The Last Hurrah ✈️

Landing in Hong Kong was a very strange sense of deja vu, as it was Hong Kong that we left from in December when our year of no flying ended. Landing here is a treat as you come in directly over the many islands and the city itself, all covered in apartment blocks and other high rise buildings. It’s such an amazing view. 

Once we landed we were ready to hightail it to Shenzhen across the land border as quickly as we could, to meet our friend Felix for dinner. Travelling from Hong Kong airport to Shenzhen is pretty straightforward, and takes around two hours depending on which route you choose. 

We took the direct airport train into Kowloon, where we planned to jump onto the high speed rail across the border. However, we should not have assumed we could just “jump onto the high speed rail” on a Friday night at rush hour, as all the trains were booked! Instead, we took the metro which took considerably longer, but still got us to the same place. It was exactly the same route we took when we left Shenzhen in December, so again, a weird sense of going back in time. 

We crossed the border into China for the fifth time this trip, and this time Josh was questioned extensively. We’re often asked about what we do for work, and our answer of “nothing, we’re just travelling” has the border agents in this part of the world suitably confused. They also asked Josh about what we were doing in Afghanistan (we have a giant full page Afghan visa in both our passports), and again they looked confused at his answer of tourism! After his passport disappeared to a back room for 15 minutes or so, he was stamped in and we were back in China! We only have a week here this time, so we were ready to hit the ground running and make the most of every moment. 

Our train got into Taipei after dark, and our loop of the island was complete. It was a bit of a shock to the system being back in a busy city after our lovely week in nature! It was a short walk to our hotel, and we were surprised that the weather was still fine with no wind or rain yet. For days we had all been watching the typhoon get closer and closer wondering if it was going to disrupt our flight to Hong Kong, but it seemed to have slowed down enough that we were no longer worried about getting out tomorrow. There were signs in the city that it was coming though, the shelves in the stores were empty with people stocking up on food, and there were signs around warning people to stay inside.

We had one last dinner in the city, at a nice Japanese restaurant. Sashimi, octopus with wasabi, fish cakes, pickle and of course a beer went down a treat. The following morning we had our last Taiwanese breakfast, which after two weeks has finally grown on us! We had a couple of small shopping jobs to do around town before we took the metro to the airport. All went smoothly and with absolutely no weather disruptions we were on our way to Hong Kong. 

Two weeks in Taiwan did not feel like enough, and we are so excited to hopefully come back and explore this amazing island more one day. The conversation of Taiwan on a global political level will be ongoing and likely to continue to escalate, and now that we have spent time on the island we feel like we understand it on a deeper level. As always, we’re struck by the fact that the people are not their government, and just want to be able to get on with their lives. The people we spoke to about the China issue in Taiwan mostly had the same outlook - it’s been a threat for a long time but nothing has actually happened. They don’t seem to expect that to change. The Taiwanese people have fought long and hard for the democracy they have today, and we sincerely wish them the best for the future and hope they are able to keep that. 

When people think of Taiwan they might come up with ideas of night markets, computer chips, boba tea, pro-democracy protests, conflict with Mainland China or even the famous pineapples. What I certainly didn’t think of was laid back surf towns that back onto seaward mountain ranges covered in lush sub tropical rainforest. To be honest, I didn’t really know anything about the amazing mountainous areas (including over two hundred 3,000m+ peaks), or the rich history of the indigenous population. All this and more was what we had the pleasure of discovering during our time in Taitung County. We spent a whole week in this area and did loads of great exploring, so buckle up as this is a slightly longer post than normal.

A week was the perfect amount of time to do a mixture of adventuring and chilling. We stayed in a town called Dulan, which had originally come onto our radar from a short surf film we’d seen about Taiwan, called Bouyancy. It shared the story of the owner of a surf shop in the area and showed some great footage of the nearby breaks. This time of year isn’t very consistent with swell, unless a Typhoon is approaching, and then you might get one of two days of good waves, before it gets too big. Josh had been checking the swell forecast, and this was about to happen, with Typhoon Bavi slowly approaching from the South East. We arrived on Thursday 2nd of July, and the waves really weren’t scheduled to start until the following Wednesday. It was the lure of good waves that had brought us to the area, but we had some time to kill before it began.

