The Traveling Matie

Flower Base Rock Xiao Liu Qiu is a coral island off the western coast of Southern Taiwan that is known for walking snorkeling, biking, and walking trails along the coral coast. Getting there proves to be a bit of an adventure. From Kaohsiung Main Station, take the exit on the side with the Metro. Walk past the metro and turn left on the main street. Continue about a block and a half until you see the Ibus sign. Here you can buy your round trip ticket to Donggang (190 NTD per person). Take Bus 9127 or 9127A. Note, the first bus departs at 6 a.m. The bus ride to Donggang takes 60-90 minutes depending on traffic. Once you arrive in Donggang, walk about 12 minutes to the High Speed Ferry terminal across from the Hua Qiao Fish Market. To get there, go to the intersection with the hospital and walk west until you reach the bridge. Then, turn left and keep walking. There are many different ferry companies operating out of the terminal. We picked the one which offered the next ferr...

By taking an hour and a half bus ride into the mountains, we enjoyed a day in the woods. Xitou Forest is beautiful with multiple paved paths, hik ing trails, and a monster village. It was so much cooler (23 degrees C instead of 34 degrees C in Changua). We had a great time hiking, breathing in the clean air, forest bathing, and enjoying the fog. The hike up to the observatory was great training, but unfortunately the fog eliminated the view. We were told you could see Sun Moon Lake from here. We took the train to Xinwuri Station in Taichung. At the station, we went to exit 5 where the Tourist Pass for Xitou which included round trip bus fare and park entrance for 400 NTD (~$14 USD) is sold. The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus / Nantou Bus Company which runs the Xitou Route was very organized and gave each person a number as their place in line, so we didn't have to worry about boarding. August is a very popular time to go as it is much cooler in the mountains. We waited about an...