Alishan ⛰️☁️ Taiwan Chiayi
Mountain in Chiayi City
I have travelled to Taiwan several times since young and have covered cities like Taipei, Kaoshiung and Taichung. My first time in Taiwan was with a tour group, but as I grew older, I started to plan my own trips and there was so much more flexibility doing so - I could take the off-beaten route and enjoy a more leisure pace of travelling! 👟
Being a nature and scenery lover, I have always wanted to visit Alishan, a mountainous area in the center of Taiwan. However, it took me some time to figure out the transport there, and I felt so glad that I could understand Chinese :”)
The weekend before our flight, a typhoon hit Taiwan, making us worried and uncertain about whether to continue with the trip 😧 While the locals were used to typhoons, we did not know how to respond to this kind of natural disasters. Fortunately, the typhoon left the island and the weather seemed clear for us to fly! 🙏🏻
Overview
Day 1: Arriving in Taiwan
We flew to Taipei Taoyuan International Airport by China Airlines, and landed around evening time. It was really affordable (S$387.7/pax) considering we only booked the flight 3 months before the trip. There was a lucky draw event at the airport for foreigners, which we tried our luck at and unfortunately did not win anything :(
As this trip was relatively short, we had to quickly transfer to the high speed rail (HSR) to Chiayi, so that we can make our way to Alishan the next day. From the airport, we had to take the airport rail to the Taoyuan HSR station, before boarding the HSR to Chiayi. Eventually, we managed to make it to Chiayi around 10pm.
The Chiayi HSR station is actually a distance from the city, so we booked an Uber 🚕. After a 20-min drive, we arrived at Maison De Chine hotel and checked in.
The hotel room had a prime location in Chiayi - it was within walking distance (15 min) to the Chiayi railway (TRA) station, Wenhua Road Night Market and also had many food options nearby! The room was also huge and comfy and it was actually the best hotel of the trip! 😴
Day 2: Alishan
We had to wake up early the next morning to travel to Alishan, so we paid for breakfast at the hotel. There were many options for the food, from Chinese porridge to simple bread and cereal! 🍞🥣
*****************📌 How to get to Alishan from Chiayi? *****************
There are several ways to get to Alishan (excluding car or taxi).
🚌 Firstly, there are two buses that drive to Alishan - bus number 7329/7329A departing from Chiayi HSR (which is further from Chiayi City center) or bus number 7322/7322C from Chiayi TRA. Take note that the timings for the two buses differ. The duration for the bus journey is about 1.5 hours.
Tickets for the buses can be purchased from 7-eleven in Chiayi (not sure about the other convenience stores), with the option to pre-select seats. There were also locals who paid for the tickets on the spot using their EasyCard. Meanwhile, we bought our tickets from Klook, which came in a package with the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area entrance ticket (link). A single trip ticket costs NT221 (~S$9)/pax, so since we were taking the bus again the next day, we decided to get the Klook bundle.
🚂 The second method to get to Alishan is by the Alishan Forest Rail. There is the main line which travels from Chiayi TRA to Alishan train station, but there are limited timings because the train ride takes around 3-4 hours (including wait time at certain stations). Some people choose to take the train up to Fenqihu station, then transfer to the buses (7322/7329) to Alishan. This is a popular train ride as it brings you around the mountain, allowing you to enjoy views onboard the iconic red train. Train tickets have to be purchased online 14 days before the travel date on the ticketing website.
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My family chose to take the bus from Chiayi TRA so that we can arrive at Alishan by afternoon. When we arrived at the Chiayi TRA, there was no discrete sign pointing us to the bus. Fortunately, there were volunteers who directed us to the queue for the bus. Depending on the mode of payment used for the tickets, you will be given different priority to board the bus. Those who had bought their tickets with pre-selected seats were allowed up the bus first, followed by us (using Klook QR code) and the rest who were paying using EasyCard. Therefore, there is a possibility of not being able to get on the bus if there were too many people. It is also advisable to pack light for Alishan because there is limited space in the luggage area.
Onboard the bus, there was English announcement for each bus stop. If passengers are getting off along the way, they can press the stop button and alight. Upon reaching the bus terminal at Alishan, we directly walked towards the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area 🌳.
From the entrance to the main shopping area (阿里山商店街), it was around 10 to 15 min walk. This is the only area within the recreation area that sells food and items. The visitor center is also here. We had lunch at a small eatery (香姨小吃 Xiangyi Xiaochi), where we ate some noodles and braised pork rice.
The Alishan Forest Rail also operates along the branch line, which travels from the Alishan station (within Alishan National Forest Recreation Area) to other stations like Shenmu, Zhushan and Zhaoping. Zhushan station is known for its sunrise observation deck and visitors intending to watch the sunrise from here would need to purchase the train tickets around 4pm the day before the sunrise, as it is not guaranteed that the weather condition is always good for sunrise. Meanwhile, Zhaoping and Shenmu stations are where the main forest trail loops around.
