A Girl’s Guide to Solo-Cycling Taiwan’s East Coast (Hualien to Taitung)
If you’re a 30-something woman without a husband or a baby on the way it’s
a fact that most of your spontaneous whims will be done alone. This year I took a month-long trip to Taiwan. In my mind, I would travel around the whole island but in reality, I only made it down the East Coast (even having to cut out some of the coastline from my itinerary).
What I love about Taiwan is how each city, no matter how small, has so much to discover in terms of culture and nature. The pace of life is slow (most cafes don’t open until 10AM or 1PM) which trashes the “must see lists” and instead lets you take on the pace of place.
Unless you’re cycling that is.
This is my experience cycling from Hualien to Taitung solo. Below you’ll find some tips on how to get the most out of your ride and how to enjoy every uphill.
Renting a Bike
After reading a few sources online, I decided that renting a bike in Hualien from Giant would be the way to go. Turns out, the internet was right. Giant hooked me up with a nice road bike, two saddle bags (waterproof), speedometer, bike pump, mini-bike wrench, and bike lock. I paid $2000 NTD for a three-day rental which included bike return to Hualien. For another $300 NTD you can have your luggage shipped to your end destination. They box up your luggage and have it waiting for you at your returning Giant store. Easy as pie.
Be forewarned: They don’t give you a helmet or an extra intertube for flats. So you can either bring one or buy one at the store for around $500NTD. Pack a pair of your cycling shorts and gloves since purchasing these at the store can be just as costly as your bike rental.
Route
I couldn’t decide whether to hit the mountainside or go the coastal route. I wanted it all! I decided to start coastal and switch back to the mountainside to make sure to ride on the infamous Mr. Brown Boulevard. I highly recommend this route if you can make it up a few long hills. Most riders choose one path and ride it all the way down. But for international tourists who want it all crossing over via Highway 30 gives you incredible views while letting you have your cake and eat it too.
I completed the route in three days. But be kind to yourself and split the first day into two parts to avoid burnout and give you more time to enjoy the coastal views. My last 20k on Day 1 were pretty slow after a long day in the rain and 5k of uphill (more on that later).
Distance: Roughly 200km
Day 1: Hualien to Changbin (appx 90km)
Day 2: Changbin to Changshan (appx 65km)
Day 3: Changshan to Taitung (appx 60km)
Time: 3 days (recommend 4) — Day 1: 5 hours of cycling, Day 2: 3.5 hours of cycling, Day 3: 3.5 hours of cycling
Season: I went in the dead of summer. I was going for “hot girl cycling summer”. It was steamy- like scorching, god-please-help-me-and-if-not-go-whoever-is-out-there hot. So if you decide to ride in late June, start cycling early before the heat and afternoon rains hit. Otherwise, other cyclists recommended October — November as the cycling sweet spot.
Safety
On the road
As a girl who is used to cycling in Vietnam with millions of motorbikes and extreme levels of road chaos, cycling in Taiwan is a breeze. The whole route has a designated bike path either painted on the main road that is shared with cars, trucks, and motorbikes or there is a whole separate road just for bikes and motorbikes. Generally, the roads were not very busy except as I got closer to Taitung. Taiwanese drivers take sharing the road to heart. As a cyclist, I always had the right-a-way and there weren’t any near-vehicle encounters.
In terms of getting a flat or my bike suddenly disintegrating due to my lack of knowledge of bike repairs? There were a lot of bike stations for repairs. But when I rode by all of them were closed (I rode during off—season). Giant does give you the tools you need for minor fixes along with their number if something goes wrong. Luckily, in all the small towns I passed by there was a mechanic or even a bike store. While I didn’t find myself in a pickle, if I did a little Youtubing and help from a friendly passerby could have easily solved the problem.
As a solo-female traveler
I’ve heard that Taiwan is one of the safest countries in the world but this cycling trip only verified the claims. I didn’t receive any cat calls, creepy calls, or wank off gestures the whole trip. In America, that’s unheard of. In Taiwan? It’s normal. Instead, there were lots of thumbs up, friendly waves, and ni-haos from Taiwanese grandmas and grandpas who were up early enough to see me ride past. This doesn’t mean that you’ll have the same experience as me. But if you want to feel what living in a safe country feels like, then cycle by yourself in Taiwan.
