Day Tripper: Wulai

Today I would like to share with you a simple, yet amazing day trip you can make easily from Taipei. This is a great destination for anyone, whether you just have a day to spend, or if you decide to stay the night. I'll let you be the judge.

Wulai is a beautiful town nestled in the mountains of Taipei County. You can get there by taking the number 849 bus from the Xindian MRT station. Be sure to bring a book though, because you're looking at an hour bus ride to get there. The air there is fresh, which in and of itself is a huge relief for those of us who are used to breathing the fumes of all the busses, cars and scooters in the capital city. But Wulai has more to offer than clean air to breathe.

Wulai is famous for its hotsprings, as many other similar communities in Taiwan. As such it's a great place to go to relax and pamper yourself. If you've never soaked in a hotspring, make sure you treat yourself while you're there. 

There is also a famous amusement park which is run by the local aboriginal tribe. 雲仙樂園 is owned and operated by the 泰雅tribe. You can get to the park by riding a gondola over, though be warned animals are not allowed in the park(we learned thus the hard way, as we had to leave our dog kenneled at the gondola station. The amusement park offers a look into what the native people's lives were like. You can engage in lots of fun activities, like traditional bow and arrow shooting and canoe rowing. You can also sit down and enjoy some food and drink while watching a traditional aboriginal display of song and dance. There is also a gift shop/museum and there is a hotel in the park for any who want to make a weekend out of it.

My favorite attraction in Wulai, however, is not the amusement park or hotsprings. It's the Wulai Waterfall 烏來瀑布. It's a bit of a hike to get to the base of the waterfall, but believe me when I tell you that it's worth it. The air is so clean and pure around the waterfall, and you can't help but to be filled with a sense of peace and well being. Go and see for yourself, but be warned: you might not want to leave!

So now you have a day trip planned, all you have left to do is to go and enjoy yourself! Let me know what you think of Wulai!