Highlights of Taiwan

We’ll meet up early in Taipei for introductions before a beautiful train ride along the dramatic east coast to breathtaking Taroko Gorge which forges its way through the Central Mountain Range. Whether shrouded in mist or glowing in sunlight, this sheer marble gorge is a captivating sight. From the station, it’s a short but beautiful drive to our luxurious overnight lodgings, situated deep into the heart of the gorge. On arrival, we’ll check in and then have a bike fitting and take a short warm-up ride deeper into the gorge (part of the famous King of the Mountain route!)

We have an early start to make the exhilarating ride down through Taroko Gorge, stopping for a short but stunning hike along the aquamarine waters of Shakadang stream, a tributary of the main Liwu River. On pedaling out of the gorge, we’ll emerge onto the Pacific Coast, and avoiding the main highway we ride narrow lanes lined with banana palms and temples, taking beachside rest stops on our way south. After lunch in Hualien we’ll move away from the city and into the picturesque but little visited East Rift Valley, a land of lush green rice paddies and small indigenous communities. We’ll spend the night in cabins magically set over the water set on the edge of the Rift Valley. In the evening we can enjoy a hearty BBQ dinner and campfire.

Today it’s a shorter ride as we continue our journey down through the Rift Valley, with towering mountains on either side. We’ll stop for lunch at a community-run organic farm restaurant in an Amis village and have the chance to meet some of the friendly locals. In the afternoon we’ll move on south through prime tropical fruit growing country to our lovely resort set in the beautiful Fuyuan Forest Reserve. The reserve has numerous hiking trails through lush jungle to waterfalls and suspension bridges. Monkeys, deer, eagles and huge butterflies are commonplace, and Swinhoe’s Pheasant are occasionally spotted! When you get back from your hike soothing hot springs await! Dinner tonight is at the resort.

This morning’s ride is interjected with a trio of interesting stops, first the Saoba Monoliths (Taiwan’s mini version of Stone Henge), then on to the Tropic of Cancer Monument, and finally for a well-earned cuppa’ amidst the tea farms of Wuhe. We then take a lovely little cut through road back to highway 193, and now officially in the tropics, bear south through the ever-widening Rift Valley, stopping for a delicious dumpling lunch. After lunch we continue on to our overnight stop perched atop a hill on the edge of the Rift Valley. It’s a great spot to sit back, relax and enjoy the views and in the evening our host will put on a gourmet feast for dinner.

This morning we’ll rise early to enjoy a sunrise SUP ride in Donghe River Gorge. Paddling the emerald green waters to a backdrop of giant white boulders and lush tropical forest makes for a magical start to the day. The rest of the day is free to relax on the beach, hike, surf, visit some of the local sights or just read a book and rest!

As well as Taiwanese and indigenous cuisine, Dulan has a host of Western-oriented cafés and restaurants serving food from around the globe, including authentic French, Indian and Vietnamese cuisine. There is also sometimes live music at the Sugar Factory on Saturday nights. Soak up Taiwanese life as you rest your legs!

Today we’ll transfer by vehicle along the beautiful but busy coastal highway to Shouka where we’ll begin our epic final day’s ride through the hills of the Hengchun Peninsula. We bear off the main east-west route and cycle a lovely little road through remote jungle dotted with the odd indigenous village before bringing us back down to the coast where we’ll take lunch at a simple seafood restaurant. The coastal stretch here is one of Taiwan’s finest, with the road running right alongside the ocean, passing windswept beaches and abandoned military bases before once again ascending into the jungle in a double hill climb before another lovely descent. The last leg of the ride takes us all the way to the island’s southernmost point, from where it’s just a short ride to Kenting, Taiwan’s tropical playground. In the evening we’ll explore Kenting night market and head out for a final dinner to celebrate our incredible Taiwan ride.

This morning is free for you to further explore Kenting’s bounty of activities. A group transfer is available at noon back to Kaohsiung International Airport or the High-Speed-Rail Station. The tour ends on arrival in Kaohsiung. For those who want longer to explore this spectacular region please see our Kenting Explorer tour extension.