RSL Cold Spring Resort in Suao 瓏山林蘇澳冷熱泉度假飯店

This is quite simply one of the best hotels in Yilan - and in Taiwan. It's quite expensive, but you get value for your money. And the opportunity to soak in the cold spring water during the hottest days of summer, immersed in unapologetic luxury, is pure bliss.

This is an odd location for such a luxurious hotel. Suao is the only part of Yilan which was developed for heavy industry. The town has some large cement factories and steel foundries, which makes it feel more like Kaohsiung than Yilan. The town of Suao is basically an eyesore, despite a pretty setting wedged between mountains and sea. As you drive toward the hotel you'll wonder whether you've made a wrong turn somewhere. And the hotel is in a decidedly unscenic place, next to a gas station, because that's where the cold spring happens to be.

Don't worry. The hotel itself is absolutely magnificent, and turns inward on itself to feature the array of courtyard cold and hot spring pools. Once you go inside you're deliberately cut off from the dusty streets outside and encircled by impressive architecture. The style is Southern California Palladian, and it looks like everything was magically transplanted from Beverly Hills. The staff maintains the highest level of service I've ever encountered in Taiwan, and they all seem to speak sufficient English.

In the courtyard at the center of the hotel are a dozen gorgeous pools with spring water of various temperatures - cold, cool, warm, and hot. The pools and surrounding Italianate sculpture are all quite tasteful and elegant.

I had purchased a special package which included room, dinner and breakfast, spa, cocktail in the bar, drink by the pool, and the naked spring on the roof. I recommend getting the package - it's a good deal. Because we had a package of activities, we were busy the whole time.

After bathing in the various courtyard pools, we went for the spa. The spa area was very beautiful - everything was first rate. The spa treatment was basically a relaxing rubbing massage (instead of the usual painful Chinese acupressure). Afterwards we were served herb tea in a little lounge area.

Meals qualify as haute cuisine. I arranged in advance for the vegetarian option, and I was very satisfied. Everything was very tasty, featured local ingredients, and was elaborately presented. The people in the kitchen definitely know what they're doing.

After dinner we went to the impressive bar for a cocktail. A duo was playing live jazz, which I enjoyed. However, all of the bathing and spa had turned us into jelly, so we just ended going to bed early. Even though we were in a tatami room (which came with the package) and sleeping on the floor, I slept better than I had in a long time.

The next morning, after a beautifully plated breakfast, we went upstairs to the nude spring. As with the rest of the resort, the nude spring area is also very elegant. There was only one other person in the men's area, which was surprising. If you don't have a package, you have to pay extra to use the nude spring, so most people seem to just stick to the courtyard pools downstairs. The men's nude spring features hot springs and two cold springs, one pair inside and another pair outside, so you can look at either the mountains or harbor while bathing.

As far as I could tell, I was the only foreign guest that day. About half of the guests had brought their children, which surprised me. In the US a hotel this elegant would be a romantic retreat for couples, but Taiwanese seem to consider anything with a swimming pool a place to take kids. The other guests were very well behaved and the kids weren't a problem. However, all of the kids made the dining room a bit noisy, which was odd for a restaurant serving such high end food.

Don't bother to dress up. Despite the high price and surroundings, most of the other guests dressed like they had bought their entire wardrobe from the clearance bin at Carrefour. As far as I can tell, the only time most Taiwanese people ever dress up in their entire life is for their wedding photos.

Although the hotel is famous for its unique cold spring, because there is also hot spring water this would also be a nice getaway in winter.

To get here just drive south along the highway to the very end and exit at Suao. Then follow the signs to the hotel. You have to make a few turns to get there, but the route is well marked with large signs and billboards. You can unload in front of the hotel, then park in the lot on the left side of the hotel.

Here is the hotel website:

www.rslhotel.com/

Niannian Restaurant 年年小館

Yilan isn't famous for its fine restaurants. Local people are mostly very traditional and rarely eat out, so the restaurant culture isn't very well developed. Most restaurants I've been to here aren't anything special. However, Niannian is an exception. I've eaten at the Jiaoxi branch a number of times, and the food is consistently good. What's more, they specialize in traditional Yilan dishes, so this is the place to come for a taste of the local cuisine.

There are three branches of the restaurant. The main branch is on the north side of Yilan City. I've never been there, but a friend tells me that the food there is better than at the branch locations. The Jiaoxi branch is conveniently located on the main road that cuts through town not far north of the train station area. There is also a branch in Luodong.

