Part 2 – read part 1 (Taiwan and Taischung) here.
Sun Moon Lake: A Scenic Retreat
From Taichung, we drove to Sun Moon Lake, a serene destination surrounded by lush mountains. This part of our road trip around Taiwan was particularly memorable. We spent two nights at the lake, enjoying its tranquil beauty and fun activities.
One of the best things to do in Taiwan with kids is to explore Sun Moon Lake on electric tandem bikes which are found everywhere and cost £17 for the day. The electric is very much needed for the hills. There are cycle paths and boardwalks for some of the lake, but you will likely also have to go on the roads. The roads aren’t busy and we managed fine! We rode around about half the lake, stopping to take in the picturesque views and visit local attractions, such as the nine frogs, Xuan Zang Temple, Cien Pagoda and Wenwu Temple.
The Wenwu temple is especially awesome. The temple’s stunning architecture, incredible attention to detail and peaceful atmosphere provided a lovely contrast to our active day. There was so much for the kids to explore that they didn’t actually get bored in the hour we spent there. At the top of the temple is a grassy area with a fish pond where you can feed the fish for 30p.
Another highlight was the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway, a cable car ride that offered breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding mountains. The kids loved the glass floor cabins which didn’t cost any more and we were lucky that there wasn’t a queue for them. There is one glass cabin to every 4 normal cabins so you can work out which queue will go down quicker.
The cable car takes around 15 minutes to get to the top. Tickets are £9 for adults and £7 for children. We expected to walk around a bit at the top and enjoy the views, but…..there is no view. The view is on the way up itself. There is nothing at the top except an amusement park, named a ‘cultural experience village’ – entrance is only £15 each which includes the cable car, but we didn’t have the time, energy or desire to spend a day there. So we had an ice cream and then came straight back down. Great views, perhaps a bit pointless unless you were doing the theme park, but if you are aware that it what you are getting then just enjoy the cable car experience.
We stayed in the town of Ita Thao on the lake which is the less expensive of the two main towns you can stay in. It’s got 3-4 main streets selling street food – the curly potatoes are delicious – and there are restaurants, a 7-eleven and Family Mart and of course shops selling tourist tat. There is also a launderette which was handy for us!
This town is a port for the lake boat trips which go to the other side – we opted to skip this given our other activities – but I’m sure you’d get a different view from the lake. If it hadn’t been January and quite cool we would probably also have done some watersports with SUP, pedalos and kayaks all being available for rent. I noticed a SUP for an hour was around £12 and a 2 hour sunrise SUP tour was £40 per person.
The Breathtaking Drive to Alishan
After our stay at Sun Moon Lake, we embarked on one of the most scenic drives of our trip, heading towards Alishan – we took route 22! The journey was an adventure in itself, with hairpin turns and spectacular views around every corner. The kids were thrilled by the winding roads and the natural beauty that unfolded before us. But take travel sickness tablets if anyone is prone to that. We barely passed another car and no shops for at least 2 hours so stock up on both before leaving Sun Moon Lake. What we did spot was monkeys and yellow-chested martens running along the edge of the road. We also had to stop frequently to take in the views. You go up so high and the photos just do not do it justice. Even the kids were impressed – and of course we filled our 4 hours road trip with classic songs – educating the kids in Prince, Stevie Nicks and 80s power ballads!
When coming down into Alishan you will arrive at the Alishan recreation Area – this was both too expensive and too time consuming for us, but I imagine a day or two here would be breathtaking. Instead we came down the mountain a little further and stayed close to Fenqihu – Fenqihu to Alishan recreational centre is nearly an hour as again the roads are windy and slow, so even though it looks close you probably wouldn’t pass the centre, stay somewhere cheaper to then drive back the next day!
We stayed in an area of homestays surrounded by trails – the mist came down around 4pm as we arrived and it was cold so unless there in summer prepare for a cooler evening. Alishan is renowned for its hiking trails and tea plantations. We spent our one day there trekking through the lush forests, spotting unique flora and fauna, and enjoying the crisp mountain air. We opted for the mist trail which is 800m – but note this is a trail that goes up and down, so one way is very steep with a lot of stairs. We would recommend starting from the bottom so that you don’t get the moans of tired legs having to do the uphill bit at the end! We also did the Sakura trail which is again a good distance for little legs and in cherry blossom season must be incredibly beautiful.
Before leaving Alishan we headed to Fenqihu itself – home of the Alishan Forest Railway, an old-fashioned train that winds through the mountains and offers a unique way to experience the area’s natural splendor. We didn’t have time to ride it – it’s very slow – but got lucky and saw it in the station! We had lunch and explored the quaint streets, and old-y worldly housing and there are other trails to be done if you have time. I’m glad we stopped off here even if it was just for a couple of hours.
If you have more time, we would suggest also visiting a local tea plantation, to learn about the tea-making process and sample some of the finest Alishan tea.
Discovering Tainan’s history
Our road trip continued to Tainan, Taiwan’s oldest city, known for its historical sites and delicious food. It was a 2 hour drive from Fenqihu, the first hour being windy roads again, before hitting the lower ground, straighter roads and the motorway! Tainan is 2.5 hours from Alishan.
