Our final post about Taiwan takes us to the Southern tip of the country.  We spent one full day here and were astonished at the beautiful beaches and scenery.  Just try to avoid the weekend, as it gets pretty overrun with people. Within the giant park is a specially designated forest area.  A visit here is easily worth your time, and we spent a quick two hours strolling around immersed in geological history.  Besides the grand views, there...

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On the outskirts of Kaohsiung lies Cheng Qing Lake, a park with a huge artificial lake that has slowly added tourist attractions over the years. The whole park feels a bit dilapidated (as you’ll see in the pictures below). It reminded us of Stone Mountain in Atlanta, but older and kept much more poorly. The most famous site in the park is probably the Nine-Cornered Bridge. It does make for a memorable stroll, and a reminder that in Chinese...

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It’s our last week of posts about Taiwan. Our blog trails our travels by a few days (or weeks, in some cases); it takes some time to get photos downloaded & text written, so we try to schedule posts in case we don’t have internet access for a few days. At the very least, we attempt to keep our photo-a-day link current so you can track our location. This week is all about Southern Taiwan. We had a chance to spend a week down...

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One picturesque stop near Hualien is Cisingtan Beach, which is unique for having no sand, but just rocks and pebbles. The signs posted say no swimming, but that does not stop families from playing close to the waves. The views both left and right welcome you to settle down, bring a blanket, and relax. Adding to the fun at Cisingtan is the air force base located across the street. In the morning and afternoon, F-16 jets often fly overhead on...

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If there is ever an occasion to rent a convertible in Taiwan, splurge for the East Coast drive. After our overnight stay at the southern end of the East Rift Valley, we woke up for the drive up the ocean. The morning began at Xiao Yehliu (Little Yehliu); no famous Queen’s Head here, but there is dramatic ocean landscape, on a smaller scale. The drive with mountains on one side and ocean on the other is peppered with tourist stops and...

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Here is the primary catalyst for our road trip down the east coast: Liushidan Shan (Sixty Stone Mountain). During the months of August and September, the entire mountain explodes with bright orange-yellow daylilies that holler back at the sun. Several platforms are strategically placed along the road for views out into the rift valley as well as up, across, and down the mountain. Just like Taroko Gorge, there is only one narrow road for entry...

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