The menu is very extensive and is basically an encyclopedia of Yilan food. One page is even devoted to Yilan snack foods like you would find in a night market. Many of the dishes here are distinctive regional foods, such as shrimp cooked in hot stones, spicy lemon chicken, chicken soup with medicinal herbs, pork ribs with kumquats, and anything with scallions. Ask your waitress for recommendations of unique local foods.

The addresses are -

Main restaurant:
Huanshi East Road, Section 2, no. 777, Yilan City 宜蘭市環市東路二段777號
http://039373016.eyilan.tw/

Jiaoxi branch:
115 Jiaoxi Road, Section 5, Jiaoxi 宜蘭縣礁溪鄉礁溪路五段115號
http://039875252.eyilan.tw/

Luodong branch:
126 Yangming Road, Luodong 宜蘭縣羅東鎮陽明路126號
http://039567858.eyilan.tw/

Cherry Blossom Hot Spring 櫻花溫泉館

This hot spring is in a remote area of Datong 大同 township not far from Road 7. If you happen to be passing by on the way to or from other attractions, it's worth the detour.

The setup here is a bit different from most hot springs. Most of the rooms are little huts with a tub big enough for one person, so you bathe in private. A regular room only costs NT 200, which is a real bargain. There are also deluxe rooms equipped with a jacuzzi which cost 500-600 NT, but I don't think this is necessary. The facilities are simple but spotlessly clean.

The water here is totally different from the famous calcium carbonate hot springs down in Jiaoxi - in fact it's quite different from all the other hot springs I've ever been to in Taiwan. Here the water has a noticeable sulfur smell and some natural chemical in it stung my eyes slightly (don't worry - stinging eyes are part of the fun). The water is also slightly murky, as it contains some ultra-fine volcanic ash in suspension, giving it an odd slippery feeling.

They also serve food here, and rent out campsites for people to pitch their tents. If you want to camp along Road 7, this is the place.

To get here, drive west on Road 7 from Yilan City. After a little more than half an hour, you will come to the second bridge over the river. This is the Douniu Bridge 鬥牛橋, which also has a sign marking the way to the town of Douniu. Turn left, cross the river, and keep going. This road is called 7 Bing (7 丙). After about five minutes you will see a big hot pink sign on the right marking the hot spring. (If you get to the next bridge, you've gone too far.)

Meihua Lake 梅花湖

This lake near Luodong isn't very big, but it's worth a visit if you're in the area. The lake is extremely popular on weekends, so it's not the place to get away from it all and commune with nature. But on weekdays it's usually fairly quiet.

There's really nothing in particular to do here - it's just a pretty place. Most people just stroll around the lake and enjoy the scenery. You can also ride a bike around the lake. But it's so small that you can zip around the lake really fast. If this is your main destination, it's probably better to walk and stop several times at the lakeside pavillions to take in the scenery and relax.

The lake isn't far from the Lanyang River Bike Path (see my post). You can rent bikes from shops on the road in front of the lake. To get to the riverside bike path, you ride down the access road to the lake and turn left at the corner. Ride uphill and cross the traffic roundabout. The bike path runs along the levee on the south bank of the river. This bike path connects with several other bike paths, so you can ride quite far in several directions from here.

There are some shops lining the road leading to the lake which sell snacks and drinks. The specialty seems to be a special Taiwanese sweet which consists of ice cream and shaved peanut brittle wrapped inside a pancake. If you've never had one, it's definitely worth trying.

The lake is in Dongshan township, next to the foothills southwest of Luodong. To get there from Luodong, just take a road in the general direction and follow the brown signs to the lake. Road signs aren't Yilan's strongpoint, so I'm afraid it's not possible to give better directions than this. If you're afraid of getting lost, you can just follow the road next to the Lanyang River upstream. Turn left at the roundabout and go downhill to the lake. There is a huge temple on a mountain above the lake. The temple is easily visible from a long distance, so driving toward the big temple might help you get there.

Bird Watching in the Wendi Wetlands 在塭底溼地賞鳥

This is a prime bird watching area. From fall to spring, when it's not raining there are always some bird watchers from Taipei here every weekend.

