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Taitung, the Hawaii of Taiwan

Chilling out in the Southeast Coast of Taiwan

By Kin Mun "mrbrown" Lee

November 7^th, 2016

As my plane descended upon Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, I was wondering what awaited me in Taitung, the city located in the southeast corner of Taiwan. I have visited Taiwan several times in my life, my first time being age 5 with my parents, but I have never seen the east coast. So I was quite excited to see what the quieter east coast had to offer.

We flew into Taoyuan and then took a 30-minute bus ride to Taipei Songshan Airport for a connecting Mandarin Airlines domestic flight to Taitung. This probably isn’t the most efficient route to Taitung but the typhoon in Hong Kong meant this was the safer. Otherwise, I would recommend coming in via Kaohsiung and taking the two-hour train ride from Kaohsiung to Taitung. From Singapore, that means flying Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong then Kaohsiung, or fly via Scoot.

By the time we got to our hotel, the Formosan Naruwan Hotel (娜路彎大酒店), it was night, so we had a hearty dinner at Taitung Tribe Restaurant (原始部落山地美食). That roast chicken was to die for.

Chulu Ranch (初鹿牧場) is a huge farm where you can see cows, donkeys and pigs in their glorious (and sometimes smelly) state. Personally, I was not terribly crazy about the animal-viewing part, but I suppose the kids would find it fascinating. My favorite part of the ranch was actually the cafe where they served awesome milk products, like fresh milk, yogurt and soft serve ice-cream. And you get to eat your cold yogurt while sitting at the patio with the great view.

They also have a grass-surfing where you careen down the grassy slopes on a board, which we didn’t get to try for safety reasons, because the ground was wet from rain the day before.

Taitung roads are a pleasure to travel on, because the views are awesome. Some roads go on for long stretches (one of which was 14km long), with trees and beautiful views that never seem to end.

I think life is more laid back here, being away from the more populated west coast. Nestled in a small plain, with spectacular mountains on one side, and the Pacific Ocean on the other, Taitung enjoys the best of nature and an ocean breeze that eases the summer heat of this tropical city.

Taitung is home to more aboriginal tribes than any place in Taiwan, I think, and the diversity of its population is something that makes Taitung unique in Taiwanese destinations. You can still see old Japanese structures, large plots of farmland and rustic villages in this county, which is a refreshing change from the hustle and bustle of cities like Taipei.

At Kanding Village (崁頂部落), the Bunun Hunters tribe shared their art, hunting and food culture in this village. This tribe is particularly skilled at hunting wild boar, and in addition to eating the meat, they also make jewelry from the bones and teeth.

I took a photo with one of the skeletons of the wild boar they hunted and killed. I hope the wild boar didn’t mind.

Our dinner of roast pork and other aboriginal dishes at the village was one of the best meals I have ever had in Taiwan. The pig is roasted for a long time over fire without any sauce, so that you can taste the tender and moist meat.

The Guanshan Town Farmer’s Asssociation runs a “Rice School” (米國學校) where you can learn how rice is grown and processed. After you visit this place, you will not waste a grain of rice in future, and will develop a special appreciation for rice farmers. It’s hard work to make good-tasting rice, especially rice that is the same shape and size so that each pot of rice cooks evenly.

The biggest highlight of my time in Taitung had to be the hot air ballon ride. We woke up super early, 4am to be exact, so that we could take the morning ride. Hot Air Balloons are treated as flights and the requirements for becoming a balloon pilot are high. All kinds of permits and licences must be secured before you can operate a hot air balloon service in Taiwan, for safety reasons.

The rides are very dependent on weather, and if the weather isn’t right, you don’t get to fly. Even if the skies are nice and clear, a flight can be canceled if the winds too strong. Taitung is uniquely positioned to be a good ballooning place, because the winds in the beautiful East Rift Valley blow in a north-south direction due to the surrounding terrain. You don’t want your balloon to be blown in the west, where there are mountains, or the east, where it is the Pacific Ocean.

Rides take place in the morning and evening only, when the wind conditions and air temperatures are most stable.

We got to watch the balloons being set up, which is a lot of work, involving a big team of folks. And then, as the sun rose gently on the valley, we boarded our baskets and rose to the air too.

Words cannot explain how great the experience is. You float through the sky at a leisurely 12-16km/h, taking in the mindbogglingly beautiful countryside. Mountains, paddy fields, and rivers can be seen from your balloon, stretching out for miles.

If you fly low enough, you can almost touch the tops of the trees of the forests. If you are lucky, you can even catch a glimpse of a passing train.

Residents who live here are so friendly and so used to the balloons flying by, that they greet us in the morning. And we shout “Good morning!” back too. At the end of the flight, we had a symbolic glass of champagne (non-alcoholic, of course).

Taking a hot air balloon is one of the most iconic things you can experience in Taitung, or even Taiwan. I highly recommend it.

In the Chishang Township of Taitung, there is a road named after me, Mr Brown Avenue (伯朗大道). It is named after the Taiwanese coffee brand. As THE mrbrown of Singapore, I had a moral duty to try cycling at Mr Brown Avenue.

This stretch of road takes you through golden rice paddies and is very scenic. You can rent a bicycle and explore the area. If you are lucky, the skies are clear and blue, and you can see the mountain tops surrounded by clouds. It is like a scene out of a Taiwan romance movie.

There is also a famous tree there, where Takeshi Kaneshiro shot a commerical at. It is now named 金城武树, after him. Unfortunately for said tree, the recent typhoon caused it some damage and the tree had to be propped up by supports.

Try to go on a less crowded week day. You don’t want to have to deal with the electric motor-scooter gangs of tourists.

We also visited a massage place where, legend has it, Jackie Chan and Chow Yuen Fatt visited for foot reflexology. I am a seasoned partaker of foot massage so I enjoyed it but for the uninitiated, it may be a little painful.

Along the coast, you can see the waves that made Taitung a surfer’s paradise. Yes, this is one of the destinations where surfers from all over the world come to surf competitively, and there are actually Taiwanese surfers from Taitung. How cool is that?

If surfing is not your thing, you can also go to the beach and feed the fish with some bread. It is quite unusual to buy a loaf of fish bread and stick it in the water, and watching the fish rush up to eat it. I made a face as if piranhas were eating my hand, just for laughs (no, these fish are nice and friendly, and only eat bread, not fingers).

By night, you can visit Taitung’s Tiehua Music Village (鐵花新聚落) . There are musical performances here and also, the famous lanterns. So pretty, the lanterns.

Taitung surprised me with its charm and beauty. The next time I come, I may try taking a slow train there. Sure, the west coast has its bullet train and its major cities. But the laid-back beauty of Taitung appeals to me a lot. I am so going to try their hot air balloon again, and float over this gem of a city.

Footnotes

Captured with Fuji X-Pro2 and iPhone 7 Plus

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FootNotes

Captured with Fuji X-Pro2 and iPhone 7 Plus

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