Up until now accommodation in Taiwan had been bankrupting us (consistently over $50 NZD a night), so we were very happy to find a hostel that had a cheap dorm room. It did not have AC, and we were sleeping on mats on the floor, Japanese style! The first few nights the lack of AC was tough with the high humidity, but as with anything, we did adapt and by the end it was still sweaty, but fine. The hostel was super social and we met loads of great people including two kiwis who we became fast friends with - Elsa and Louis. They were off bike packing for a few days but planned to come back when the swell arrived. 

Dulan as a town was small. On our first night Elsa and Louis walked us down the main street and showed us most of the main spots to eat. Everything seemed to work on an unpredictable rotating schedule, so you never really knew what was going to be open each day! There were enough options to keep us fed, and of course we could always rely on the 7/11! We managed to rent some wheels - an old scooter from a Spanish guy who had made Dulan home. It truly seemed to be held together by zip ties, but it got us where we needed to go, including over some higher passes and a couple of more dodgy roads to beaches. With transport, cheap accommodation, great food options and some new friends, we were really excited about our upcoming time here. 

The coastline itself really reminded us of the West Coast in New Zealand. The beaches were mostly stony rather than sandy and quite dramatic. The seaward mountain ranges rose directly behind the beaches, with just a small slither of flat land between. These mountains often hold low clouds during the day, especially at this time of year. The coastal road is windy and scenic, with small towns dotted every five to ten minutes. It was a quiet, magical place. Lots of people drive the road in rental cars, so there are many great lookout points. The cycle touring infrastructure here is also really good (did you know Giant bikes come from Taiwan?). You often see signs for cycle rest areas and they have amazing bike lanes, often totally separate from the roads. On the other side of the seaward mountains you have the Eastern Rift Valley, which is known as Taiwan’s rice basket. On the other side of the valley you have the Central Mountain range, which is where the big mountains begin. I know I’m talking about the geography a lot, but it was really stunning and totally unique to anywhere we have been before! It also sets the scene for some of the exploring we did over the next few days. 

We spent quite a bit of time driving along the coast searching for swimming spots, nice cafes and good views. We love just pottering around on our little scooter in search of new places and adventures. It was very hot, so plenty of stops in 7/11s or AC cafes were needed. Highlights included a delicious lunch at a small place next to a river, coffee and cinnamon buns while writing postcards home, and the Sanxian arched bridge which was sadly closed, but still looked cool! Each of the towns had their own unique personality, and all had a strong creative flair. Lots of little shops, quirky cafes and amazing creative posters advertising concerts or events going on. 

We went for a few hikes while we were in the area which was a really nice way of getting out of the heat and the humidity of sea level, and seeing some different parts of the county. One morning Josh had some work to do, so I went for a hike up Mt. Dulan. It wasn’t a long walk, about 9km total, but it got me up to the tallest point on the seaward mountains which was really cool. By the time I got to the top it was clagged in, but I had some great views on the way up. The forest was super lush, and I spotted heaps of spiders, butterflies and lizards. It was a good opportunity for me to test out how solo walking felt before my upcoming trip to Ladakh (a little lonely, but overall enjoyable!). Josh and I stumbled across another short hike the next day and we had just enough time to do it before it got dark. We followed a river to get views of the gorgeous Xingang Waterfall, and had the most beautiful secluded swim in a canyon below the falls. Perhaps my favorite hike though was the day that we drove across to the mountains on the other side of the Eastern Rift Valley, it was a 90 minute drive, which is a long time on a pretty shitty scooter. The drive was beautiful though, and felt well worth it. We walked 15km out and back sidling up the side of a big river valley. It was actually part of the first day of a multi-day trip, the Walamai Trail, which we will have to come back for! The views both down to the river and up towards the mountains were insane, and we both loved being out of town for most of the day. We found two great waterfalls to swim at, and a delicious coffee and cinnamon bun in town after our walk. The drive home felt particularly long, but we took a different route that wove through the valleys and villages and was incredibly beautiful. 