On our first day we explored the Anping Tree House, a former warehouse overtaken by banyan trees, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. The kids enjoyed climbing through the roots and branches, going up different stairways and losing themselves in a very safe space – no traffic, no exit! There is a small café, but again another highlight was fish feeding and watching the birds lining up to catch their lunch – we were lucky to spot two successful snacks being grabbed from the pond!
We also visited the Anping Fort just a 10 minute walk from the treehouse. This historic fort has beautiful gardens and koi ponds and the tower is worth a climb for views across Tainan. Both the treehouse and the fort were £2 entrance fee, half price for children and 6 and under were free.
From the fort you can walk to the marina area and head over the bridge to a great playground with zipwires, climbing frames, sand pits and water play in the summer. There’s a 7-eleven near it so grab a snack and coffee and let them run off some steam.
Before leaving Tainan the next day, we headed to Shennong Street – the oldest street in Tainan with quirky shops, antique houses, art on the walls and paper lanterns. There was a great coffee house here called Saw Nature Café – and we ate at a Mexican and Indian near here as well. The Shuixian Gong Market looked interesting and we enjoyed walking past, but this is more local market than tourist street food market!
Kaohsiung: a city of art and wildlife
Since we had dropped off our car on arrival in Tainan, we took the train down to Koahsiung where we had a 4 night stay. Kaohsiung is a vibrant port city with plenty of family-friendly attractions. It also has an international airport so we didn’t need to return to Taipei, and rather flew out of here to Japan! If you didn’t find anywhere to fly to, don’t despair as a train back to Taipei is only a few hours on the HSR! Or continue to work your way around Taiwan – Kenting is only 2 hours further south!
The best area for families is undoubtedly the Pier 2 area. There is so much to see and do here and a taxi from the main station cost us £10 and was around 15 minutes. There is also a bus we took for this journey and the city loop metro line stops in this area as well.
You’ll find a great sculpture park and railway museum in a Hamasen Square where you can buy kites and bubbles for the kids. It’s a large grassy area with no traffic so very much a safe space to play amongst the art and carriages.
The railway museum offers rides on a small train several times a day which is worth it for smaller kids so check out the times as you walk past.
To the west of the railway museum you have the Pier 2 art centre and a whole promenade of art installations, culminating in small streets of art studios, cafes, restaurants and shops to explore. There is a larger park area at the end with a playground and again more sculptures to see – some of them you can even walk and climb in. This is close to the music centre which is worthy of a look as the building is very impressive. Along the promenade is also a few exhibits – a dinosaur centre, a paw patrol ‘something’ and a moomin exhibit of some kind – all of which cost money to enter so we didn’t bother and the kids were happy exploring the outside anyway!
To the south of the railway museum is the ferry to Cijin island – definitely make the 15 minute walk and 5 minute ferry ride (they run all day) to Cijin. As soon as you step off the ferry you’ll have the chance to rent an electric 4-5 seater bike which was brilliant fun (£10 an hour, £16 for 2) – we opted for an hour and took it along the beach front stopping off at a few sights along the way. The beach is darker sand, but there are surfers out in the waves, it’s clean, there are a few playgrounds and if you have the time and energy the lighthouse is supposed to be a great walk and views. The whole distance along Cijin island is 12km, and in our hour we managed the first 3-4km only but it did feel like that was enough.
Also near pier 2 is a night market which takes place every Saturday night and has some great pinball games for the kids for 10p a go! Nyle won some good quality prizes too!
The final place in Kaohsiung to mention is Monkey Hill, or Shoushan. There is a zoo here too and loads of hiking trails, but we only had time to get to the lookout point and the visitor centre. Definitely put a day to the side to explore this area fully – the wildlife is incredible and much of it endemic to Taiwan. The visitor centre is actually on the opposite end of the hill to the hiking trails, so you may not manage both. It was however really informative and we got a private tour and talk from some interns there.
Turtle Island: A Highlight of Our Trip
From Kaohsiung, we took a day trip to Lambei island, also known as Xiuliu or Turtle Island, which turned out to be one of the highlights of our journey. The island lies 12km off the coast of Koahsiung and is very much worth a trip. It deserves it own special blog with all the details, but in summary there is a permanent colony of 800 sea turtles here and you will 100% see them both from in and out the water!
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR A BLOG DEDICATED TO OUR DAY WITH THE TURTLES!
Conclusion
Our road trip around Taiwan with kids was an incredible adventure that we will cherish forever. From the bustling streets of Taipei to the serene landscapes of Sun Moon Lake and Alishan, and the historical charm of Tainan and Kaohsiung, Taiwan is a great country for family travel. The diverse activities and attractions ensured that there was never a dull moment, and the warm hospitality of the Taiwanese people made us feel welcome at every turn.
If you’re planning a family vacation, consider exploring Taiwan with kids – underrated in so many ways. The island offers a perfect blend of cultural experiences, natural beauty, and fun activities that will create lasting memories for the whole family. Whether you’re riding electric tandem bikes around Sun Moon Lake or discovering the historical sites of Tainan, Taiwan is sure to captivate and delight travellers of all ages. It has rocketed up the list to one of our favourite countries ever!