Before the Han came to Yilan, this area was originally a swamp. Settlers cleared and drained it and turned it into rice paddies. However, unlike the south, where farmers can get three crops of rice per year, here they only get one crop due to the cooler weather. The rest of the time the fields are fallow. In winter the fields are empty of vegetation, but the rains fill the paddies with a thin layer of water, recreating wetland conditions which are perfect feeding grounds for many types of birds.

Starting in October, migratory birds start to arrive in this area. Some are just passing through on the way to areas farther south, while others spend the winter here. In all bird watchers have spotted more than 170 species of birds in the area - an impressive number for such a small place. These include some big birds (cranes, egrets, herons, ducks) as well as many smaller wetland birds and song birds. Some of the endangered black spoonbills pass through here on the way to nesting grounds in the south. And occasionally a small group of black spoonbills will spend the entire winter here, attracting a horde of excited bird watchers every day.

There are three types of migratory birds here. Some spend the summers in places farther north (Siberia, Korea, Hokkaido, Manchuria) then fly south to spend the winter here. Other birds (such as geese) spend the summers in places to the north, then fly through here on their way to winter feeding grounds in the south (such as the Philippines or Vietnam). A third kind of migratory bird spends the summers in Taiwan then flies south to spend the winter in tropical regions.

Because the little roads between the rice paddies are so narrow, getting around by bicycle is ideal. Also, a bicycle is quiet so it won't scare away the birds. But a car or scooter is also ok. There are a couple of good bicycle paths nearby (see my posts about Coastal Cycling Path and the Dezikou River Bike Path) so you can take a spin after you've gotten your fill of bird watching.

Because the birds move around, it's impossible to predict where they will be on a given day. But from October to April you can always find some interesting birds here. If you have a camera with a long lens, you can get some great shots of birds here as there is no vegetation to obscure them.

To get here, go down the main street of Jiaoxi (road 9) and turn onto the street next to the post office. (The scallion pancake stand on the right is locally famous, by the way. On weekends it attracts long lines.) Turn right at the dead end at the end of the street. Take the first left, after the convenience store and next to the steamed bun shop (which also attracts long lines of customers). Cross over the railroad tracks and just keep going straight for a few kilometers until you see an enormous metal sculpture of a giant shrimp on your right. (This area used to have lots of shrimp farms.) Turn right at the shrimp and cross over the bridge. The street on the other side of the bridge is called Wendi Road 塭底路. The rice paddies on the right side of the street (toward the mountains) constitute the Wendi Wetlands. Just turn off Wendi Road as soon as you can and start to explore the little roads amoung the rice paddies until you find a place with lots of birds.

Luna Plaza Mall 新月廣場

No one is going to come to Yilan to shop. However, while you're visiting here you might need to buy something. If so, this is the place to go. Luna Plaza is by far the biggest shopping mall in Yilan county, and it has pretty much everything a traveler needs.

On the first floor is a pharmacy that carries basic over-the-counter medicines and personal care products.

A Carrefour hypermart is in the basement. You can find necessities, groceries, personal care products, luggage, alcohol, and some products for outdoor activities.

On the second floor is a great store called Urban Oasis, which carries a huge selection of supplies for cycling, trekking, and water sports.

Eslite Bookstore is on the third floor. Aside from a small section of English books and some English magazines, there is also a section of Chinese books about Yilan. They also have a good selection of books in Chinese about travel in differnet parts of Taiwan.

There are a lot of places to eat in the mall. The food court in the basement has cheap eats. Upstairs on the top floor are some decent restaurants serving different kinds of international cuisine. If you're tired of eating Taiwanese food every meal, here you can find Japanese, Korean, Thai, Italian, and other options. You can get coffee on the first floor at Starbucks and Mr. Donut.

The mall is easy to find - it's located in the most central point in Yilan City where all of the major streets converge. There is a website in Chinese:

http://www.lunaplaza.com.tw/

Luodong Night Market 羅東夜市

There isn't much to do in Yilan in the evenings - it certainly can't rival Taipei for nightlife. However, one of the biggest and most famous night markets in Taiwan is in Luodong. While the rest of Yilan county closes down after dark, this place starts to come to life. The Luodong night market is always very crowded, and there's a big selection of food as well as the usual night market stuff to buy.

It is easy to reach the market. It is right in the center of town on the streets surrounding Zhongshan park 中央公園). After sunset there can be a traffic jam of cars inching toward the parking areas around the market. There is a lot of parking above B&Q, as well as some private lots in the area.

