After returning from Sun Moon Lake, we stopped by Taipei Main Station to book TRA train tickets to Hualien on our last day before heading back, because we didn't want to wake up early for several days in a row. But then something happened that made us wake up. Since the day we were traveling was a Saturday, the train tickets to Hualien were all sold out, so we had to reluctantly postpone our trip by one day for Taroko Gorge! We got tickets for the 6:30 am train, which meant we had to wake up at 5:30 am to shower, get dressed, and take the first train to Taipei Main Station to catch the TRA to Hualien. Luckily, our accommodation was only one station away from Taipei Main Station, so we had a little more time to sleep. At 5:30 am, the alarm clock blared in our room, and we quickly woke up, showered, and then used the accommodation's food coupons to buy food at 7-Eleven.

The atmosphere of Ximenting in the morning is quiet and deserted, unlike the bustling night scene.

After breakfast, we headed straight to the TRA train. We arrived just in time, and the train arrived at the platform shortly after.

This train has a carriage for bicycles, which is great.

We recommend that anyone traveling on the TRA HSR allow some extra time to find the platform, as Taipei Main Station is quite large and can take a while to walk around. More importantly, the trains here are very punctual and leave at 6:30 sharp. Once the train departs, your stomach starts to rumble, haha! So we had breakfast that we exchanged coupons for at 7-Eleven and enjoyed it while taking in the scenery along the way.

I want to say that the view along the way to Toroko is really beautiful. Taiwan is very rich in nature, with mountains, trees, and streams. It's so beautiful, I recommend it. If you come to Toroko, don't sleep! The view is really beautiful.

It took about three hours by train to reach Hualien Station. As soon as we stepped out of the station, uncles and aunts rushed to us offering Taroko trips. Uncle Che Chun was the lucky one we chose to use his service this time. He was lovely, couldn't speak English but tried to talk to us and took good care of us. He even gave us free water and snacks on the car. He also helped us take pictures. His photography skills are definitely professional level, arranging poses, suggesting angles, and his style surpasses other local guides. His car is a TOYOTA WISH, a big and comfortable car, and most importantly, it's new. If you're interested, you can inbox me and I'll give you his business card. After we agreed on the price with Uncle, we set off on our trip. The first place Uncle took us to was the Quingshui (Cingshui Cliffs) viewpoint, overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Hualien.

After taking photos to our heart's content, the uncle called us to get in the car and took us to the second spot.

The scenery is very beautiful, it looks very grand and magnificent. P.S. We may not be very accurate about the names of the places because it is quite difficult to communicate with the uncle. However, the one-day trip here will take you to the same places, so don't worry about missing out on the famous ones. But I suggest you arrive at Hualien Station early in the morning so that you have more time to visit. After visiting the second spot, the uncle took us to a restaurant that he had made a deal with (he probably got a small amount of money from the owner). Out of respect and appreciation for the uncle's service, we didn't object. The restaurant the uncle took us to was a Chinese restaurant, and the menu was chosen according to the number of people. There were four of us, and we got five dishes for 1200 TWD. It wasn't too expensive, but the food was very bland, not delicious. 55+ We took a picture as a souvenir before eating. This is the face of the people who shared the same fate in this trip. 55+

After finishing our meal, the old man took us to the third spot, which is located within Taroko National Park.

We'll start with the Shakadang Trail, a riverside path about 1.6 kilometers long. You have to walk down from the Bridge of 100 Lions to enjoy the view.

The trail is not difficult to walk, it is a bit steep but easy to walk. It is recommended to wear sneakers for easy walking.

Walking and enjoying the view, the weather wasn't too hot because it was on a cool and comfortable mountain.

After walking for a while, we finally arrived at the spot where we could get up close and personal with the crystal-clear water.

The view is magnificent and beautiful. The perfection of nature here makes us realize that we are just small humans.

After we had our fill of relaxing and experiencing nature, we walked back to continue our journey elsewhere.

We are unsure of the name of this location. The bridge seen in the picture is accessible by foot, but it was closed for repairs during our visit, which was a shame. After the bridge, there is a tunnel that allows you to walk and enjoy the view. From this point, you must wear a safety helmet to protect yourself from falling rocks. This area may be closed at times to protect tourists from falling rocks.

After walking to the end of the viewpoint, we continued to visit other places. Along the way, we came across a red bridge, so we asked the uncle to stop and let us take a picture. He stopped and took a picture of us and our friends.

After taking pictures of the bridge, we continued our journey. This point seemed to be a nature study trail in the park, a green path, but we didn't walk it because the person who came with me was quite tired and our time was limited, so we just took pictures of the atmosphere in front of it.

Beautiful and lush, the air is cool and comfortable, just like Europe ^^

Glancing at the clock again, it was already four in the afternoon, so my uncle hurried to take us to the place we wanted to visit the most, which was the Eternal Spring Shrine.

Wat Chang Chun is the first viewpoint, a shrine located on a towering cliff overlooking the valley. Below, an underground spring gushes out into a flowing stream. When we went, a Chinese tour group had just arrived, so we couldn't access the photo spot. Plus, the lens we were using was a fixed lens, so the photos weren't very good. It's a shame! I'm determined to go back again. Since we couldn't capture the scene, we used our eyes and hearts to absorb the atmosphere instead. Then we set off for the final destination of our day trip.

Chishingtan Beach, also known as Qi Xing Tan, is characterized by its coarse-grained black sand. The water is relatively deep but clear. We didn't manage to take many photos before the rain started pouring down, so we only have a few shots of this place.

After the rain, we ran to the car to avoid the rain. It was 5:50 p.m. and the uncle took us to the train station to catch the TRA to Taipei. We arrived at the train station at 6:20 p.m. The uncle managed our time very well. He made the most of our time and didn't rush or complain when we had to wait for us. He was very kind. When it was time to say goodbye to the uncle, we cleared the expenses that we had agreed on with him beforehand. The uncle was kind enough to give us each a postcard with the first English sentence of the trip: I LOVE THAILAND!!!!!!! If anyone wants to visit Taroko and wants a car to take them around, you can inbox us. The price is not expensive. (P.S. The uncle chews betel nut, so if anyone doesn't like it, there will be a slight smell of betel nut in the car.)

*****In summary, Taroko Gorge was a truly unforgettable experience for us. We would love to go back again. The natural scenery is breathtaking and awe-inspiring, and the air is fresh and invigorating. The cost of travel and transportation for a day trip is very reasonable and well worth the value. If you have the opportunity to visit Taiwan, please consider adding Taroko Gorge to your itinerary. You won't be disappointed. If you enjoyed this review, please give us a thumbs up to show your support. Thank you.

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