On to the cycling…
Day 1: Rainy coastlines and 7/11
Hualien to Changbin 90km
This is the hardest day of cycling but the views make the kilometers fly by. Even the 5k hill near the beginning of the ride is scenic with lush jungle scapes, small farmhouses, and lots of monkeys. I started the day at the ass-crack of dawn early to beat the heat. Instead of heat, I got a morning of rain that drizzled on throughout the day. Geared up and sitting outside my hostel, I decided to say f*** it and ride into the pouring rain. The night before I grabbed a few rice balls, an energy liquid, and a few Snickers to throw in my bag. I’m glad I did because after you exit Hualien there are some longer stretches without any convenience stores for fueling.
Getting out of the city was easy. The bike paths are clearly marked. You’ll be following the bike path for Highway 11. Drenched and a little chilly from the ride, I stopped for my first 7/11 coffee before heading out of town. I’m glad I did- you’ll need the caffeine soon.
Early in your ride, you’ll cruise through some of the tunnels that save your calves from grueling mountain passes.
Pretty soon after the tunnel, you’ll start going uphill at about a 10% grade for about 5km. Even though the rain jaded the baby blue ocean views I was grateful I didn’t bike that hill in the sun. It’s doable if you take a few breaks every now and then. The few breaks that I did take were quickly interrupted by my fear of monkeys who often hang out on the side of the road. No, thank you.
On your way up, there are some small cages with bananas inside. From my skills with Google Translate, it’s my understanding you can put money in the can and take a few fresh bananas from the farmers neighboring the road if you’re in a hunger pinch.
All the hard work pays off and small rolling hills with seaside views will accompany you for the rest of your ride. There are quite a few scenic rest stops so choose one that calls to you to eat a Snickers and take in the view. (Be mindful that my photos are taken in the rain. I saw the coastline in the sun and it was blissful.)
You can also stop by the Tropic of Cancer which divides tropic and sub-tropic climates. While the landmark itself is underwhelming, it makes cycling to the landmark a little more fun.
I also highly recommend stopping at, what I like to call, the Yoni Caves (Baxiandong Archaeological Site). The caves are made from thousands of years of erosion from the ocean and once housed aboriginal peoples during typhoons. The largest cave used to also function as a temple but the temple has since been removed. It’s worth a visit just based on the fact that the cave looks like mother nature’s vulva. It’s a girl power moment you can’t miss.
I chose to stay in Changbin on the recommendation from the Giant shop. Changbin is a small town. Like teeny-tiny. I stayed at Auntie’s Flowers Homestay which had comfortable rooms. There are quite a few guesthouses (choose one with breakfast since many places aren’t open early nearby).
For dinner, I highly recommend Wohay run by a friendly and English-speaking woman with an impeccable playlist. They serve personal pizzas for one and you must try their specialty drinks (non-alcoholic). I ordered the Roselle Bergamont Orange Drink, a local, delicate specialty that made me feel like a fine lady even though I was wearing my pajamas out to dinner in public.
Head down to the coastline post-dinner. The beach is full of beautiful pebbles and is a good chance for some barefoot pebble acupuncture and salt-water foot soak. I was in bed and passed out by 8:30 PM for a full day ahead.
Pro-tip: I ate like I was pregnant with quadruplets. Eat a big breakfast and keep lots of snacks on hand for this longer ride.
Day 2: Tears of Joy on the Downhill
Changbin to Changshan (appx 65km)
I woke up to robins-egg blue skies, sunshine, and that Taiwan summer heat. I fueled at 7/11 (which seems to be a common pattern) and started early. Thank god I did. Day 2 includes crossing over from the coastline to the East Rift Valley. You’ll bicycle over a mountain pass which means 6km of climbing 385 meters. Up, up, and away!
Luckily the views on the way up are stunning. So stunning in fact that you might have to make frequent stops to “take pictures”. This is often my excuse for a breather. The day I cycled there was moderate truck and car traffic going up but the vehicles always gave my slow ass the room I needed.