To visit the entire market you just walk down all the streets facing the park. Since Taiwanese expect night markets be crowded, some of these little streets have been designed to maximize congestion. The crowd can be dense and sometimes it's impossible to move. If this is too much to take, you can step into the park to recuperate for a few minutes.

Of all the night markets I've visited, this one has the longest lines. Even on weeknights, there are long lines at many of the stalls. I don't have to tell you which foods are famous - just see which stands have the longest lines. Those are the famous ones. Local specialties include anything made with scallion, especially different varieties of scallion pancakes (congyoubing 蔥油餅) - thick, thin, stuffed, and fried. They even sell scallion ice cream. There is also an odd local specialty called gaozha 糕渣 - it's made from potato starch, broth, and minced meat, which is mixed together into a dough, cut into pieces, and deep fried. Another local specialty is burou 卜肉 - pieces of deep fried pork. Although Taiwanese usually don't care for mutton, the lamb here is particularly famous. Several stands cook it in different ways - stir fried and in soup. People are willing to stand in shockingly long lines to get a bowl of mutton soup.

Wengyao Roast Chicken 甕窯雞

Although there are quite a few restaurants in Jiaoxi, most of them aren't that great. However, this restaurant is superb. Most people would agree that it's the best food in Jiaoxi. Because the roast chicken here is so delicious, there is always a mob - even on weekdays. On weekends you might not be able to get a table unless you come during off hours.

The specialty of the house is chicken which has been slowly smoked over tropical longan wood. This is surely one of the world's great roast chickens. The meat is gently flavored with cumin, an unexpected flavor which isn't what one usually
associates with Taiwanese food.

In addition to the signature roast chicken, there is also a full menu of other dishes. Most people just order a chicken (you have to buy a whole chicken - they don't sell halves), some vegetable dishes, and rice. They offer some unusual local vegetables such as different kinds of seaweed, mushrooms, betal nut flower, and wild vegetables one never sees in the big city. Most of these are cooked Yilan style with lots of "tree nuts" (shuzi 樹子).

You order and pay for the meal before you sit down. If you want beer or another beverage, you have to get it yourself and pay for it separately from the main meal. There is free soup available. You have to get it yourself.

When they bring you the chicken, they will give you two pairs of gloves - one is made of thin plastic, the other is a pair of thick cloth work gloves. First you put on the plastic gloves. These keep your hands from getting greasy. Then you put on the work gloves. These keep you from burning your hands on the hot bird. The chicken is whole, so you have to rip it apart before you can eat it.

The restaurant is located on the main road through Jiaoxi just north of the hot spring area. There is a huge red sign with piles of firewood outside. The address is 7 Jiaoxi Road, section 7. There is addditional parking just on the same side of the road north of the restaurant.

Here is a link to their website: http://www.0918717288.com/

Tangweigou Hot Spring Park 湯圍溝溫泉公園

This long thin park in the middle of Jiaoxi, not far from the train station, is the source of the famous local hot spring. An open stream of hot spring water runs through the park, and both tourists and locals come here to soak their feet in the hot spring water and chat. There are also several pools for foot soaking. Unlike the hot spring park in Beitou, this water is clean (the water running through the park in Beitou is discharge from the surrounding hot spring - you might occasionally see a turd floating downstream). You can walk upstream and see where the hot spring comes out of the ground, so the water here is pristine.

Besides foot soaking, in the evenings people gather here to walk along the boardwalk which runs the length of the park. There are a few vendors to the side where you can buy local produce (guavas, kumquats, and so on) and also some snacks. On weekdays this park is fairly quiet, but on weekends there are quite a few people here. The number of vendors increases considerably and on one side the place becomes a bit like a night market.

There are two places to bathe in the hot spring water in the park. One is the decrepit old shack in toward the west end of the park. This is a communal naked hot spring for men only. In fact, the only people who go here are old lmen from Jiaoxi. It's free, but that's the only good thing you can say about this place. The patrons are pretty creepy and the unpleasant atmosphere scares off most people. But if you're absolutely determined to get a free hot spring bath, this is the place.

The other option is the new communcal hot spring building on the far side of the park. This is an extremely beautiful building. In fact, it's something of an architectural gem. The interior is all wood - even the hot spring pools are lined with wood.

