Passports, Visas, and Travel Machines: Taroko National Park

There are several ways to plan a trip to Taroko. The easiest is probably to ask at one of the bigger hotels and they will set you up with a tour. For about $120 (US) each, the bus will pick you up at the hotel, take you to the airport for a short flight to Hualien, and put you back on a bus that will include a tour to the gorge, a marble factory tour, and the local beach. The twelve hour tour includes lunch and a train ride back to Taipei with a transfer to your hotel. An alternate plan is to get there on your own and hire a taxi to take you on a tour. You may also be able to hire a taxi in Taipei that will drive you all the way to Taroko and provide a tour.

Our plan: catch the 7 am train out of Taipei for Hualien, where we had already made arrangements to be picked up by a local guide (taxi) and play it by ear as to how long we needed for the tour. We did not book a train back, deciding to chance it and if need be to stay overnight and return to Taipei in the morning. Texting our guide, Tonny, that we were on schedule, he advised us to get off the train one stop before the main station and he would pick us some there to save some time. We stepped off the train to a sign with AndreAna's name on it and our adventure began. Tonny spoke very good English and was able to go at our own pace. He pointed out trails, AndreAna decided to explore or not, Servando and I took pictures, and he waited patiently for us. At a couple of places, he dropped us off and told us to walk to the other end of the site where he was waiting for us. At about three o'clock, we called it a day and Tonny drove us back to the train station. He worked out our tickets with the station master, made sure everything was ok and left. It was ideal for the three of us. Probably if it had just been the two blue-hairs (as my daughter calls us) we would have taken the bus tour. Price (US $) for our trip: $30 each for train, $30 each for tour and lunch on our own at the local vendors.

At entrance

Taroko National Park is internationally known as one of the world's scenic wonders. It features white marble walls and a river running through the gorge. Photos cannot really do it justice, but to share:

Swallow cave is pocketed with small caves, a favorite nesting area for local swallows.

In the cave, we walked, he drove.

Swallow "holes" in the marble

The road through the park is constantly under repair. Rock slides are visible and construction crews direct traffic through these narrow passes.

The Tunnel of Nine Turns winds through several tunnels. It is a pretty drive. There are also several "half-tunnels" with windows overlooking the canyon, and an old suspension bridge that is no longer in use.