“Hello Hualien” is on until the end of August - a street festival along the port which provides various kinds of free entertainment - dancing, shows( although they can be a little “risky”), live music, acrobatics, etc.

The fishing port and market are usually quite busy and you can pick your fresh catch, have it cooked right then and there while you watch the boats come in and out.

The Pine Garden is an interesting place to go. View some of the different art installations, enjoy a beverage under the very old trees in the garden or tour the building which once served as the “R&R” for the Japanese Suicide Fighters before their final mission. It also later served as Officers “R&R” for U.S. Military. Great view of the ocean and overlooking the entire city.

We live in a “small town” compared to Taipei but the people here are friendly and outgoing for the most part and there is something special about the place. People who are touring usually find Hualien to be a great little spot.