Admission is only NT 80, and senior citizens (over 65) get in for just NT 40. There are two communal naked pools - with men and women on different sides. Considering how nice this place is, the low admission price is a huge bargain. As a result, this hot spring is much too popular. On cold days you can expect a crowd, even during the week. On weekends don't even think about it - this place will be bursting at the seams.

Another problem is that unlike every other communal hot spring I've ever been to, the temperature isn't centrally regulated. Instead the patrons can determine how much hot and cold water goes into pool. There's ALWAYS at least one crazy old guy who likes his bath boiling hot, so the temperature is usually 43 degrees - far beyond most people's comfort zone. I brought an American friend here who had never been to a hot spring before. He ended up on the side of the pool curled up in a fetal position like a burn victim.

At night, there are two cafes at each end of the park. The one of the east serves both drinks and food - mostly Yilan specialties made with the local scallion and other vegetables. The one on the west serves only drinks. However, both serve freshly brewed microbrewery beer. I've tasted the dark malt, which I liked. I wasn't crazy about the wheat beer. I thought it had a funny taste. I have yet to try the others beers. One of their beers is brewed with seaweed, which I haven't dared to try. If you've always wanted to try seaweed flavored beer, this is your big chance.

In the evenings, there is often a singer with guitar singing old Taiwanese songs for tips at one cafe or the other. Even on the hottest days, there's a cool breeze here in the evening. A foot bath, beer, and quiet music is a pleasant way to end the day.

Yilan Night Market 宜蘭夜市

One problem with Yilan is that there aren't a lot of good restaurants. Most of the places that cater to tourists are mediocre, and the local people usually eat at home. If you happen to be in Yilan city at night, this is a good bet for a decent meal.

It isn't very impressive compared to the big night markets in Taipei or Kaohsiung, not to mention the huge Luodong night market one town over. If you want the deluxe night market experience, definitely go down to Luodong. But if you've decided to stay in Yilan city for the evening and want a smaller low key night market, there are a couple of local specialties here worth trying.

Most of the food and atmosphere are like any other Taiwanese night market - stinky tofu, dubious sanitation, happy crowds, chicken posteriors on a stick, people selling cheap ugly clothing, duck necks, the fat guy sweating into a huge wok as he stirs the food, seaweed flavored shawarma .... Yes, even if you've never been here, you already know
exactly what it's like.

Most of the food here is the same as what you would get at any night market in Taipei. But there are two things you should definitely try while you're here. Both stands are right next to the entrance to the night market. On the left side path, the first vendor on the right sells scallion pancakes 蔥油餅. The stand has Hello Kitty on the sign. These scallion pancakes are world famous (or at least famous throughout Yilan). They're indeed quite tasty, and different from the scallion pancakes in Taipei (thicker and fried in more oil). Once I came here with a friend visiting from Taipei who ate three of them - he thought they were absolutely wonderful. (Nevertheless, I think that one is sufficient.)
On a weekend there will be 20 or 30 people patiently
standing in line, but the line goes fast.

The other thing you should try is on the right hand side of the entrance to the night market. A stand here sells a retro beverage called yaoyaobing 搖搖冰. I'm told that this used to be extremely common all over Taiwan, but it's now almost extinct in the cities. I've never seen it in Taipei. Here in Yilan, this old fashioned drink is alive and well. It's common to see people selling yaoyaobing by the side of the road in remote areas. This drink is basically just a mixture of slushy ice and fruit juice or some other flavor. If it's a hot night, I recommend the green bean. According to Chinese medicine, this has a cooling effect on the body, and I swear it really works. Yaoyaobing makes the perfect end to an oily night market meal, and gives you a chance to see what Taiwanese drank back when the island was still a dictatorship.

If you want to recouperate from the crowds and grease, you can walk down the street to the park across from the train station. This is a quiet refuge, and there is usually a cool breeze in the evening. The structure on top of the park, which represents a forest, has become the symbol of Yilan.

The night market is right in the middle of Yilan City and easy to find. If you exit from the train station, turn right. The night market is underneath the overpass just one block away.

Wufengqi Waterfalls 五峰旗瀑布

These are the most impressive waterfalls in Yilan county. They are also easy to reach - not too far from the middle of Jiaoxi. The amount of water coming down the falls varies a lot, depending on the season. In summer if it hasn't rained much, the falls can be pretty puny. But in the winter or spring rainy season, or after a summer or autumn typhoon, enormous quantities of water explode down the falls.

