Taiwan: Road Trip - Taiwan

[Shull]

The Keelung-Shifen winding roads will make kent ridge 99-turn look like kiddie ride.

 

 

Yeah.. But i didn't took that route, instead i followed the coastal road from Keelung > Jinguashi > Jiufen > Shifen.. Still not too windy, especially when you compare it to Taroko > Hehuanshan > Cingjing route (highway no 8 to 14A).

 

That's one hell of a drive.

[StefanK]

Yeah.. But i didn't took that route, instead i followed the coastal road from Keelung > Jinguashi > Jiufen > Shifen.. Still not too windy, especially when you compare it to Taroko > Hehuanshan > Cingjing route (highway no 8 to 14A).

 

That's one hell of a drive.

 

I fully agree that the Taroko > Hehuanshan >Cingjing route is si bei scenic but also quite dangerous, especially during the cold season, when skeet and snow sets in. Especially the Hehuanshan route. Sweat!

[Tohto]

 

Came back from Taiwan on Monday.. shot around 50GB of pictures, all in raw format, so need to do post processing to convert to JPEG..

Your rental Focus does it come with turbo?

Yeah.. But i didn't took that route, instead i followed the coastal road from Keelung > Jinguashi > Jiufen > Shifen.. Still not too windy, especially when you compare it to Taroko > Hehuanshan > Cingjing route (highway no 8 to 14A).

 

That's one hell of a drive.

 

Swee.....

[Shull]

 

I fully agree that the Taroko > Hehuanshan >Cingjing route is si bei scenic but also quite dangerous, especially during the cold season, when skeet and snow sets in. Especially the Hehuanshan route. Sweat!

 

I drove up Hehuanshan from both Cingjing and Hualien's direction before, and found the one up from Cingjing is more dangerous due to narrower roads and more traffic.

 

And once it snows, the authorities won't allow you to drive up without snow chains right?

[Tohto]

 

I fully agree that the Taroko > Hehuanshan >Cingjing route is si bei scenic but also quite dangerous, especially during the cold season, when skeet and snow sets in. Especially the Hehuanshan route. Sweat!

 

The Coastal route from Hualian to Taitung should also be very scenic, thinking of those this route if I can taking longer leave for my still planning TW trip. Current plan is drive to Yilan & Hualian only.

[Shull]

Your rental Focus does it come with turbo?

 

Swee.....

 

Nope.. no turbo.. Just 1.6 NA with 6 speed AT..

[Tohto]

 

I drove up Hehuanshan from both Cingjing and Hualien's direction before, and found the one up from Cingjing is more dangerous due to narrower roads and more traffic.

 

And once it snows, the authorities won't allow you to drive up without snow chains right?

 

This is the road I drove up last Dec, very beautiful

After driving this road, none of the mountain drive scenery in boleh land can compare...

Edited November 12, 2014 by Tohto

[StefanK]

 

I drove up Hehuanshan from both Cingjing and Hualien's direction before, and found the one up from Cingjing is more dangerous due to narrower roads and more traffic.

 

And once it snows, the authorities won't allow you to drive up without snow chains right?

 

That's like pre-snow, when the authorities will put police officers in the usually deserted stations on top of Hehuanshan to check on the snow chains. I think when it is full on snow, they will close off the roads altogether.

 

Yes, the roads up from CingJing is just too damn scary to me, coupled with my fear of heights. I have first hand experienced their driving etiquette up on that stretch, they just give way to everyone, and that is like a few KMs away. For truck drivers, they even have com sets to warn and thank each other. That makes driving there safer, but only slightly. I really take my hats off to these drivers who ply that stretch on a daily basis.

[Shull]

 

That's like pre-snow, when the authorities will put police officers in the usually deserted stations on top of Hehuanshan to check on the snow chains. I think when it is full on snow, they will close off the roads altogether.

 

Yes, the roads up from CingJing is just too damn scary to me, coupled with my fear of heights. I have first hand experienced their driving etiquette up on that stretch, they just give way to everyone, and that is like a few KMs away. For truck drivers, they even have com sets to warn and thank each other. That makes driving there safer, but only slightly. I really take my hats off to these drivers who ply that stretch on a daily basis.

 

I kinda like their driving etiquette.. even in the cities..

 

eg, turning left at uncontrolled junctions which we need to cut across opposing traffic (like our right turn), most oncoming car will slow down to give you the opportunity to complete the turn.