As it was winter and the sun set earlier, we did not check in at our hotel first and started our forest walk after lunch. From Alishan station, we purchased tickets towards Zhaoping. The same red train operates along the branch line, except that the ride was much shorter, so it may not be necessary to take the train along the main line just to experience the train ride. After a short 5-min ride, we arrived at Zhaoping station, where the train stopped for a while for passengers to take photos with. Outside the station, there was already a beautiful view of the clouds drifting across the mountains!
The moment we entered the forest that was surrounded with tall cypress trees, we could already sense the difference in temperature and air quality here! As we walked along the trail, we came across the Sister Pond (姐妹潭), gorgeous-looking temples and bridge.
There was even a primary school where some children of Alishan Township are attending school at. We entered the Alishan museum, which displayed information about the history of Alishan and the railway. In the past, while Taiwan was ruled under the Japanese, many cypress trees were harvested from Alishan and transported to Chiayi City using the Alishan railway. The railway was maintained and now provides a mode of transport for visitors to Alishan.
After our 2-hour hike, we were ready to return. We boarded the train at Shenmu station towards Alishan station. Other highlights of Alishan National Forest Recreation Area are the highest 7-eleven store and post office in Taiwan, perched at an elevation of 2000m.
We made our way to our hotel (Alishan Kao Feng Hotel) and checked in. There were not many accommodation options in the recreation area as they were in high demand. The four of us booked a family room with two double beds, which was already more expensive than our first night stay in Chiayi (S$226/night). Fortunately, it was warm as the night was getting cold.
We took a quick nap and headed out around 5.30pm. The sun was setting, leaving a beautiful pink hue in the sky above the carpark. Our dinner place was at Shan Bin restaurant near the main shopping area. It was the right choice to have an early dinner as the restaurant started to get crowded after 6.30pm. We ordered from their set menu and opted for a smaller portion since there were so many dishes. It’s such a delicious meal of local dishes, and it’s not expensive either!
We turned in early for the night as we had arranged for a sunrise tour the next morning. There are many tours at Alishan, including a stargazing one, and we arranged for the sunrise tour at the visitor center with a local guide. The package included pick-up from the hotel and return transport from the sunrise observation deck. In fact, I think it was more convenient than taking the train, because we did not have to squeeze with the crowd.
Day 3: Sunrise & Return to Chiayi
We woke up around 4.30am and got ready for the pick-up van. It was cold and foggy in the morning. After a short 20-30min ride, we arrived at the observation deck. At this time, the sun still had not risen, but there was a beautiful sea of clouds above the mountains. There was also a volunteer guide who started to explain the mountains to us using a loudspeaker. Around 6.30am, the sun started to rise and we were given a piece of shades to protect our eyes from the glare of the sun. It was truly a unique experience to be watching the sunrise on the mountains!
We were brought back to the main shopping area for breakfast. All the hotels at Alishan came with free breakfast, but they were not served in the hotel, but at a buffet restaurant at the main shopping area. We had a simple breakfast, then checked out of our hotel. We walked back to the bus terminal and took the bus to Fenqihu, a small place at the lower section of the mountains where local snacks and products were sold. There was also accommodation here, with fireflies tours in the nearby forests.
Near the Fenqihu train station, there is a shed displaying more information about the trains and tracks used by the Alishan Forest Rail.
Fenqihu is also known for its metal lunch box, which can be found in the Fenqihu hotel at the Old Street. But we went to another traditional looking store for the rice box as we saw some recommendations online.
Fenqihu is not a large area, so it took us about 3 hours to finish touring the place. We visited the Fenqihu Old Street, and walked through some short trails nearby. However, since our train back to Chiayi was at 2pm, we just had to wait at the train station. It was a long train ride, but it felt more complete to be able to view the mountain from another angle as we descended. After passing through many tunnels and forests, we arrived at the Chiayi TRA station around 5.30pm.
We returned to check in at our hotel (the same one as our first night). Then, we set off for the Wenhua Road Night Market, which was within walking distance of our hotel. There were many food options here, from a popular fish head steamboat restaurant to small food stalls. We spent around 2 hours at the night market before returning.
Day 4: Chiayi
It was my first time in Chiayi and it felt completely different from Taipei and Taichung! I felt that it was an older city with shophouses and low buildings instead of modern tall structures. The only issue was transport because there was no metro, and buses seemed less common - there were many scooters or cyclists. There were also hardly any pavements for pedestrians because they were all parked with scooters. My only impression of Chiayi would be the cheap and good food they have here! 🤤😋
Our first destination was the Chiayi University’s Insect Museum, which was quite a distance from our hotel, so we booked an Uber. There were many insect specimens and you could really tell the amount of effort in the exhibits here! It was a unique and educational experience to learn about different beetles, butterflies and insects.
There was even a small greenhouse that you could walk through to the second level! At the second level, there were also live beetles that you could touch under the guidance of the staff.
After visiting the insect museum, we decided to walk towards the nearby Lantan Scenic Area. It features a reservoir that has a water show at certain timings at night. However, I would not recommend walking from the insect museum to this place as it was really hot in the afternoon and we were basically walking on the road, so it could be quite dangerous 😵
We proceeded to our lunch spot at a dim sum restaurant called 竹居茶楼. It is a traditional teahouse with wooden fittings and huge pond for you to enjoy the view while eating. It was more pricey than other restaurants and the dishes tasted alright, but it was still an enjoyable meal because of the decorations and peaceful atmosphere.