This site is incredibly popular on weekends. On weekdays there will probably only be a few people around, but on summer weekends you should expect tour buses and a steady stream of cars. Despite the threat of crowds, the falls are so beautiful that they're still well worth a visit.

To get here, drive south on Road 9 through the middle of Jiaoxi. Turn left on Dazhong Road 大忠路. Keep going straight. This road turns into Wufeng Road 五峰路 and takes you all the way to the falls. There are some signs pointing the way to the falls, and also signs to the Royal Jiaoxi Hotel, which is near the falls.

On Dazhong Road you will pass the entrance to the road which goes up to the Old Paoma Trail 跑馬古道 on your right. This is a popular mountain forest walk. You can do this walk on your way back down if you're in the mood for some exercise. See my post on this trail.

Eventually the road will dead end in front of two rows of vendors selling food and souvenirs. Park wherever you can and walk past the vendors and up the trail.

There are three waterfalls. The first two are very close - you can walk up the trail in just a few minutes. But the highest waterfall can only be reached after a strenuous hike.

The third waterfall is the lowest. This isn't very impressive, but you can walk down to the water and splash around in front of the falls.

Keep walking up the trail and soon you will get to the second falls. These are very impressive when there has been rain recently. They are quite high and surrounded by subtropical vegetation.

Unfortunately, the first falls at the top have been closed since the summer of 2009 because of a landslide that occurred during a typoon. To reach the first falls, intead of heading back to the entrance, on your way down you should turn right onto the other trail. If you reach a gate on your right which is closed, this means that the first waterfall hasn't been reopened yet.

If you can go up to the first falls, be prepared for a strenous climb. You have to walk up steep stone steps for about half a kilometer to reach the first waterfall. This is a very strenuous climb, akin to walking up a skyscraper (only inside a steam bath), so don't do it unless you're ready for the climb. Half way up, you'll be wondering if this could possibly be worth it. Don't despair - keep going! The scene at the top is well worth the climb. The first waterfall is huge and gorgeous - a beautiful reward for the steep hike.

If the gate is closed and you can't go up to the first waterfall, keep going down the trail. At the end you will come to a little paved road. Take the steps to the side leading uphill. These lead to a little Catholic church which has a pretty view of the first falls far above in the distance. The road in back of the church leads to the Marian trail (see my post).

On your way back down, as you pass the vendors you might consider buying some wild honey. In addition to maintaining his own hives, the bee guy here also raids hives in the forest and sells honey he's stolen from angry wild bees. This is the best honey you'll ever taste.

If you feel like a swim and brought along a swimsuit, you should walk down from the vendors area to the riverbed. Follow the river downstream for a few minutes and you will come to a large swimming area - it's like a big swimming pool. This little reservoir holds the river water temporarily to create a swimming area. The cement is a bit slimy with algea, but the water is pleasantly cool. This swimming place is popular on weekends, but during the week there won't be too many people here. The cold fresh water is a good alternative to a hot sandy beach.

A bit further downstream is a riverside park which is very popular with families. Kids love wading in the shallow water.

Dezikou River Bike Path 得子口溪自行車道

This bike path passes through the Wendi wetlands, one of the most famous bird watching spots in northern Taiwan. This area consists mosty of rice paddies, so it's also a chance to get a feeling for life in rural Taiwan.

For most of the way, the bike path goes along the top of a series of flood embankments. The path is well maintained and it's a smooth ride and completely flat most of the way. The entire route takes about one hour round trip.

If you visit in late autumn or winter, although the paddies are dry and filled with mud and brown stubble, you will have the chance to observe flocks of migratory birds in the dry paddies. The birds differ according to the time of year, as they pass through the area at different times during their migrations. Depending on when you go, you might see large numbers of egrets, cranes, herons, ducks, geese, and many other migratory water fowl. Sometimes a few endangered black spoonbills spend the winter here.

Another good time to visit is when the rice is highest right before the harvest, such as in early June. Rice is a beautiful crop, and it provides the perfect backdrop for a bike ride. A number of little rest spots have been constructed along the bike path. These places are good for bird watching or just gazing at the rice paddies.

