Hi, I am going to be going to a conference in Taipei this month. I have a few days to myself and want to go somewhere outdoorsy and among other things go river tracing. Does anyone recommend a specific location and company to do it with? I have found a lot of areas out there, but it’s hard to find English websites.
I ended up going on a river trace with Hualien Outdoors. It was an amazing trip! Matt’s a great guide and took us out to a beautiful spot away from all the throngs of tourists. I would definitely recommend it.
I’ve done it in Hualian a bunch of times and Wulai once. I thought Wulai was much more harcore=higher flow, steeper, rougher terrain, they just toss us down rapids like floating log, and it is much closer to Taipei. But if you are also looking to do a Hualian trip that might be more convenient. In Wulai you have a pretty nice hike back to town at the end. If you are into river tracing as a sport, then I think Wulai is more challenging. SOrry I can’t comment on the services, I always have someone else book in Chinese.
Well, Hualien has a lot of rivers and tons of companies that take people out. Most of the companies are for tour buses and beginners. Groups of 30+ that go for a short walk, short jump, take pictures while you splash your friends, eat a lunch box then go home.
There is one company that doesn’t do that, us. I just felt like I had to defend Hualien river tracing a little. If you go with some of the other companies in Hualien it can be a little disapointing for sure. There are some amazing landscapes and very hardcore rivers here. A few examples:
Mugumuyu
youtube.com/watch?v=oopEoqUeUKw
Golden Valley
youtube.com/watch?v=4V3ioyBgHxs
youtube.com/watch?v=QJpVudy9iyw
youtube.com/watch?v=2Vmq9RFgGMA
Secret River
youtube.com/watch?v=438VImoXjdw
Just for the record, Hualien river tracing is truly worldclass.