We booked this trip back in August, but Gerald had some stuff to take care of in Manila, so he had to cancel his flight to Taiwan. I decided not to cancel this trip simply because it was too close to the date. I didn’t have time to plan another activity, which meant I might end up doing another Rapha 500 Cycling Challenge this year. Between that and carrying my stargazing equipment to <2000m above sea level, I think the latter might be less painful.
Getting there and back
Taipei to Alishan
- Book HSR ticket from Taipei to Chiayi via their website or Klook
- Book a bus from Chiayi to Alishan via FamiTicket. I took 7329A, scheduled at 11AM, reached my hotel at 2:30PM
(1) Turn on auto-translate
(2) Click transportation, then Alishan Line
You will be asked to log in or create an account before you could proceed. Follow the on-screen instructions until you reach the payment page. The process doesn’t end there; you have to go to a FamiPort in any FamilyMart to collect the physical ticket.
I booked my tickets the day before, so unfortunately, I couldn’t get any earlier time. I had to stay in Chiayi Station for 3hrs!
Alishan to Fenqihu
- You don’t need to reserve a ticket online, you can get on a bus using EasyCard. I took Bus 7329 again at 12nn, I arrived a little over 1PM in the afternoon
Fenqihu to Chiayi
- Book bus 7302 from Fenqihu to Chiayi TRA, scheduled at 5PM via FamiTicket
I did ask the Alishan train whether they have available seats, unfortunately, none. So, I stayed in this small town until 5PM
Chiayi to Taipei
- Book Uber from the hotel to HSR, take HSR back to Taipei!
I booked a hotel near Alishan Forest Railway Garage which is a 17min walk from Chiayi TRA. I decided to make my life a little bit easy by getting an Uber
Where to stay?
Alishan
- Qingshan Villa, NT$2,840/night
- Google Maps
Fenqihu
- Fenchihu Hotel, NT$3,000/night
- Google Maps
Chiayi
- Maison De Chine, NT$3,273/night
- Google Maps
Things to do
Alishan
Watch the sunset at Forest Railway/ Alishan Station 阿里山火車站
Take a forest walk first thing in the morning
Fenqihu
Enjoy your lunch with a view!
Stargazing at night!
Cypress Boardwalk first thing in the morning to Fenqi Hu Lao Old Street 奮起湖老老街
Keep hiking! There’s another trail behind Good Point Coffee and Tea
Grab a cup of coffee in Fenqihu Old Street after getting a millet donut.
Chiayi
Get a massage after two days of hiking.
Take a morning walk from Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park to Hinoki Village
What to eat and where to eat?
Alishan
- Dumpling, dried noodles and tofu at one of the opened shops in the Alishan Market
Fenqihu
- Fried rice and chicken in wasabi soup at Fang Mei Tingyuan Restaurant 芳渼庭園餐廳
- Fenqihu Lunchbox at Fenqihu Hotel, make sure to eat it at the rooftop
Chiayi
- Wonton Noodle Soup and Xiao Long Bao at 賴桑麵食館
And just like that, a short Christmas trip is over. I’m back in the office working on Q3 plans.
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That’s it for now! Stay tuned for more adventures and tips on balancing work and travel!
🌹
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