The best starting point for the ride is next to the bridge at the intersection of Dawen Road 大塭路and Wendi Road 塭底路, which is near the coast road. To get there, take the Number 9 Road (the main street of Jiaoxi) to the Jiaoxi Post Office. Turn onto the little street that runs next to the post office. This street soon dead ends. Turn right at the dead end. Then immediately turn left again (next to the shop selling steamed buns) and crosss over the railroad tracks. This is Dawen Road. Drive down this road until you are almost at the coast. You will see a metal statue of a giant shrimp on your right. (This area used to have a lot of shrimp farms.) Cross over the bridge. The beginning of the bike path is on your right. If you have trouble finding it this place, just tell people you're looking for the giant shrimp.

Ride your bike on the left side of the river, heading upstream. You want to stay on the left bank of the river. At one point you will have to cross over to the right bank for a short distance, but get back onto the left bank as soon as possible. You will go under several overpasses and cross a couple of small roads. This stretch of bike path mostly runs on top of the flood embankment, looking down on rice paddies to your left and river on your right. After half an hour or so you will come to the Number 9 Road. This is a very busy road with a concrete median in the middle, and marks the end of the path. Turn around and head back to the giant shrimp.

On the return leg, after riding for awhile you can eventually cross over to other bank. The path soon goes down and you are riding next to the flood wall. This stretch of the path takes you past a sleepy village. People visiting from Taipei will think they've entered a time machine. This town feels like nothing much has changed in the last couple of decades, and it gives a feeling of small town life in rural Taiwan. There are a few old red brick farmhouses along the way, so you can get a taste of the traditional rural architecture. If you're thirsty, a couple of old fashioned country stores sell bottled drinks. Eventually the path will take you back up onto the embankment for the final part of the return ride.

When you get back to Jiaoxi you might want to stop and try the steamed buns at the shop next to the railroad tracks. The times when the buns come out of the steamer are posted on the wall. Local people will line up patiently for a long time to buy some of these famous buns, and consider them one of the best snacks in Jiaoxi.

Quantoumu nature trail 拳頭姆自然步道

This trail is an absolute gem. It passes through an unusual and very beautiful ecosystem - a subtropical fern forest. I visited on a weekend, and was afraid that it would be crowded. When I was driving to the trail, I passed through the town of Sanxing nearby, where tourists were lined up to buy scallion pancakes and fried meat (burou 卜肉), which are famous local specialties. Considering the crowds below, I was expecting the trail to be packed with daytrippers from Taipei. Fortunately, I was surprised to find the trail completely empty. Even on a weekend when crowds had descended on the town just a few minutes away, this amazing trail was completely deserted.

Few Taiwanese have even heard of this place. The government probably doesn't promote this trail because the area is obviously very ecologically sensitive and they don't want to attract tour buses. Because this wonderful place is so low key, it has been reserved for the select few who are willing to search for it.

The trail isn't very long - just a 1.3 kilometer loop around the hill. You can do it in 45 minutes, although you'll probably want to linger and enjoy this special place. This forest seems more like Middle Earth than Taiwan, filled with many unusual ferns, moss, and irridescent blue dragonflies.

The trail is very well layed out. Instead of the usual stone slabs and concrete, the path surface is made from logs, wood chips, and crushed rock. The natural materials of the trail bring you even closer to nature. Bilingual signs point you in the right direction. There are several lookout points designed to allow you to enjoy the view - one east to Luodong and the sea, one north overlooking the river and mountains, and another inside the forest to admire an ancient banyan tree.

There aren't any signs pointing the way to the trailhead. To get there, you take Road Number 7 west from Yilan. Follow the brown signs pointing toward Taipingshan. After leaving the suburbs of Yilan you will eventually come to a long bridge next to a gas station, marked by a sign pointing the way to Sanxing 三星. Turn left and cross the bridge. On the other side of the bridge, the road soon dead ends. Turn left. Then take the first right onto Road 7B (7丙) - there are some vendors selling snacks at this intersection. You will soon see a huge wooden sculpture of a fist by the side of the road. This marks the entrance to trail.

After walking the trail, you might want to stop by the town of Sanxing for a snack - which is the main goal of most Taiwanese tourists who come to this area. Sanxing is famous for its scallion pancakes, which are a bit different from those in the night markets in Taipei. They're thicker, smaller, contain more scallion, and are deep fried. I wasn't too impressed, but you might as well try one while you're here so you can tell people you ate one. There are also vendors selling the local produce (scallions, pears, dragon fruits, etc.) Taiwanese friends will be impressed if you give them some scallions from Sanxing.