Taitung county is the cultural heartland of Taiwan’s indigenous communities, and has the highest proportion of indigenous residents at 35.5%. The indigenous peoples of Taiwan are believed to be the ancestral source of the Maori people of New Zealand, as well as many other Austronesian peoples across Polynesia, Micronesia, Island South East Asia (including parts of Malaysia and Indonesia), and even Madagascar. We went to a great museum in Taitung city that shared the stories, history and culture of these people, and even had displays that featured New Zealand! Another cool link is that the indigenous Taiwanese carve greenstone, which is also found here in Taiwan. I had a long chat with a local carver who was very complimentary of the way New Zealand designs have put greenstone carving much more on the world map. 

After a few days of exploring the swell finally arrived. I went for a walk on Tuesday night and got a view out to the bay and could see some big swell lines on the horizon. The next day Josh, Elsa and Louis all rented boards and were ready and rearing to go. Josh got two fun surfs in on Wednesday at Jinzun main break, and I enjoyed watching. The wave is a fun A-frame, and some of the sets coming through had some serious power to them. After being in Indonesia where the swell is so consistent, it was fascinating to see the same beaches that were flat two days ago suddenly have huge waves! By the next day the waves were too big to surf, but we all went for a drive to watch the giant walls of white wash rolling in. It was so incredibly powerful and crazy to think that it would get even bigger the next few days as the typhoon approached. 

That afternoon Josh and I were on the train back to Taipei. We rode right through the Eastern Rift Valley and had some amazing mountain views. When we got further north we joined the coast again and got some final views of the big waves rolling in before we were back into cities and industry. Our week in Dulan was really special, we loved the laid back atmosphere and all the outside adventures we managed to fit in. It’s this side of Taiwan we can’t wait to come back and visit again - the mountains, waterfalls, beaches and waves.

Our short but sweet stop in Kaohsiung was so lovely it deserves its own spot on the blog! Because we booked our train journey from Tainan to Taitung the day before, we ended up with a stop in the city of Kaohsiung. Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s third largest city, and somewhere we sadly didn’t have time to stay a few nights in. However, we were excited to have a few hours to explore the area around the train station. 

After a final morning walk around the streets of Tainan, we took a taxi to the train station. Our train station routine is pretty simple - go to a convienence store and pick up our favorite cold noodles, some average coffee, and usually m&ms or another sweet treat. Then we park up on the train, and while away the hours listening to music or a podcast, enjoying our snacks, and watching the world go past. Unfortuantely the train ride from Tainan to Kaohsiung was quite short, only 45 minutes, so not much time to soak it all up. 

Once we got to Kaohsiung we dropped our bags in the station lockers (SUCH a good service), and rented some U-bikes. We spent the next hour and a half cycling to, and around, what was marked on the map as ‘Lotus Pond’. What it actually was though, was a large beautiful lake surrounded by Buddhist, Confucius and Taoist temples. We didn’t stop and look at any in particular, but we really enjoyed looking at them from the bike! The weather was beautiful and it was so nice to be outside stretching the legs (with the electric pedal assist), during our break between trains. The temples all seemed to be on the newer side, with lots of elaborate and beautiful decorations. Many were so large and prolific you could see them from the other side of the lake, and some stretched out over the banks of the lake. At one end of the lake there was also a wakeboarding park, where you get pulled along by a cable and do tricks on rails and jumps in the water. We saw some people giving it a go, but it must have been ameteur hour as no tricks were involved! 

We found a great coffee shop by the lake, and checked to see if we could still order coffee in Mandarin. English is much more widely spoken here compared to Mainland China, so we haven’t been needing to use our language skills (or lack of) as much. Thankfully we could still order a coffee, but some hand gestures were definitely still needed for the finer points. However, I’m pretty sure the young guy running the shop spoke English, and was just letting us practise! 

