I’m considering a trip over the Northern cross-island highway this coming 3 day break. Can anyone tell me how advisable that is? I’m thinking how busy the roads and B/Bs, hotels are likely to be.
I wasn’t planning on doing any booking (though, I could, I suppose - suggestions are welcome), just me, my girlfriend, a scooter, and a map.
Busy busy busy. Look forward to heavy traffic, crowds and difficulty finding places to stay.
I would do everything I could to make sure I have somewhere booked for the night. Or take a tent.
[quote=“sandman”]Busy busy busy. Look forward to heavy traffic, crowds and difficulty finding places to stay.
I would do everything I could to make sure I have somewhere booked for the night. Or take a tent.[/quote]
Damn, I might have to reconsider. That doesn’t sound good. 
I don’t think it’ll be that bad. The North Cross island doesnt get that much traffic and anyway, a lot of people will be going home to tomb sweep this weekend. Where are you planning to stay? If you aren’t taking a tent, then you should really make sure you know where you will stay and book it.
Try to pass the western bits early, IE they tend to get fuller when you have a holiday here.
The bit from lalashan to Yilan never sees heavy traffic.
That’s definitely the best past of that road. There used to be a quite nice chalet rental complex a few klicks east of Baling that was quite nice, set in an area with a lot of big old trees. Don’t know if its still there, though. Bring your own food, in case they don’t have any.
Would that be the Ming Chi forest recreation area?
It is indeed still there, no worries.
That’s a little more encouraging. Any links for a booking number?
[quote=“Mr He”]03-989 4106
yeze.com.tw/mingchih/homepage.htm[/quote]
Thanks Mr He, I’ll check them out. I also hear the Baling Youth Hostel is a good place to stay.
The Baling YH wasn’t open in January so you better make sure to check before heading out.
Cheers MM, you wouldn’t have a contact number… I’ve had a look about but as yet can’t find anything. I did find a photo saying they were closed and all the staff at another youth hostel down the way somewhere. Fudong/Fulong? At any rate I won’t be counting on a stay at the Baling YH.
It’s a youth activity centre so you should be able to call any office and ask.
cyh.org.tw/actcenter-e.php
Beats me why they’d wanna call themselves ‘China Youth Corps’ but thanks for that.
History. They were an anti-communist league back in the old days. Under CKS and son Taiwan was a corporatist society with only one official group for everything. The China Youth Corp represented youth.
You could, conversely take the Kuanshi exit and cut back to the 118 behind the dam, negating all of the nastiness in the touristy westerns lowland section.
PM for directions if you’d like.
History. They were an anti-communist league back in the old days. Under CKS and son Taiwan was a corporatist society with only one official group for everything. The China Youth Corp represented youth.[/quote]
Interesting detail. I knew it was something vaguely like that. Just yanking my own chain really.
Booked a room here: dkhotel.com.tw/newslist.html
There’s a 3-day break coming?
Just noticed that on the highway’s English wiki page someone changed the name to Northern Cross-Country Highway…
Probably political reasoning for it, but cross-country sounds like it’s off-road or something, so not a good idea in my opinion.
