The next leg of our trip took us high into the mountains. Coming from scuba diving, we needed to decompress for a couple of days — and since we were staying two nights in Hehuanshan, we also had to acclimatize at a lower altitude first.
Here’s a detailed guide to traveling from Taichung to Hehuanshan and back, booking a room at Songsyue Lodge 松雪樓, four (4) easy hiking trails, and dealing with altitude sickness along the way.
In this post
Getting there and back
Zuoying to Taichung
I booked the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Zuoying to Taichung. Since our accommodation was near Taichung TRA, we took a local train from Xinwuri to Taichung.
Why? because the terminal bus station for Nantou Bus heading to Cingjing is near Taichung TRA.
Taichung to Cingjing Farm 清境農場
Head to Nantou Bus Gancheng Station 南投客運干城站 as early as you can to get a number. We arrived at 8:45am and got a card for the 9:55am bus.
Wait for staff to call your group for boarding — they announce by destination and time, then queue by number.
You won’t need to change buses, but you will be asked to get off at Puli Station to tap out your Easy Card and tap back in again.
We got off at Apple Orchard Station, the closest stop to our accommodation.
Check for their latest schedule here.
Cingjing Farm 清境農場 to Hehuanshan 合歡山
The shuttle bus (6658A) has limited capacity, so reserve your seat online as early as seven days before your travel date. Payment is not required online — you’ll use your Easy Card when boarding.
Arrive at your registered bus stop 15 minutes before the scheduled departure. Wave your hand as soon as you see the bus approaching. Depending on the driver and the number of passengers, you may be asked to locate your name on a printed list.
Since we booked a room at Songsyue Lodge 松雪樓, we got off at that same station. We booked the 11:10am bus and arrived in under an hour.
Return Trip: From Songsyue Lodge 松雪樓 to Taichung HSR
Reserve your seat online for the shuttle (6658A) from Songsyue Lodge back to Cingjing Farm. We booked the 12:30pm bus, scheduled to arrive at Cingjing Farm at 1:20pm — we pulled in at 1:30pm due to light traffic.
From Cingjing Farm, board bus 6658 to Puli Station. The bus arrived at 1:35pm and departed almost immediately, slightly ahead of the 1:40pm schedule. Which is why you should be at the bus stop 15mins before schedule.
A transfer is required at Puli Station — buy your ticket there (or use Easy Card). We were given a 3:00pm departure, which left around 3:05pm, and arrived in Taichung HSR at 4:00pm.
Where to stay and things to do
Decompress in Taichung
Coming straight from a dive trip, heading to high altitude without decompression would have been a risk — so an overnight stop in Taichung was necessary. I booked us into my favorite hostel there — Norden Ruder Hostel 路得行旅 國際青年旅館 台中站前館.
We treated ourselves to Miyahara Ice Cream, then stocked up on groceries at Carrefour: noodles, bananas, apples, salt candies, gummies, Pringles. I was counting on H2 Cafe in Hehuanshan for lunches, but unfortunately the café is under a management change and closed until April 10, 2026. But we have to manage the weight of our luggages so we can’t bring more.
Acclimatize in Cingjing Farm 清境農場
Having failed twice to reach Hehuanshan East Peak 合歡山東峰 due to altitude sickness, I knew I had to acclimatize properly this time. The plan was to spend the day in Cingjing Farm and take Gerald to the skywalk — but both of us had meetings from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, which cut the day short.
We stayed at Dindai Glass Vacation Villa 頂代格拉斯渡假莊園. Since they’re strict about check-in time, we had time to kill and stumbled upon Mountain Shabu-shabu 山行旅火鍋城 nearby — we ate three days’ worth of meat in one sitting!
We then walked down to the front gate of Cingjing Farm, but with meetings looming, there wasn’t enough time for any real exploration. We headed back to the hotel, got settled, and took our calls until 6:00pm.
We set up the GoPro to catch the Milky Way core that night, but the sky stayed stubbornly cloudy. I woke up every hour after midnight and was met with clouds every single time.
How to book a room in Songsyue Lodge 松雪樓?
Book through the official website — as of this writing, Taiwan Travel Map.
A few key things to know before booking:
- Booking hours are 8:00am–11:00pm.
- Rooms can be reserved between 2 and 30 days in advance.
- Full payment is required at the time of booking.
- Booking details must match the name of the guest staying.
- All online prices are tax-inclusive, and accommodation fees cover room rate plus meals (breakfast and dinner) based on the standard number of guests per room type.
- Be sure to read the refund and cancellation policies carefully.
I booked a Songsyue Lodge Deluxe Double Room for two nights.
The lodge is also strict about check-in time, so we dropped our luggage at the front desk and headed straight out for our first hike!
Easy hiking trails in Hehuanshan 合歡山
Hehuanshan East Peak 合歡山東峰
- Distance: 3.07 km (Lodge → Peak → H2 Cafe → Lodge)
- Max Elevation: 3,421m | Elev gain: 344m
- Total Elapsed Time: 2hrs 20mins | Moving Time: 1hr 30mins
This was my third attempt at East Peak. The first two were in winter, hiking through snow. The first time, altitude sickness hit hard — my head felt like it was being split open — and I had to turn back, managing only Shimenshan. The second time, I brought brand-new winter gloves I hadn’t tested, which was a rookie mistake; my fingers felt like they were being hammered, and I had to retreat to the café and wait for my hiking buddy to summit without me.
