Sun Moon Lake is one of the most visited places in Taiwan, and for great reason. With its eerie mist clouds, turquoise waters, and surrounding rainforest covered mountains, it is a nature lovers’ dream. It’s an especially accessible option for Western travellers visiting Taiwan because most of the locals speak English.
THINGS TO DO
Bike the Lake Trail
The lake is circled by a relatively bike-able road which invites tourists of all fitness levels to give it a shot! While the seventeen mile journey may seem intimidating at first, there’s plenty of beautiful temples and outlooks where you can stop and rest. The bike route also offers tons of views that you can’t get from the main road, so we highly recommend giving it a shot. If you don’t trust us, CNN named it the fifth best cycling route in the world.
To read about our bike trip around the lake, click here.
Visit Ita Thao
Legend says that the Thao people, an indigenous tribe, discovered Sun Moon Lake after chasing a white deer to its shores. Seeing the lake in all its beauty, they decided that it was a great place to settle and the rest is history.
Although there are less than one thousand Thao people, their presence is felt all around the lake today, with much of the local art reflecting Thao mythology.
The aboriginal village of Ita Thao is located just off the lake and is definitely worth a visit for the amazing food and souvenir shopping, as well as to get a look into the history of the area. If you go after dark, the entire main street also converts into a bustling night market. We highly recommend trying the braised pork rice or noodles, which is a delicious and cheap local specialty.
Take a Boat Trip
Upon arriving at Sun Moon Lake, you will probably be bombarded by a group of locals asking you if you want to take a trip out to the lake. While you should first ask your hotel if they offer a deal (most in the area will), I definitely recommend taking them up on the offer during your stay.
The boat tickets are super cheap (we got ours for $100NT or $3.33USD each for the entire day), and it’s a great way to get some beautiful views of the lake and see the area’s hot spots.
Hike the Shuishe Great Mountain Trail
If you’re looking for a challenge, I recommend taking on the Shuishe Great Mountain Trail. With more than two thousand feet of elevation gain over three miles
For more info on the hike, click here.
WHERE TO STAY
If you want to stay on the lake (which you definitely will), you have two options: Shuishe Pier and Ita Thao.
We stayed just a few steps from Shuishe Pier at the Sun Moon Lake Tanhui Hotel. For under $40/night, we got a cozy double room, unlimited drinking water and coffee, and some sweet discounts on parking, our boat tour and bike rentals. The staff were super friendly and available at all hours. Sun Moon Lake is pretty expensive for Taiwan, with most of the hotels costing around $60-$70USD/night for a double room, so this was a steal!
COMPLETE COST BREAKDOWN
For the 4 days we were in Sun Moon Lake, we spent $304.24 USD which averages out to $38.03/person/day.
Accommodation: $154.00 for a hotel
Activities: $13.38 for our boat trip and bike rentals
Food: $105.41 for all our meals out
Transportation: $14.72 for gas
Misc.: $16.73 for parking
