5D/4N: Eastern Taiwan

From Taipei's Songshan Airport, we will take a flight to Taitung's Fengnian Airport. Taitung is located in the southeastern part of Taiwan and boasts the longest coastline (nearly 200 kilometers) of any county in Taiwan. At the National Museum of Prehistory, you will gain an overview of Taiwan’s natural history and indigenous culture.

We will then head southwards to Taimali and Jinfeng townships. Both of these townships were devastated during Typhoon Morakot in August 2009. The residents have shown that the human spirit can overcome natural disaster and have rebuilt their communities.

We arrive at the first indigenous community on this tour: Xinxianglan Village. This is home to members of the Paiwan and Amis tribe. The residents of this village have revived several aspects of Paiwan culture including the youth meeting hall and hunters’ school (for teaching survival skills and tribal legends) and millet growing. Millet was once a staple food of many indigenous tribes in Taiwan. A dinner of dishes made using local millet and traditional indigenous ingredients will be served at the village’s restaurant.

Accommodation: Tjiljuvekang Art & Leisure Guesthouse (please note that it may be necessary to share a bathroom this night) or equivalent.
This guesthouse is owned and operated by Utjutj Tjiljuvekang, a member of the Paiwan tribe who is originally from Xinxing Village. However, he spent most of his working life in urban areas, recently returning to his village to become reacquainted with his roots. From the outside, this guesthouse is very striking. The white walls are painted with black murals, the subjects of which are Paiwan culture, such as the grinding of millet and hunting. Also in front of the guesthouse, there is a statue of a Paiwan male climbing a pole on which there is a hundred pace pit viper. Next to this is a stack of logs. Obtaining such a stack of logs was part of the preparations for Paiwan weddings of the chieftain clan. The guesthouse has five rooms on the second and third floors, with a shared bathroom on each floor. There is also a balcony for viewing the star-filled sky at night or the Pacific coast during the day. This guesthouse is located right within Xinxing Village and makes a good base from which to explore the area on foot.

We will start the day with a tour of Xinxing Village in Jinfeng Township. The residents of this village are mostly from the Paiwan and Rukai tribes. There are eight chieftains in this village and a tour will include some of their homes as well as a workshop selling products designed and produced by village residents. This village is perched on a mountain slope and from here there are excellent views of the coast and Pacific Ocean.
 

After the tour, we will enjoy a Taimali Township specialty, beef noodles. After lunch, we head north to Hualien County, making stops at some of the scenic places in the East Rift Valley; a valley bordered on one side by the Coastal Mountain Range and on the other by the Central Mountain Range. We will arrive in Ruisui Township. This township is home to three indigenous tribes: Amis, Truku and Bunun. It is also famous for its natural hot springs, cycling paths and whitewater raft rides along the Xiuguluan River.

For dinner, we will enjoy hot pot; a Chinese dish of broth boiled over a fire in which you add meat and vegetables. The twist here is local wild greens.

After dinner, we head to a hot springs guesthouse where you can socialize outdoors in a large pool of natural hot springs water or enjoy the soothing waters in a large bathtub in the privacy of your own room. The iron content of these spring waters makes them appear rust in color. It is safe for bathing but not for ingesting. Also, due to the metal content it is best to rinse off after bathing.  
 

Accommodation: Yuan Hsiang Hot Springs Homestay or equivalent.
This homestay is located in the Ruisui Hot Springs Area and has a park-like setting. The rooms include a private hot springs bathing area with an adjacent shower. Outside are tubs and a large pool for soaking in the soothing waters while looking out at the surrounding fields and mountains during the day and up at the star-filled sky at night. Bicycles are available for guests to take advantage of the nearby cycling paths. 
 

Today starts out with a thrilling ride along 24 kilometers of the Xiuguluan River. We will experience more than a dozen rapids along this Grade 3 river. A simple lunch will be served along the river bank about half way to the ending point.
After a shower and change of clothes, we continue our drive through the East Rift Valley to Xiulin Township, home to the Truku and Sediq indigenous tribes and the world famous Taroko Gorge. We will tour one of the indigenous communities in this township before enjoying a dinner of indigenous cuisine.

Accommodation: Crossing the Rainbow Bridge Guesthouse or equivalent.
In the traditional beliefs of the Truku tribe, only those who observe the moral code of the “gaya” will be able to cross the rainbow bridge and be in the presence of the ancestral spirits. This guesthouse is owned by Teyra Yudaw, an indigenous autonomy activist who has spoken at the United Nations. He is very happy to share his knowledge of Truku culture with guests.

The rooms are beautifully decorated and some have breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. The water for the shower comes from clear mountain springs and is heated by solar panels. Each of the seven rooms has a different name in the Truku language such as Wili (leech) or Skadang (many molars). This guesthouse is located near the entrance to Taroko National Park. Guests can make use of bicycles for a leisurely tour of the surrounding area.

On this day, we explore the spectacular Taroko Gorge. We first hike the Shakadang Trail. Along this trail, local indigenous people grow bird’s nest fern, an ingredient in indigenous cuisine, and the aquamarine waters of the Shakadang River flow. After this, we will finish exploring the gorge and its natural beauty including the Eternal Spring Shrine, Buluowan and Swallows’ Grotto.
 

Accommodation: Silks Place Taroko (5*) or similar
Offering uninterrupted views of the surrounding greenery, Silks Place Taroko Hotel is located within the Taroko National Park in Hualien County. It features an indoor pool, an outdoor pool and 2 dining options. Given the range of facilities available at the hotel, including a stunning panoramic outdoor pool, tennis courts surrounded by jungle-clad mountains and two highly recommended restaurants, the luxury retreat concept begins to make perfect sense. You really will have to tear yourself away from the hotel to visit the spectacular National Park trails close at hand, the temples and grottos, hot springs and waterfalls. 

After leaving Taroko Gorge, we continue our cultural tour of Xiulin Township. Stops include visits to a workshop creating products from local natural stone, the Truku community of Sanzhan, and a museum devoted to the past tradition of facial tattooing. After our tour, we head back to Taipei via van along the Suhua Highway and Xueshan Tunnel (12.6 kilometers long) or the train to arrive at about 7:00 p.m.