When you visit Taiwan, please make sure you have at least two full days set aside for Sun Moon Lake. The area that surrounds the lake is remarkably beautiful and you can't help but relax and want to hike, ride a push bike, hop on a boat or just sit on a step and watch the world go by.
Sun Moon Lake is just spectacular!
We have previously talked about the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway and the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village. The Ropeway was an awesome experience and we were able to see the lake from up above. We didn't get to visit the Culture Village as we were talked out of it by a staff member due to our limited time. Silly us. We will just have to come back to Sun Moon Lake to experience the fun, games and the cultural aspects that the Culture Village has to offer us very soon.
Sun Moon Lake has heaps of hiking trails that takes you through the mountain forests and along the edge of the Lake's shore. It is important to note that even though most of the hiking trails are bitumen, stone, or made out of wood, they can be hard work. Make sure you have some very comfy walking shoes and aren't afraid to climb a lot of stairs. The Taiwanese seem to like stairs.
There are fourteen scenic hiking trails at Sun Moon Lake. They range from 400m to 6km long. Bring some water, slop on some sun screen and slap on a hat, oh and hold on to an umbrella. Have a great walk around Sun Moon Lake.
Truly a beautiful sight to enjoy.
The tourism board at Sun Moon Lake have thought of just about everything. If you aren't up for hiking around Sun Moon Lake, you can rent push bikes by the day. We didn't do this as, well, we were just too slack. It is hot out there!
The bike paths are plentiful and a lot of people do ride around the Lake. There are marked Biking Trails and bike paths for you to ride that range in length up to 33kms which is around the whole Lake! Some people are carefree and others are wearing the full bike riding gear.
It is easy to rent a really decent push bike at Sun Moon Lake as there are quite a few rental shops around. The best one we saw was just under the tourism bureau just where the bus drops you off. We don't know the price as we didn't rent one.
If you are like us and prefer to mix pleasurable bouts of walking with easy public transport, then you can enjoy the Sun Moon Lake Round-The-Lake Bus just as much as we did. This awesome bus service departs every 30 minutes between the hours of 9:00 am and 6:00 pm.
For a one day pass it will cost you NTD $80 each. This can be paid for by using your EasyCard. Absolute bargain. The Round-The-Lake Bus stops at all the tourist spots of Sun Moon Lake including beautiful temples and villages offering traditional tea tasting, delicious local cuisine and beautiful sights.
Be aware that it doesn't actually go all the way round the lake. It goes most of the way round then comes back the same way.
One final way to get around Sun Moon Lake is by boat. This option isn't the cheapest option of course but people seem to enjoy riding a ferry across Sun Moon Lake.
All in all, Sun Moon Lake is a beautiful place to spend some time. We would definitely head back again, and would stay for at least two full days so we can enjoy everything the place has to offer. Hmm, make that a week.
We would have to complete all the hikes, rent a bicycle to ride around the island, go on a ferry tour, head to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village… ANDREW… LET'S GO NOW!!!!
