Taipei Off The Beaten Path

If you are going to Jiufen, remember to buy the Taiyang bing, the pineapple tarts and mochi from this shop there ont he main street. It's much cheaper than in Taipei. And much fresher too, since these are handmade daily. if you buy more, the boss will give you a discount or throw in a few more foodstuff for you. Cost: taiyang bing (10 for NT100), pineapple tarts (24 for NT220), all handmade daily so it's quite fresh. I saw those in Taipei going for much higher prices and they're factory made. And most importantly, doesn't taste as nice as the ones I got in Jiufen.

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A couple of weekend ago we went hiking here in Tao-yuan valley. It wasn't a easy hike for people like me who Doesn't do hiking as much. ( Felt like I climbed thousands of steps to reach half way of the mountain.) I almost gave up when we finished the steps. I'm glad I didn't though, coz when we finally reach the top. The view were so worth it. Air was fresh and view was awesome.
It's located in Shuang-Si, the north-east of Taiwan.

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Take the train from Taipei Main to Ruei-Fang station. And either catch the bus up to the mountain or take a taxi ( $150). We took the taxi coz it was just faster and more comfortable.
The night view is what this place is famous for but we didn't hang around so long. We went up to the mountain at around 11:00am and left the place at around 3:00 pm. Lucky us, cos that way we didn't hit the traffic.

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Wu-Lai in located in Taipei county. It's famous for its hot springs and beautiful scenery. Find a hotel or a resort to stay then either walk around or drive around this place. you will have a very relaxing time here.

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Ing-Ge is a small town that is a half hour's train trip south of Taipei. It is well known for it's beautiful clay ceramics and pottery. When you go there you will see many shops where you can buy anything from a cheap traditional ceramic flute to wonderfully sculpted art. Most of the time they have some kind of a sale happening, so you can usually buy much cheaper than the sticker price. On our last trip there we found some gorgeous pieces for 40% off. If you aren't interested in buying someone else's work, then you also have the option to get down and dirty and make something of your own. It'll cost 100 NT to make something out of clay on a wheel. It costs an extra 150 to bake and color it, which will take 2 weeks minimum. If you can't pick it up in 2 weeks they will ship up to 6 items to the same address for 150 NT. If you decide to make more items you can get an additional discount.

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Window on China is the second largest miniaturization park in the world. My visit to this theme park reminded me very much of Madurodam in The Haague, Holland. The park showcases miniaturized landmarks and monuments in Taiwan and China including the Great Wall, Forbidden City and the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall. There are also miniaturised models of other monuments in other continents like the Taj Mahal, Paris Opera House, Mount Rushmore, Statue of Liberty, The Pyramids of Giza, Leaning Tower of Pisa and others.

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Situated at the rocky east coast of Taiwan near Hualien is Taiwan's major attraction, the Taroko Gorge. A fantastic 19-kilometer-long canyon, the gorge is a breathtaking spectacle of craggy rocks and cascading water. Taroko is famous for its spectacular granite mountains and marble canyons. Millions of years of wind erosion and shifting of continental plates created impressive grand canyons.
The waterfalls characterized Taroko National Park and the most famous ones are Pai Yang Waterfall, Yin Tai Waterfall, Chang Chun Waterfall, and Lu Shui Waterfall. Swallows nest on the cliff, chirping and flying back forth.
The best way to see Taroko Gorge will be to take a full-day trip by domestic flight from Taipei's Sung Shan Airport. A half hour flight on Far Eastern Transport will take you to Hualien where you will board a tour bus to take you to the gorge.

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I signed up for this tour at the hotel, and it was a wonderful drive up the mountainside to a quaint little village. I also found the shopping here to be much more enjoyable. Great deals and very nice locals.