To get the a confirmed seating of the train with Taiwan Railway, booking has to be done 2 weeks before departure but that depends on your luck. Passengers can make reservation online but must collect the tickets within 3 days unless an online payment is made. If no payment and no collection are done, the reserved ticket will be put up for sale once more. I couldn't get the ticket exactly 2 weeks in advance but managed to get it 3 days after, knowing someone did not make payment nor collection. A return ticket to Hualien county cost around SGD45.There are several trains en-route towards Hualien under the Tze-Chiang, an express non-stop service or Chu Kang services, a slower and a lower class service.
I've managed to book the Tze Chiang express service departing at 6.30am which was approximately a 3 hour ride. So much for an express service as it stops almost at every stop. Uniquely though, we were surprised that our seats were taken when we board the train. Upon checking, the passengers were students going to school several stops away. Their ticket was without seats so they will take every opportunity for an empty seats. No way I'm going to stand for the next 3 hours.
The journey is a scenic coastal route with plenty of open sea, mountain and valley views. The scenery is nature at it's greenest. No wonder Taiwan was known as Formosa, a Portugal word for Beautiful Island. I was exhilarated to reach our destination
After a three hours of snapping scenic shots, we finally reach Hualien. It feels like a lonesome town from the long distance to the previous stop. The mountainous view from the station was stunning.
I've did an intensive research on Hualien or more notably Taroko Gorge. I read about moving around Taroko, by public bus, by bicycle, by tour coaches which are mostly in chinese, and by personal guides. I've read great reviews of some guides from Tripadvisors.com. I would settle for a female guide but initial solo plans may cause an awkward moment throughout the trip. So I made reservation with another notable guide who is great in English, Tonny Teng. His charter service cost around SGD 120 for 4 heads. No matter the headcount, you still pay him the amount. I almost paid that amount as a solo traveler but thanks to Hakimbo, he shared the cost.
Tonny actually drives a taxi but made it into a charter service for Taroko Gorge. He also planned the best itinerary for the whole tour and it was quite organized. Upon reaching the entrance of the the gorge, we stopped for a scenic view and a photograph of the legendary gate.
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| The start of an awesome adventure |
Next on the itinerary was the start of our first trail. From the entrance was about a 5 minutes drive through tunnels and cliffside roads. Shakadang trail is a truly a magnificent trail alongside crystal clear stream. The trail is a 4km long hike and is truly breathtaking at every inch. The trail ends at a cabin and requires a permit to pursue further. Tonny mentioned that we do not need to complete the 4km but to our own discretion on the turning point. We trailed up to 3.2km as the path gets too repetitive and we covered majority of the scenic location advised by Tonny. The Shakadang Trail took us approximately 1.5hrs for a total of 6.4km plus all the stops for photographs.
Next on the list was a short stopover at Eternal Spring Shrine. There is a trail there but Tonny advised that it would best be the last hike. So for then, he recommend to take pictures of the clear area as later during the day the place will be overrun by China tourist hogging the best view. After a few snaps, we ventured on to another location. We had a quick stop along the way to view and snap some gorgeous scenery such as waterfall and rock formations. There was also a road block that opens every hour due to construction and clearing of landslides.
The next trail would be the Swallow Grotto which is a tunnel roadside trail. There were nesting formations in the tunnel for the swallows alas the name. Opposite the cliffs were potholes formations and a pretty waterfall. Halfway of the trail, Tonny was waiting for us to show some unique formation - an Indian Chieftain and a gorilla. Check out the picture on the left and spot them.
Tonny left us again and we continued on the trail. There wasn't much interesting things to see but the beauty of the area is just captivating. Not sure how long the actual trail was but Tonny awaited at a very wide cliff formation. Cameras can't capture the vastness of the cliff but we were awestruck when he brought us to view it from a different location. We were practically tiny.
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| Too sexy |
As Tonny previously mentioned, the Eternal Spring Shrine was packed with rowdy China tourist. Even he was irritated by the commotion. Since we had a clear shot earlier, we pursued the last trail which was an inclined trail of 2.4km long. There were 4 sections to the trail, the bottom, middle and top shrine, and lastly a temple which is hidden behind the cliff as pictured below.
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| Eternal Spring Shrine |
The trails were mostly stairs indented along the cliffs. The steep steps from the bottom were gruesome till Hakimbo experience cramps. As we get higher, the steps became broader. We kept on walking not realizing that we passed the middle shrine which was lower than our current path. We decided to forgo due to the thought of re-climbing the steps so we ventured on towards the next location which was the top shrine. The view was amazing, overlooking the accomplishment from the start of the trail to where we were standing and also the end point - the hidden temple. The last obstacle is a suspension bridge (worst idea after all the climbing) where Tonny awaits our arrival. Our legs were like jelly but Tonny didn't let us through, explaining the beauty and history of the trail. And as a reward, he gave us a wild plant which was quite refreshing with all the natural fibre and moisture to refresh yourself.
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| The wild refreshing plant |
That marks the end of Taroko Gorge. We ended earlier than expected which Tonny was impressed. With all the military training, the trail was an ease. We completed it earlier than most of his other groups. Taroko Gorge was my main highlight of Taiwan. Everyone was shocked that I would go trekking on a holiday but it truly was a great experience.
Tonny has been a great guide - with a great itinerary and an excellent English speaker. He even help to re-book our train back to Taipei as we had to wait 3hours for our purchased train ride. With his help we managed to board the next approaching train.
Do check out the photos of Hualien and Taroko Gorge below. Also if you are truly interested, I would recommend Tonny as your guide. Below are his details.
Whatsapp/Mobile: +886 975 101232