Ultimate Guide for Budget Traveler and Adventure Seeker

Located in the mountainous area of Nantou, Sun Moon Lake is one of Taiwan' s top attractions. You can find here the most gorgeous lake...

A Sun Moon Lake Adventure

Located in the mountainous area of Nantou, Sun Moon Lake is one of Taiwan's top attractions. You can find here the most gorgeous lake in Taiwan which is surrounded by forested peaks and has bike/foot trails. The lake takes its name from the unique terrain that looked like a round sun on one side and a crescent moon on the other.


The weather was perfect during our visit in one of the most romantic places in Taiwan. It wasn’t too cold. I can even wear my favorite pastel short. First, our guide toured us in Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village amusement park. The park is home to Taiwan's first suspended roller coaster and tallest free-fall ride. Inside the park, we saw a lot of Cherry Blossoms that's starting to bloom. One of the highlights of our tour was an aboriginal tribal performances from the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village dancers.





After the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village tour, we took a Sun Moon Lake Ropeway ride to witness the beauty of Taiwan's largest lake. The Sun Moon Lake Ropeway is a scenic gondola cable car service that connects Sun Moon Lake with the Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village theme park. The ropeway's cars are painted red, yellow, blue and green. Operating hours is from 10AM to 4PM.


The view from the top was really spectacular. We tried the glass cable car with glass bottom. It offers a jaw-dropping view of the Sun Moon Lake rainforest below. It's truly a thrilling experience.


The port in Sun Moon Lake has a laid back vibe. I love the simplicity of the place. From here, we took a ferry to view the tiny Lalu Island, a reserved place for aboriginal religious practices You can find this little island is located in the middle of the lake. I'm not really a fan of cruising/ boating but the whole tour was fun and very informative.




We stayed for overnight in Fleur De Chine, a five star resort that offers 211 rooms in total, all with elaborately designed French windows, balconies and in-room hot spring marble bathtubs. My room was a premiere Japanese style with a lake view. It has Tatami bed type, hot spring tub and private balcony.  The entire place was very relaxing. I had a good sleep in this beautiful hotel.



One of my favorite activities on our Sun Moon Lake tour was a 60-minute mountain bike ride along a cycling trail touted as one of ten "Breath-Taking Cycling Routes". The bicycle paths are truly awesome. It's a bit tiring but it's fun and exciting. I see lot of instagrammable spots along the bike trail. You can rent a bike  to go around the lake.


Truly a lovely place! No wonder why Taiwanese love to bike. This is not only the best form of exercise, but also eco-friendly.

Top scenic spots in the lake area include Lalu island,  Yongjie Bridge, Wenwu Temple, Cien Pagoda, Syuentzang Temple, Christian Church, Tongxin Bridge, Meihe Garden, Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village and Snake Kiln, Xian Mountain, etc,

If you are travelling to Taiwan, don't forget to put Sun Moon Lake in your bucket list. The lake is nice and beautiful. The view from along the bicycle was truly breathtaking! Will definitely go back here.


How to get to Sun Moon Lake

From Taipei Main Station Exit Z5 - Bus Terminal, take a Kuo-Kuang Bus ( Livery: blue, purple, white). This is an express bus with only one stop at Puli Bus Station) for around 3 hours depending on traffic conditions. Ticket cost is NT$385 for one way trip or NT$690 for roundtrip. It is recommended to purchase a roundtrip ticket to avoid being stranded.

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