In the afternoon, we visited the iWood Village, which was further out from the city. It is a wood processing factory, but there is an exhibit to understand the different types of wood and how they are processed. It was really fun inside, as there are also interactive games and toys made from wood. It was not boring despite the amount of information, so I would highly recommend this place!
Finally, we also managed to squeeze in a last attraction in the city - Hinoki Village! It is a small area with rows of Japanese houses that were retained from the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. It used to be the residential area of the loggers and their families. Now, there are many stores that sell local souvenirs and food. In the center, there is even a small Japanese pond. We had a fun time shopping here as there were many interesting items.
For dinner, we walked to a fish head steamboat store (北門沙鍋魚頭) nearby as we did not get the chance to eat at the popular fish head steamboat restaurant along Wenhua Road Night Market the previous night. In Singapore, we also have fish soup and steamboat, but the ones here tasted different! It was also cheap!
Day 5: Taipei
It was the day to head back to Taipei, and we had our last breakfast in Chiayi at a place opposite our hotel. The store serves toast with all kinds of toppings and fillings. After the simple breakfast, we took an Uber to the Chiayi HSR station and boarded the train to Taipei.
By 11am, we had arrived at our Taipei hotel located near Zhongxiao Fuxing station. Our hotel was within a building along the shopping district. We left our luggages at the lobby and had lunch at a restaurant opposite. After searching on Google, we found this restaurant (Shin Yeh 欣葉台菜) that specialised in Taiwanese cuisine. It was our first time trying authentic Taiwanese cuisine and we were curious as to how it differed from other kinds of Chinese cuisine. In fact, it tasted very familiar, but it was not too oily or strong in flavours. Even though it was more expensive compared to eating at a mid-tier restaurant, it was really worth the quality!
After the hearty lunch, we travelled to Huashan 1914 Creative Park, an industrial looking place where there are many pop up stores and exhibits throughout the year. Many of the stores here sold intricate handmade and unique products!
As a mofusand fan, I was delighted to see a mofusand pop up store! It was so adorable that I had to buy some items back!
We also came across a photo exhibition of a retired businessman. In the outdoor area, there was also an event being held, selling food and products that originated from different parts of Taiwan! We ended up spending a longer time than expected, and only left around 4pm.
We returned and checked in at our hotel (Eastin Taipei Hotel). As the hotel was near the city center, we could see Taipei 101 from our room. Unfortunately, it was either foggy in the day, or there were light reflections at night, making it difficult to take photos of the view.
In the evening, we went to Ximending, where the streets were bustling and packed with tourists even on a weekday. Even though I had been to Ximending several times, the place never gets old, as there are new shops and many food options.
Day 6: Last day in Taipei
We decided to have a more chill day and revisited the Liberty Square & Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall in the morning. It felt different to be touring the place on our own (instead of following a tour group) as we strolled at our pace from the garden to the square. On the day we went, the square was quite empty, making it feel even bigger than usual.
We walked from the square to the steps of the memorial hall, where there was a bronze statue of Chiang Kai Shek. In the lower levels of the hall, there was also a huge exhibition hall about Chiang Kai Shek.
After the morning tour, we went to a nearby dim sum restaurant (杭州小籠湯包 Hang Zhou Xiao Long Bao). We ordered many side dishes, along with different flavoured Xiao Long Bao (meat dumplings) and pan-fried dumplings. We accidentally over ordered as we did not expect the portion size of the dishes to be so huge.
As we were returning to the metro station, we noticed that the guard changing parade was taking place at the foot of the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, so we joined in and watched.
Then, we travelled to Beimen station, and walked towards Dihua street. This street is always packed with locals during Lunar New Year as the street is lined with stores selling all kinds of herbs, teas and goods. It is also popular among tourists as it is the oldest street of Taipei, with many olden buildings found here. We managed to get many food souvenirs here as well.
About 15min walk from the street is Dadaocheng Pier, where the ships docked. The pier has a small container market with food stalls and bars. It was a gloomy day, but there were still many people cycling and chilling at the pier.
As we were returning to our hotel by metro, we walked in the underground connecting linkway from Beimen station to Taipei Main station. To our surprise, there were many anime/manga related stores and crystal shops along this stretch. The underground was also packed with young people. For a moment, I even thought I had transported to Japan because of the amount of anime/manga related stores.
Initially, we intended to have dinner at Sogo departmental store near our hotel. But it was packed with people on a weekend and we settled for a tonkatsu fast food chain nearby. It was actually really cheap for tonkatsu (~S$10) and tasted decent too.
This was my first Taiwan trip after 6 years or so, and I was glad to finally be able to travel to Alishan and enjoy the tranquility in the mountains. I also managed to visit some new places in Taipei, like Dihua street and Dadaocheng Pier. If given a chance to visit Taiwan again, I would probably want to return to Taichung - a city I really like for its artsy and chill vibes! 😍