At the top, it’s pure sun. I took in the view and got going pretty fast given how hot it was. All the climbing is worth it for the pure bliss of the downhill. Flying down that mountain pass, I couldn’t help but let out a coyote yell and maybe crying a few tears of happiness. One of the most fun parts of the ride.
Near the end of the pass, there is a hot spring that I think would have been a nice stop if you wanted to break up the days differently. A good soak would have felt amazing at this point and the hot springs resort is set in a scenic, quiet little spot. But I didn’t stop… I kept going all the way to Changshan.
Once you cross the mountain pass, you are in lush valley rice paddy territory. Depending on the time of year you go, the rice paddies will look different. I went right before the harvest. Some paddies were lime yellow (a jaw-dropping contrast to the blue mountain skyscape). But some were harvested already leaving a dirt plot. If catching rice paddies in their prime is your thing, do a little research before your trip.
I stayed outside of the city at an AirBnB farm stay. I was the only visitor and had a bungalow all to myself facing the East Rift Valley. There were goats (and baby goats!), lots of outdoor hangout areas, friendly dogs, and snails the size of my entire hand. The host even offered me a bowl of fresh fruit! Make sure to bring your own food for dinner/ breakfast. There aren’t any restaurants nearby. I loved my stay here and slept like a dream with cool mountain air and the coo of summer cicadas.
Day 3: The Hot Air Balloon Illusion
Changshan to Taitung + the infamous Mr. Brown Boulevard (appx 60km)
When I woke up to look down the valley, I noticed hot air balloons drifting in the distance. With a little Googling I found it was the first day of Taitung’s hot air balloon festival. The thought of riding up to hot air balloons in the valley set high motivations for the day’s bike ride. Today’s route is more for sightseeing rather than going for distance. I did some backtracking to make sure to ride across the infamous Mr. Brown Boulevard and ended up taking a good-sized detour to a failed attempt to attend the balloon festival.
Mr. Brown’s Boulevard is a road surrounded by rice paddies and kitschy roadside photo ops. I got there before the crowd which I recommend if this is a big highlight for you. Right outside the boulevard, there are companies selling e-bikes to tourists. The e-bikes + the multitude of human-size picture frames to step into to get a cheesy picture of a naturally stunning view with lots of photo-takers could ruin the experience. All of that being said, get there early and take a slow ride through the rice paddies. They don’t lie. It’s stunning.
As I got closer to Taitung, I saw “Hot Air Balloon Festival THIS WAY”. How can you not follow a sign like that, especially when it’s also in English? I followed the signs up to the highlands (you guessed it, a big hill) only to find out that the balloons were released from 5 AM-6 AMthat day. No hot air balloons for me.
If hot air balloons are your thing, Taitung has the longest hot air balloon festival in the world (the whole month of July). You can easily take public transit to see the hot air balloons tethered either at sunrise or sunset. After busting my ass up the hill with the hot-air balloon promise, I couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to return.
On the homestretch to Taitung, you’ll pass through pineapple farms. You’ll pass by a large, strange aboriginal homage to baseball, and make your way to the city. I mostly stayed on the main road but it was hot af and had a consistent rumble of big trucks passing by. I’d recommend taking a look at the map and choosing some smaller roads to substitute.
I finally made it and instantly showered only to head to the nearest cafe to drink my weight in the quirky and creative coffee combinations that Taiwan has to offer.
Make sure to return your Giant bicycle by 9PM at their office. Those cuties printed me out a certificate to commemorate my ride. The check-in was easy and I was left to rest for the next few days exploring Taitung and making sure to not attend the hot-air balloon festival.
Recap
Going from coastline to the mountain road isn’t a walk in the park but it is doable if you bring hella snacks and take good breaks.
I felt safe and had the time of my life going break-neck speeds down big hills.
The views were insane. The photos really don’t do it justice.
If you have the chance, don’t let going by yourself deter you from a ride that not only lets you see and experience Taiwan up close and personal.
Peace out cyclistas.
