Tag: sun moon lake

Our very best of 2017

2017 has been another incredible year on the road. In 2015 when we left the Netherlands to see the world we didn’t think we would still be traveling more than 2 years later. Yet 2017 brought some of the most incredible sights in our journey. We want to share them with you in this pretty compact list. Hopefully it will bring you inspiration for travels in the years ahead.

  1. Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

We travel to discover something foreign, a culture, a sight, a cuisine which we don’t have at home. Gardens by the Bay is something truly unique, that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. For me it felt like a vision of a future city, green, modern and a perfect symbiosis of nature and people. I could go back there a thousand times, over and over again and to all of you I recommend it as my unbeatable number 1. Don’t miss the light show by the main Super Trees site. More about the Gardens here.

  1. The Kaluts desert, Iran

That’s Jandirk’s  number 1 and the first place we saw in 2017. The silence, the rock formations and the feeling of landing on the Moon made it one of our very favorite sites. Not to mention the beauty of solitude out there. More about the journey here.

  1. Fuji mountain, Japan

Japan as a country has stolen our hearts. Jandirk has been fascinated by their manga, food and culture for a long time but for me it’s a very new love. Japan as a whole is an incredible journey full of surprises on every corner. But if we had to choose a specific place we would say Fuji Mountain. It can be seen from so many different places and it’s so perfectly symmetrical and majestic. We were lucky enough to see a lot of it from many different angles and we somehow can not imagine a trip to Japan without it.

  1. Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE

In 2017 we saw many incredible mosques in Oman and Iran but there was one winner and surprisingly it was in Abu Dhabi. It was completed in 2007 so I didn’t expect more than tons of gold and kitsch. I was wrong, the mosque is breathtaking! Every bit is magnificent, stylish, very thoughtfully made. In the evening it looks like a fairytale palace from Aladdin or 1001 Nights. It’s lit according to the phases of the moon so the color and intensity of the light changes every day. That should give you an idea about the amount of work and thought that went into this masterpiece.

  1. Pingxi mountains, Taiwan

I love mountainous views. Especially at sunrise there is something magical with the morning mist and clouds disappearing in between rays of light. I have to admit that I am not the type of person who likes hiking just for the joy of it. I have to have something spectacular at the top of the peak. Well Pingxi mountains gave us just that, super short, strenuous hike and absolutely magnificent views worth every bit of sweat and fear. About how to get there and exactly what to see go here.

  1. View on Sigiriya Rock, Sri Lanka

I’m not going to lie to you. We were not enchanted by Sri Lanka. We were stunned by the amount of garbage, scary transportation and not overly kind people. But one view stayed with us and it was the one on the Sigiriya Rock. It looked so blissful, so green, so Avatar-like, something we won’t ever forget. Tempted by this sight we actually visited the fortress on the top of that rock. We recommend you guys not to make that same mistake. It’s not worth the overpriced entrance and the slow, tiring walk up in a column of tourists.

  1. Japan in bloom

People tend to think that bloom in Japan means only cherry blossom and cherry blossom is only seen in Kyoto and Tokyo. The truth is cherry blossom is everywhere but just varies in period very much. This spectacle of nature, although very brief, brings Japan to life, pushes locals to celebrate and cherish what's fugacious in life. There are picnics and festivals everywhere and the trees look just breathtaking. After few days when the petals start falling it almost looks like snow. More about where to see cherry blossom here.

Except for cherry blossom we were lucky enough to see plum blossom which is almost as beautiful. It comes before the cherries and it’s more peaceful, less touristic.

  1. Kyoto, Japan

Every bit, every kilometer of it. It’s the city that charmed me the most this year. Kyoto is just pure essence of Japan for me. There is so much history there, so much soul but also plenty of modern, pleasantly weird Japan. I seriously can’t wait to go back there. For more info about our favorite places in Kyoto go to the post.

  1. Montserrat, Spain

No mountains are like those surrounding Montserrat Monastery. They look like sleeping giants overgrown with plants. I still can’t believe that all these times I came to visit Barcelona I didn’t think about coming here. Short trip away to huge joy.

  1. Tea plantations, Malaysia

We are massive tea drinkers and disappointed by tea plantations on Sri Lanka we decided to give it another tea try in Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Although the villages in the tea region were hideous, the plantations made up for it pretty fast. Hills of green, filled with bushes of tea. Unforgettable experience.

  1. Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

Already the name says it all. It’s a spectacular location that has a lot to offer when it comes to nature, culture and even modern architecture. Perfect escape from somehow chaotic cities of Taiwan. Every Dutch person will be delighted to hear that the best way to explore the area is by bike. More here.

How much does it cost to travel on Taiwan? Our budget and tips

Many say that if you can’t afford Japan, Taiwan is a good alternative. That made us think and expect this little island would be a lot like our beloved Japan. It’s definitely cleaner and more organized than other parts of Asia but that’s almost all the similarities it has with cherry- blossom- land. Still we completely fell in love with its nature, culture and beauty of its coast and mountains.

