Friday, May 9, 2014

Taiwan 12-Day Vacation - Day 3 Taitung

My Taiwan 12-Day Vacation Itinerary - See Link

We leave Hualien this morning via the 11am train to Taitung. It is a 2.5 hour journey and a wonderful train ride.

Arrived at Taitung around 1.30pm and took a taxi to the hotel - Travellers' Hotel. Since we only planning to stay for a night, this is a fairly basic hotel and the rooms are rather small.


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Traveller Hotel - a rather basic hotel and good enough for a night's stay


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Our 3 person bedroom - rather tight on space but we have no complains as were were out most of the time
The first thing we did was to look for lunch. We asked the hotel staff and they recommended us an eatery just 5 minutes walk away. It turned out the food was good and cheap.


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Lunch at this eatery - very popular with the locals, long queues

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Good and cheap lunch
Taitung is not a big city and that is why we like to see how some of the smaller cites in Taiwan are like. The city streets may not look appealing but Taitung greets visitors to a land of ecological richness and scenic beauty. The county is also known for its distinctive local products, from premium rice, day lilies, hibiscus, and sugar apples to sailfish, bonito(skipjack tuna), and other speciality seafood items.


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City streets
Ethnic diversity has endowed Taitung with a unique culture, diverse festival occasions, and a vibrant tradition of oral history and myth to provide plenty of food for the mind.


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Saw this old church building as we walk to Taitung Forest Park
Cyclists are also well served in Taitung. Taiwan's oldest bikeway—the Guanshan Bicycle Trail—is located here, and other cycling routes can be enjoyed in Longtian Village(Luye Township), Chishang, Taitung City, and coastal areas, all while cyclists are surrounded by fairytale-like scenic beauty.
Bikeway - Taitung county “boasts some of the best bicycling areas on the island.”

The 21-kilometer-long bike path that rings Taitung City – taking in the Seaside Park, Taitung Forest Park, and the Liji Badlands – is flat and safe, and so ideal for less-fervent cyclists.


These natural charms have earned Taitung the nickname as the "garden of Taiwan." True to this reputation, Taitung is a bona fide paradise for a healthy and relaxing holiday escape in nature's embrace.


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Map of cycle tracks in Taitung
After our good lunch, we decided to walk to the Taitung Forest Park where one part of the park faces the Pacific Ocean. There, we rented our bicycles and rode for 2 hours to take in the views of this beautiful extensive park. See our pictures below.


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Taitung Forest Park - the part that faces the Pacific Ocean

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Rented bicycles and rode round the park for 2 hours

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Serene and safe to ride a bike

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Time to take a rest

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Another view of the Park


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Well worth spending a day in Taitung


To check My Taiwan 12-Day Vacation Itinerary - See Link






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