When it comes to biking in unfamiliar destinations, we have a tendency to bite off more than we can chew. While we have a solid idea of our hiking abilities, we are still in the process of testing the limits on our biking capacity. So, it wasn’t without some fear and uncertainty that we set out to bike the entire circumference of Sun Moon Lake in one day.
For reference, Sun Moon Lake is the largest fresh-water lake in all of Taiwan and has a circumference of just under thirty kilometers. While this distance alone was, on its own, a bit intimidating for us amateur road bikers, what made us all the more weary were the many blogs we found which emphasized the killer elevation gains. We decided to give it a shot, promising each other that we would turn back early if we found ourselves in over our heads.
We were able to score a pretty solid bike rental deal through our hotel ($100NT or $3USD each for the day). The rental place explicitly mentioned that “rescue services” would be an extra fee, but that we would probably be alright… adding to our confidence. We were on the road by 8:30, as we had heard that the trip could take up to eight hours. After a brutal climb that spanned the entire first mile and a half, I couldn’t help but wonder if this biking adventure was beyond our skill set and fitness.
However, after taking a lengthy break to explore the Wensu Temple, we were ready to continue. Lucky for us, the massive climb at the beginning was followed by an equally massive downhill, so we were able to coast a few miles until we reached Ita Thao, a small aboriginal village near the south east corner of the lake.
After grabbing a quick breakfast of 饅頭 in the Ita Thao village, we hit the road again. After leaving Ita Thao, we began our ascent to the Xuanzang Temple, the highest point on the loop. Admittedly we took this section pretty slow, stopping a few times to walk our bikes up the steep grade. However, before we knew it, we reached the summit and were rewarded with beautiful views of both the temple and the lake below.
After Xuanzang, the ride was pretty effortless as we reaped the benefits of our climb with a long, speedy downhill. At one point, we came to a mossy, wet path where we had to dismount and walk our bikes in order to avoid slipping, but the stairs are well-designed for this use, so it wasn’t too bad.
We then arrived at the Toushe Reservoir cove, where we got a great view of the “Sun” side of Sun Moon Lake, and saw some Stand Up Paddleboarders rowing along through the water. After another quick ascent and subsequent downhill, we came across the stunning visitor’s center. We stopped for a quick stretch break, but stayed longer than planned to check out the beautifully modern architecture, complete with an infinity pool overlooking the lake and spaceship-like windows.
After getting a few pictures, we continued on our way. After about a mile of flat ground, we were forced dismount at the Shuishe Dam for safety reasons, but were happy to slow down for a bit to admire another wide-open view of the lake. After crossing the wooden dam, we biked for about five minutes and found ourselves back where we started…. We completed the loop!
Overall, we were pretty underwhelmed with the difficulty of this ride. I would recommend it to anyone who is in decent cardiovascular shape, no matter your level of biking skill. It’s also easy and safe to pull off for a break at any point, so there’s no pressure from cars. It’s a really great way to see the parts of the lake that you would probably not explore otherwise (i.e., away from Ita Thao or Shuishe Pier), and it’s easier than a car in terms of pulling off to take pictures or check out a view.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
- Our trip (including many picture and food stops), took four hours. I would give yourself five, just to be safe.
- As always, be prepared… bring water and food!
- Go in the morning to avoid traffic. There were definitely more cars (and other bikes) during the second half of our trip.
- We left with the idea that the entire ride would be on a bike path… this is not the case! You spend more than half of the ride biking on the shoulder and sharing the road with cars, and while they are very aware and cautious of bikers, make sure you practice proper road bike etiquette.
- Get a bike with changeable gears!!!!! I couldn’t imagine taking on those hills with a single-speed.
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