Before too long we were back at the station. After another mini-mart visit and a sadly unsuccessful attempt getting boba tea, we were lining up for our next train journey. This one was a bit longer, about two hours, and we were very excited to be heading even further south east to the coast. We arrived in Taitung city at about 5:30 PM, and the bus to Dulan left just before 6 PM, making for a very easy transfer. As we made our way along the beautiful coastal roads we both commented on how fun it would be to drive these roads on a scooter, an insight into what’s to come!

The next city on our itinerary for Taiwan was the “ancient capital”, Tainan. Now known for its rich history and amazing food scene, we were very excited to visit. We loved the train ride from Taipei - the trains here are really great. Train travel has been, without a doubt, our favorite mode of travel this trip, and Taiwan has been no different. We stocked up on convenience store snacks and were off on the three and a half hour journey south. 

Tainan had a much more “old world” feel about it compared to Taipei, this makes sense, seeing as Tainan has history going back to the Dutch East India Company in the 1600s, and served as the country's capital for over 200 years. The area we were staying in was filled with small streets, old trader houses and alleyways. We thoroughly enjoyed just wandering and seeing what we would come across during our time in the city. 

On arrival we were very pleased to find out accommodation was a serious upgrade from Taipei! We had a big double room all to ourselves with a big window overlooking the street below. Maybe because of this, or maybe just because of where we are in our travels, we did enjoy our lovely room quite a lot here, spending a bit of time relaxing “at home”. We found a restaurant just across the street that we loved! It was a bit of a fusion - Japanese in style, but with some great dumplings and noodles that seemed more similar to Sichuan province in China. Other highlights nearby was the barber below us whose shop looked like a mix between a steampunk museum and hoarder house, where Josh got his hair cut pretty successfully!! Of course we had our local 7/11, Taiwan has the highest density of convenience stores or “marts” in the world, and as with Korea and Japan, mart culture is strong. You can get some great food, heaps of treats and sooo many varieties of drinks. We LOVE a mart and while in countries like this stopping in on your way home is simply compulsory. They are also a great A/C break when you’re out and about and it’s very hot!

Tainan is home to some really special temples, and most were located near our hotel. We did lots of wandering in the area and popping into whatever ones we came across. We didn’t deep dive on the history, just experienced these as we explored. As in Taipei, these temples felt very much like living places of worship, as opposed to protected or restored relics. We’ve loved this side of Taiwan. One afternoon we did a walking tour of the old town, also known as Anping. 400 years ago this would have been one of the most important trading ports in Asia! The Dutch built a fort here called Fort Zeelandia, and the surrounding town would have been a very multicultural and busy colonial settlement. Throughout the walking tour we saw lots of “Sword Lions” decorating the buildings, a tradition unique to this small area. They came from the Qing dynasty, when soldiers would hang their shields (often painted with lions) and swords up on the walls of their homes. It looked like a lion biting a sword, and thus the motif that you see today was born. It’s become a sort of emblem of the area. Walking around looking and seeing multiple different sword lions for a couple hours wasn’t exactly what we expected when we booked the walking tour, but it was fun nonetheless! 

Anping is further out towards the coast, so after the walking tour we took the electric rental bikes (called you-bikes), out for a ride to the beach. We enjoyed a lovely sunset with beers and snacks from the mart, before riding back into town once it was dark. The rental bikes here are the best we have encountered in any country on our trip so far! They are electric assisted when you pedal, and always seem to be in great condition. Both in Taipei and Tainan the pick up and drop off stations have been very common, yet it’s a docking style station which means everything stays organized and they don’t litter the streets as they often do in China. 

On our final day in Tainan we went searching for some A/C activities as we were finding it very hot out! There’s a gorgeous old department store that was built during Japanese occupation that we enjoyed browsing. It very much reminded me of Ballantynes in Christchurch! We also browsed the modern art gallery. 

Tainan had a lovely feel too it, it reminded me of a regional town in New Zealand. We found things were often shut (sometimes annoying), the people were very friendly and the pace in general was slower than Taipei. It was a great place to park up and relax for a few days before we headed even further south to Taitung, supposedly the most “chill” place in all of Taiwan.