And I have to admit it’s more budget – friendly than Japan:)

Over 61 days we spend 3875 euro so around 63 euro per day for the two of us. A little above 30 euro each makes it a great alternative to Japan. But let’s break it down.

 

Where did we travel?

Taiwan is a pretty small island with a lot to offer. We visited their furthest southern part with its beachy national park (Kenting), we also emerged in their mountainous pearl of Taroko National Park. We couldn’t miss some of its most prominent cities like Taichung, Kaohsiung and obviously Taipei. When we got tired of the cities we relaxed by its magical Sun Moon Lake.

How did we travel?

Honestly I think renting a car on Taiwan is a great idea. We didn’t do that and regretted it afterwards. From what I read it’s not very expensive and some spots are difficult or even impossible to reach by public transport.

On transportation we  spent “just”398 euro. The prices of trains and buses were dirty cheap compared to Japan. A train from Taipei to Taichung was around 20 euros for both of us (750 TWD). Return bus from Zuoying to Kenting was 33 euro for both of us (1200 TWD). Actually we felt so sorry for ourselves that we didn’t try the high speed trains in Japan that we took one on Taiwan. It was “just” 2980 TWD (83 euros) so really cheap compared to the ones we saw in Japan.

The transport section includes some uber and taxi rides.

Curiosity! Buses in Taichung are FREE! Ok they can be pretty slow and a pain in the ass but who looks a gift horse in the mouth right?:)

Where did we stay?

Accommodation was the biggest part of our budget and it came up to 1876 euros. Out of this sum we spend 975 USD for a month of a private apartment in Taipei rented via airbnb (32.5 dollar a night). That one was a serious bargain considering that 99% of the studios I saw were for above 50 US dollars a night especially taking under consideration that we were in pure city center. The owner was going on vacation and wanted someone who could stay as long as possible so he offered 40% off for a stay above 28 nights.

For the rest we didn’t have that much luck anywhere else. The smaller and more beautiful the place was, the more pricey the hostel/ hotel was. At the Taroko National Park we had a private room at a local community home and that cost us 223 euros for 4 days.

We spent only 12 nights in dorms but those were not particularly cheap actually. For 7 nights in our hostel in Kenting we paid 234 euros for the two of us (around 20 euros per night). 

What did we eat?

Our food beginnings were difficult. Coming from lean, low fat, veggie Japan we had a hard time adjusting our bellies to more decadent, fatty Chinese cuisine. As usual we cooked ourselves most of the time but after some time we also enjoyed dinning at night markets, local restaurants and cafes. We didn’t deny ourselves many bubble teas either!

Food turned out to be 1369 euros out of which just 363 went on eating out on night markets, coffees and bubble teas. The rest was what we spent on ingredients to cook with. It might seem like quite a sum but we didn’t save, we treated ourselves buying fruit every single day and we tried out some weird ingredients. In this little fortune we also included quite a sum of tea, bought for gifts and for ourselves.

To give you an idea of eating out costs:

A very good bubble tea (good so not the cheapest) is around 70 TWD (around 2 euros)

Eating out at a night market we spent 200 - 400 TWD (5.5-11 euros) depending on what we bought. Barbecue was always the most expensive stand, together with fancy seafood. For cheaper meals we always turned to onion pancakes or dumplings.

How expensive are museums, tours etc?

On tourism we spend 139 euro. Many of the museums, temples and exhibitions were actually free. The most we spent on an entrance fee was when we went to see the Paul Smith exhibition in Taipei (560 TWD= around 16 euros for both of us). After all this free or dirt cheap cultural entertainment that one felt like a fortune. Although well spent.

In tourism we included mountain bikes rentals at the Sun Moon Lake (400 TWD = 11 euros) as well as renting an electric scooter in the Kenting National Park for two days (around 33 euros). A “huge” budget breaker was mountain bike rental with drop off in Taroko National Park. That was 1600 TWD (around 45 euros) well spent as it’s a super mountainous and dangerous area so we wanted to have the best equipment and calmly slide of a tremendous series of hills.

Where did the rest of our money go?

93 euro in the equipment and miscellaneous parts of our budget went to postcards, souvenirs, splurge in a private bath, a hat, some flowers and not much more:)

Money- saving tips and tricks

  1. Travel smart! Lots of spots on Taiwan are famous as weekend getaways and prices for accommodation get double or even triple during weekends and vacations. Try to avoid that. The three most popular of those are Sun Moon Lake, Kenting National Park and Taroko National Park.
  2. Hop on public transport! Buses, trains and metro are really cheap on Taiwan. In Taichung buses are actually free of charge. Just make sure you get yourself an Easy Card. You can buy it in many spots for example on metro stations and you put money on there to travel. It’s very easy, convenient and it makes everything even more affordable. The great thing is it works in buses and metro of Taipei as well as other big cities.
  3. Consider Airbnb! We managed to get a really great deal for an apartment in Taipei. It was central, pretty and it felt so homie. During the hottest summer months many people go away on vacation and some rent out their spots pretty cheap especially for longer stays.
  4. Enjoy free cultural events and exhibitions! Many of the art museums and cultural events are just free and really interesting.

