Written by Sarah Phipps, (University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill) Student Correspondent CET Taiwan, Fall 2018
One of the bonuses of studying abroad through CET is the coordinated group activities it hosts. My favorite thus far has been the overnight trip to Taroko National Park, located in Hualien County, and southeast of Taipei. Taroko Gorge is one of seven national parks in Taiwan. It gets its name from the Truku Tribe, one of Taiwan’s 16 indigenous tribes. In Truku, Taroko means magnificent. This Gorge most certainly lives up to its name! During my short three-day, two-night visit, I fell in love with its beauty, and I am confident you will too.
We left Taipei on Friday afternoon at 14:00 on and traveled to Hualien. Our first stop was Hualien Night Market. Night markets are one of Taiwan’s greatest treasures – offering local food, clothing, and more. Hualien is especially famous for its stinky tofu and shaved snow (similar texture/taste of Thai ice-cream). When you go to a night market, I particularly recommend getting traditional milk bubble tea: brown sugar tapioca pearls and milk. The pearls sweeten the milk and mix together to make the most delicious combination. Travel tip: make sure you have cash with you for night markets, you will not be able to use a credit card!
We stayed in the Taroko Susi Space Hostel, a 15-minute walk from the Hualien Train Station. I have found hostel stay to bring incredible flavor to travel. I made four friends in my short stay at the hostel, and we all exchanged contact information and hope to remain in touch.
On Saturday morning, we walked from the Susi Hostel to the Hualien Train Station where we boarded a bus to Taroko Gorge. At the entrance of Taroko Gorge there is an outdoor concert arena where indigenous bands often play traditional music. There is also a museum with several exhibitions providing you with history about the park. On the top floor, it is tailored towards adults, and on the ground floor it is tailored towards children. I enjoyed learning about the history of the Gorge prior to immersing myself in it.
Our first hike was Shakandang Trail – a relatively easy journey revealing beautiful blue rivers. Afterwards, we hiked Baiyan Trail. This trail required walking two kilometers on the road to the cave entrance, and then through several caves to a beautiful waterfall.
For dinner, we went to an aboriginal restaurant, 流流社原住民風味餐廳 (Streaming Society Aboriginal Restaurant). We were served fried fish, taro chips, soup with bamboo shoots, and more. Often, the chef brought us a dish and asked us to guess what we were eating – it was so fun! The restaurant does not operate on a menu, because the chef designs meals daily with in-season, fresh ingredients. You are always guaranteed an organic, fresh, and delicious meal.
On Sunday morning, I woke up at 4:45 and walked from the hostel to the Pacific Coast to watch the sunrise with other members of the CET group. Unfortunately, the sun stayed mostly hidden behind the clouds, but it was beautiful and peaceful nonetheless.
Afterwards, I had one last homemade breakfast and mocha at the hostel, and then we began our trek back to Taipei. Taroko Gorge is most certainly the jewel of Taiwan!