This time, I felt genuinely prepared. I had acclimatized properly, stayed well hydrated, and layered up correctly. We even brought an umbrella — it rained partway through.
Third time’s the charm!
Shimenshan 石門山 + Hehuanjianshan 合歡尖山
- Distance: 3.61 km (Lodge → Shimenshan → Hehuanjianshan → Lodge)
- Max elevation: 3,237m | Elev gain: 181m
- Total Elapsed Time: 2hrs 2mins | Moving Time: 1hr 27mins
We woke up to a sunny morning — picture-perfect conditions, though watch the UV index at this altitude. It was an otherwise uneventful hike, save for some notable farting (this becomes relevant later). We finished our last banana before tackling the steep stairs up to Hehuanjianshan, and snacked on dried nuts on the way back down.
Xiaoqilai Trail 小奇萊步道
- Distance: 4.23 km (Lodge → 1.4km mark → Lodge)
- Max elevation: 3,150m | Elev gain: 245m
- Total Elapsed Time: 2hrs 7mins | Moving Time: 1hr 42mins
After the morning hike, we returned to the lodge and slept. The plan: if we were up by around 2:00pm, we’d head out for another trail; if not, we’d save it for the next morning. Altitude has a real impact on what your body can handle, so we were taking it slow.
We did wake up before 2:00pm, so we headed out for Xiaoqilai — our fourth trail of the trip.
Since we’d completed all our planned trails by Day 2, and had a good 2.5+ hours free on the morning of Day 3, we decided to rest in the lobby instead. I walked Gerald through my Siril workflow, and we stepped outside from time to time — but with dense fog and near-zero visibility, there wasn’t much point. When the clock hit noon, we left the lodge and made our way to the bus stop, where we waited 38 minutes in the cold, fog, and wind.
Watching the sunrise and Pink Moon rise in Hehuanshan 合歡山
Staying in the lodge was a total hack!
We could set up our telescope (Seestar S30) and GoPro on the balcony, then watch the sun, moon, stars, and galaxies from behind the glass door — warm, comfortable, and sheltered. We did try setting up in the parking lot directly in front of the lodge, but the cold and wind were brutal and we were completely unprepared for the exposure.
Dealing with altitude sickness
Songsyue Lodge has a dedicated room with an oxygen dispenser. We watched local tourists cycle in and out throughout our stay, managing whatever discomfort the altitude was throwing at them (at all of us, rather).
Beyond acclimatizing overnight in Cingjing Farm, we took Bonamine (Meclizine Hydrochloride) 30 minutes before boarding the bus to manage motion sickness — which, as I’d discovered on a recent hike to Smangus, also helps with altitude sickness symptoms. Fair warning though: it causes drowsiness, so you’re fighting that on top of the thin air, cold temperatures, and everything else.
We also took Biogesic (Paracetamol) to manage the headaches and body aches that had been building since the first leg of the trip. We stayed hydrated throughout, carrying bottles of water, Supau, and salt candies.
By Day 2 evening, symptoms worsened noticeably. The overall discomfort peaked — nausea, dizziness, an unrelenting headache. Neither of us could sleep. We eventually had to shed some of our warm layers, since the extra heat was making things worse, and cracked the window open to let in some cold air.
Day 3, our stomachs joined the protest. I was up three times through the night. I had little energy, so Gerald picked up our breakfast boxes while I made yet another bathroom run — and then started throwing up. At that point, there was nothing left in my stomach but water.
We initially suspected food poisoning, connecting the dots back to the farting from the day before. But after some reading, we learned these were still symptoms of altitude sickness — which was actually reassuring, because food poisoning is unpredictable, while altitude sickness resolves on its own as you descend.
Sure enough, the moment the bus dropped below 2,500m, I was super hungry!
In hindsight, we really should have used the oxygen room.
Cost breakdown
All prices below are for two people, covering five days total.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| HSR (Zuoying → Taichung) | NT$1,580 |
| Norden Ruder Hostel | NT$1,000 |
| Dindai Glass Villa | NT$2,000 |
| Songsyue Lodge (2 nights) | NT$7,300 |
| Bus fares (Taichung ↔ Hehuanshan, Easy Card) | NT$1,400 |
| Meals + Groceries | NT$4,715 |
| HSR (Taichung → Taipei) | NT$1,400 |
| Total | NT$19,395 |
Will I do this again?
For stargazing alone, I’d probably stay in Cingjing Farm, join a stargazing tour, and call it a day — no summit required.
Altitude sickness is no joke, and 3,000m has humbled me enough times to know my limits. That said, finally reaching East Peak on my third attempt? Worth every headache.
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To keep everything organized, I built a personal travel itinerary app based on my spreadsheet — and I love it! There are a few improvements to add to it which will be useful for stargazing, I can’t wait to sit down and start (vibe) coding. Lol
🌹
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