Highlights of Taiwan!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I'll receive a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information. Your support is appreciated!.
If you have limited time in Taiwan, New Taipei City is a great central point for many places to travel. Perhaps any Taiwanese city would be ideal to see many things, as the train system in Taiwan is easily navigable.
UZ Hostel in New Taipei City is a capsule hostel, which is ideal for a lone budget traveler. (It was very affordable and the capsules provided privacy and quiet). The bathroom was very clean, and they also provided breakfast vouchers. Each capsule has a television inside as well.
The UZ Hostel has female capsule rooms, male capsule rooms, and even double bed capsules.
From UZ Hostel, Fuzhong train station is only a 4 minute walk away.
Jiufen and Shifen
KLOOK offers a tour to see Jiufen and Shifen. All I had to do for this tour was meet the tour bus in another town by train. That particular tour met near Ximen station, only a few stops from Fuzhong.
Shifen (十份)
The tour guide for my tour was amazing and took us first to Shifen. Shifen is famous for the lantern festival they hold every year. The main street in Shifen is called Old Street and in the very center is the old train track that went through the town. Along the street there are many shops to buy souvenirs and try delicious Taiwanese cuisine and barbecue. You can buy a paper lantern and decorate it, then release it into the sky!
After releasing a lantern, you can venture outside the bustling area on Old Street and cross a lovely suspension bridge. There is a waterfall not far from Shifen, however, I did not get to see it this time around.
Jiufen (九份)
Jiufen is not so far from Shifen and is just as spectacular, with more to see than the former. The only problem I had in Jiufen and Shifen were the large crowds. Despite this, the sights were amazing.
Mysterious and quaint, Jiufen is nestled into the rocks.
This city is also in a gorgeous location, overlooking the northern coast of Taiwan. The tour I took was timed so that I could see the city both in the daylight and lit up after dark.
This is the amazing view from the restaurant where I ate:
You can try so many delicious Taiwanese foods in Jiufen, and sip tea at the famous teahouse there.
Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Park
Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Park is recommended when you have limited time to explore. For one thing, there is much to learn about the Indigenous culture in Taiwan. Also, it is a theme park, so there are many shows and some rides. There are replicas of the indigenous villages complete with gift shops, to showcase each unique style. The park is also connected to Sun Moon Lake, which is part of the rich Indigenous culture there.
To get there from New Taipei City, take local train to Banqiao High Speed Rail Station (the next stop from Fuzhong).
Board the HSR (high speed rail) train to Taichung HSR station. There are kiosks to buy tickets, but there are also counters if you need a little help. The high speed train can get a little crowded, but generally there are no problems boarding.
In Taichung, go to the Nantou bus counter, where you can buy your ticket to the park and board a Nantou bus straight to the park. You can read more on the Nantou bus here: Klook Nantou Busses
Thousand Island Lake
There is public transportation to get to Thousand Island Lake in Shiding. However, it can be quite a difficult walk in the heat of the sun that day. Going down was not half as bad as coming back to the bus stop, and sometimes it is possible to get a ride with a driver at the tea plantation. If you want to avoid this, then KLOOK has a great day or half-day tour to Thousand Island Lake.
KLOOK Tour, Thousand Island Lake
If you want to take your chances with public transportation, here is how I did it:
- Fuzhong to Ximen Station.
- At Ximen, transfer to another train to get to Xindian MRT station.
- Take the Green #12 bus (綠12) from Xindian MRT station for ‘Shisangu’ (十三股) bus stop (at the top of the hill).
There are many more sights to see in Taiwan! I hope you enjoy it as well as I did! Happy traveling!
