In my four days meandering Taipei and its vicinities, I visited Jiufen and ate a ton of amazing Taiwanese food.  I was determined to see as much nature as I possibly could within such a short trip. There are bigger national parks in central and southern Taiwan, but thankfully you still can get your nature fix within one to 1.5 hours of Taipei.

How to get there

From Taipei, take the MRT to Xindian Station (Xindian line). Go to the bus stop in front of the station and take bus #849 with the destination name 烏來 Wulai.

What to do

Wulai is a mountain village surrounded by rivers and famous for waterfalls, hot springs and aboriginal cuisine. We were there when the weather was really warm so we didn’t go to the hot springs. I’m sure it would feel much nicer when the weather is chilly.

When you reach the village, you’ll first encounter an old street lined with small casual restaurants and snack shops. There’s also a small museum (free admission) where you can learn all about the various aboriginal tribes in Taiwan – their customs, foods and languages. It’s similar to Jiufen but not as touristy so the atmosphere is less harried and stressful.

To get up the mountain, you’ll first ride a rickety old train to a scenic spot to view the waterfall. The train is sort of like those kid trains they have at malls but running on an old motorcycle engine!  It looks old but it’s deceptively fast as it winds around bends, leaving us screaming while giggling uncontrollably.

There’s also a cable car ride up to the top of the mountain where there are hiking trails, recreational facilities and a hot springs resort. When we were there in early October, there were hardly any visitors so we practically had the mountaintop to ourselves.

There’s a café with a view of a tranquil park where you can just sit and soak up the atmosphere. There’s also a small trail that leads you to this really random outdoor recreational area with rusty old obstacle course equipment. I imagine many school groups have gone through this area doing their trust exercises and self-improvement courses. No one was manning the area so we just played like 5 year olds let loose in a playground. It was FUN.

What to eat

Mountain vegetables, where have you been all my life!? Each restaurant displays their raw vegetables on a makeshift stand outside. You point to what you like and they’ll fry it up for you. There’s one veggie in particular that has captured my heart. Even the name sounds incredibly poetic – Dragon’s Whiskers, I mean, come on! I was curious to try it so we ordered that. It was fried simply with garlic and salt but it was just so fresh and delicious!

Wulai is also famous for aboriginal bamboo rice. Glutinous rice (or sticky rice) is stuffed in bamboo poles along with meat and/or vegetables, and steamed over hot coals. The rice and other ingredients are infused with the delicate bamboo flavor.

Wulai is also famous for buffalo sausage sold at two food carts directly across from one another. They both get a lot of customers so I can’t tell you which one is better. The sausage is hearty, smoky, sweet and tasty! I had it as a snack prior to leaving Wulai and it kept me full until pretty late at night.

Definitely check out Wulai if you’re visiting Taipei. It’s a wonderfully relaxing day trip away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The surroundings are gorgeous, the food is delectable, and the cultural aspects are very interesting.