There is so much that life in southern Taiwan gives you, but one noticeable thing that you miss is seasons. At least in the way they exist in Canada; distinct patterns of weather and climate that help you easily identify the time of year. Face-Timing friends and family back home, I am often jarred by their references of falling leaves, snow, or hot days at the lake, realizing how many months have slipped by. Recognizing this lack in our lives, my five friends and I decided we needed a change of view and temperature. As the chilly winter season approached our familiesback home, we sought out the coolest area we could find in this subtropical island: the mountainous region in the middle — 合欢山 (Hé Huān Shān), or Mt. Hehuan in Nantou County.
HOW TO GET THERE
It was a bit of a trek from our homes in Kaohsiung, but with the ease of transport in Taiwan it wasn’t too daunting!
To get to the general area from Kaohsiung we took the HSR (High Speed Rail) from Zuoying Station to Taichung. Our other friend from Hsinchu met us there from the opposite direction. From there we took bus 6670D to Puli. The bus station in Puli is conveniently located directly across the street from a scooter rental shop. Our group of six rented 3 scooters and drove the rest of the way to our B&B location.
We didn’t get to the hike the first day, as we were tired from our travel day, but the next day we scooted to the trailhead we chose, which was about an hour away from our accommodations. There is a parking lot across the street from the trailhead, that is a couple minutes further than the Service Center and the main parking lot down the winding mountain road.
THE HIKE | WHAT TO EXPECT
We chose the Mt. Hehuan North Peak Trail. It’s recommended to budget about 3.5-4 hours for a round-trip of this trail, and our group took just under 4 hours. This gave us time to stop halfway for a snack break, plenty of pauses to catch our breath along the way, as well as about an hour at the top to enjoy the view, eat our packed lunch, and relax in the sun!
The trail is 2km long, (4km in total), and the summit is 3422 meters in altitude. The entire hike you’ll notice the lack of oxygen at that altitude. Even on relatively flat or easy sections you’ll find it hard to catch your breath, and moving quickly is difficult.
The views are breathtaking! For a lot of the hike, there is a steep drop off on either side, so if you’re feeling lightheaded or dizzy, sit down.
WHERE TO STAY
We booked this place. It was the perfect choice for our group of 6. It gave the feeling of camping trips back home, as it was cozy log-cabin style, and you could smell the cedar-wood. If you don’t like cats, it’s probably not the place for you though! There were many of them on the property (a plus for me)! It has a beautiful balcony area with long tables to sit out in the morning or into the evening. The rooms are beneath a restaurant, and there’s a large 7/11 right next door that had everything else we needed. It was great for us because it was about equidistance from the town of Puli and to Mt. Hehuan (apprx. 1 hour each direction), so it took away a good chunk of travel time for our hikes.
OTHER THINGS TO DO
Since we decided not to do any strenuous hiking the first day, we were able to check out the other interesting sights and walks in the area.
One thing that we saw but didn’t personally go to is QingJing Farm that offers sheep-shearing and horse-riding shows. Ticket prices range from NT$20 (for children and seniors), to NT$ 200 (for adults on weekends/holidays). I think it would be a good option for people with young kids.
Very close to the farm is the Qingjing Skywalk, which our group went on. It’s a beautiful scenic walk at the edge of a mountain, looking into picturesque farmland below. Entry was NT$ 50 a person, well worth the views! It’s a light slope, and we did it both ways, which took about an hour.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
- In the winter months, the mountain air is very crisp so if you’re getting there by scooter you’ll want to bundle up.
- The high altitude means there’s less oxygen than the scooters are designed for, so they move quite a bit slower than they normally would. If you’re renting scooters, I recommend going for a higher power one. You’ll also want to budget more time for travel in the higher altitude areas! We were trying to be more budget-friendly and opted for 125cc ones, and I think we would have felt more secure on 150cc (or above) scooters.