Exchange rate used: 1 Euro = 34.48 TWD

Cycling around the Sun Moon Lake

The Sun Moon Lake is the biggest lake on Taiwan and on an island that small, it can get pretty crowded during the weekend. Because of the potential crowds and insane prices during the weekend we decided to go there during the week.

Although from many Taiwanese we heard that the Sun Moon lake is “just” a lake. I knew with a name like that it had to be spectacular. Arriving in the main town in the north of the lake I was actually pretty underwhelmed with what I saw. Instead of an oasis of peace and few charming houses by the lake I landed in a place full of not so cheap hotels, overpriced touristic shops and not so great restaurants.

Fortunately our hostel (Yue Lake Backpackers) turned out to be just outside of all that mess and it was actually pretty charming.

There are many ways to explore the area but since we love biking and having the flexibility of stopping everywhere, we decided to cycle around the lake (30km). I noticed that many bikes didn’t even have gears so I was calm that it would be a walk in the park. Flat as Holland. The touristic map was indicating all sorts of biking paths along the way so it seemed wheel friendly. It turned out that those were mostly very short and the longest one, the Moon lake bikeway, was suited only to push your bike. It was so steep that they even put signs everywhere to walk along your bike rather than riding it. But that came at the very end… first I was shocked and in a world of pain going up from our hostel to the Wenwu Temple for what seemed to be hours.

Wenwu Temple itself, although big, didn’t impress us with its architecture. It looked almost brand new even though it's 100 years. But it offers one of the most spectacular views on the lake and shade, very, very appreciated detail on Taiwan.

Cycling to the temple was the worst part of the biking trip. From there it was flat or even downhill… mostly.

The views we got were well worth the effort. The route is full of small side trails to walk to the lake or through the forest next to it. That way we spotted the weirdest boats that looked like floating apartments with huge nets waving on board like a flag.

Floating islands are another sight not to be missed on the lake. We spotted them on Songbolun Hiking Trail and Tutingzai hiking trail. Patches of land on the water where locals grow some vegetables. Although popular method in the area, no one could explain which plants were grown on them. So if you do, let us know!

Half way through the round we saw the most incredible pagoda (Cien Pagoda). Built in 1971 doesn’t make it too much of a historic sight. But 46 m and the fact that it’s been built on a mountain top assure spectacular views over the whole lake and surrounding mountains. Not to mention it’s one of very few pagodas that we saw, that was available for climbing all the way up. In Japan we could only admire them from a distance.

Cycling downhill from Cien pagoda we stopped at Xuanguang temple which was tiny and not much to see anyway. Just a small sneak peak at the Lalu Island which is this micro island surrounded by floating gardens. Looking at it it’s hard to believe that not so long ago it was much bigger and inhabited. Most of it ended underwater during an earthquake in 1999. Lalu used to separate the lake into a crescent moon and a sun.

Although the trip was supposed to take around 5 hours it took us the whole day. The last hour we spend in a pouring rain cycling like crazy to the Xiangshan Visitors Center looking for a shelter. Right when we reached it, the rain stopped and a kaleidoscope of colors came with the sunset. I couldn’t imagine a better place to see it. It’s not just any other tourist information. It looks more like an alien ship landed and never left. If that wasn’t enough facing the lake, there is a great pond that gives an illusion of an infinity pool. No wonder locals come here to take wedding pictures! There is even an open room for wedding photo session preparations.

We decided to come back and admire the spot for a great sunrise on the next day and we really weren’t disappointed. It was so serene, beautiful and misty.

Many people say that the Maolan mountain has the best sunrise views but that’s absolutely not true. In fact I wouldn’t even recommend that one. Maybe only for people who really want to see tea plantations but only for the sake of seeing the bushes. Don’t imagine mountain slopes going down to the lake covered in tea. I would be heartbroken waking up in the middle of the night and walking 45 minutes to see nothing special. But well, it’s also part of traveling, isn’t?

Practical info:

  1. Going around the lake is 30 km. It’s possible to do it on a bike. Just make sure you get a one with gears or an electric one. It’s also possible to go by bus.
  2. It’s possible to rent a bike as soon as the shop opens (7am) and bring it back on the next day in the morning. Renting a bike for a day with gears costs 200 TWD (5.57 Euro) including our discount that we got from our hostel.
  3. The Sun Moon Lake is easily reached from Taipei. There are a couple of direct buses per day. It takes around 6-7 hours to get there. For more frequent options you would have to go from Taichung.
  4. On the weekends it’s the number one destination for all the locals. During the week it’s practically an oasis of peace.
  5. Although we haven’t found anything mind blowing to eat. We managed to find a cheap and good restaurant selling noodle soup. One of very few spots that had veggies included in their options and not deep fried ones. The location is on our map below. So is our favorite (and best priced) bubble tea shop and waffles with assam tea (a must try snack!)
  6. It’s worth checking when the firefly season is. We heard there are a lot of festivals and millions of beautiful fireflies flying around not far from the lake.

Are you guys going to the Sun Moon lake? Or maybe you have already been and want to share your experience? Tell us below 🙂