Xitou Recreational Area (溪頭自然教育園區)
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...