[Xiaoyuer86]

Photos taken from last hiking trip on hehuanshan

 

 

 

 

Edited November 13, 2014 by Xiaoyuer86

[Tohto]

Photos taken from last hiking trip on hehuanshan

 

DSC03342.JPG

 

untitled1.JPG

 

DSC03359.JPG

 

DSC03320.JPG

 

Beautiful

[Beonhah]

Hi Folks,

This is my first time going to Taiwan,will be going on beginning of march,8 days F&E ,

Place to visit:Taipei,Sun moon lake,Chingjing,hot spring,which place i should start from?rent car from airport better or take bullet train then rent car at tainan?please give your grateful opinion & tips!

Thanks in advance!

[Karu]

Any recommended eating places & restaurants in Taipei & Hualien?

[Surpize]

How was driving experience in TW? Is it tough to drive in TW using SGP or Malaysia as reference.

[Tohto]

How was driving experience in TW? Is it tough to drive in TW using SGP or Malaysia as reference.

To me the driving culture are much better than Singapore and boleh land.

The only thing you need to get use is left hand drive If you are not familiar.

[Shull]

Day 2 of my driving trip to Taiwan is up.. http://almostafrequentflyer.blogspot.com/2014/11/taiwan-nov-trip-day2.html

Sorry, it took so long because i was really busy with travelling for work. In fact, I just completed a project in Brunei, and am stuck in Bandar Seri Begawan now.

Photos taken from last hiking trip on hehuanshan

 

DSC03342.JPG

 

untitled1.JPG

 

DSC03359.JPG

 

DSC03320.JPG

 

Nice leh.. when i went up there, it was colder than we expected, so we didn't go climb the mountain.

Hi Folks,

This is my first time going to Taiwan,will be going on beginning of march,8 days F&E ,

Place to visit:Taipei,Sun moon lake,Chingjing,hot spring,which place i should start from?rent car from airport better or take bullet train then rent car at tainan?please give your grateful opinion & tips!

Thanks in advance!

 

Cingjing, Sun moon lake and lu shan hot springs are all within 2 hours drive from Taichung. So i recommend taking HSR to Taichung, take the car there to visit these 3 places (4d3n should be more than enough), then return the car to Taichung and take HSR to your next destination.

 

Unless you're a petrolhead like me, who enjoyed the act of driving itself, then you can follow my footsteps, rent car all the way until my last 4 days in Taipei.

[Shull]

How was driving experience in TW? Is it tough to drive in TW using SGP or Malaysia as reference.

 

There are a few things which you need to take note, especially in the cities.

 

1. There are several type of traffic light junction are. Those with 3 lights, 4 lights and 5 lights. 3 lights are pretty much like our Singapore one. Turn left and right as long as there is no oncoming traffic and pedestrian crossing respectively. 4 lights, you need to wait for the left turn green arrow. And lastly, 5 lights, where you need to wait for both the right and left turn arrow to turn.

 

2. Watch out for the scooters, they're everywhere and may not follow traffic rules. But most will siam your car because they know in any accident, they are at the losing end.

 

3. Parking in public car parks (those under the town/city council). There will be parking attendants going around in scooter putting slips of paper underneath your wiper. To pay, you just have to bring the paper to any convenience store and pay there. Super convenient.

 

4. Finally, i find that Taiwanese drivers are hell lot better than ours. Eg, if you turn out in an uncontrolled junction, oncoming traffic will simply slow down for you to complete the turn instead of horning you.

[Beonhah]

Day 2 of my driving trip to Taiwan is up.. http://almostafrequentflyer.blogspot.com/2014/11/taiwan-nov-trip-day2.html

Sorry, it took so long because i was really busy with travelling for work. In fact, I just completed a project in Brunei, and am stuck in Bandar Seri Begawan now.

 

Nice leh.. when i went up there, it was colder than we expected, so we didn't go climb the mountain.

 

Cingjing, Sun moon lake and lu shan hot springs are all within 2 hours drive from Taichung. So i recommend taking HSR to Taichung, take the car there to visit these 3 places (4d3n should be more than enough), then return the car to Taichung and take HSR to your next destination.

 

Unless you're a petrolhead like me, who enjoyed the act of driving itself, then you can follow my footsteps, rent car all the way until my last 4 days in Taipei.

Thanks for reply bro,I'm thinking of that too, Taoyuan to taichung -HSR,then rent a car from Taichung>chingjing>Sun moon lake>kenting>kaoshiong,and return car at Kaoshiong take HSR to taipei,what u thing bro?any good suggestion?