Top Things to do in Hualien
TOP THINGS TO DO IN Hualian City, Taiwan
Hualien made it onto our list because of Taroko Gorge National Park. The photos we saw on other blogs and sites made it look amazing. And, even though our expectations were in the clouds, we were not let down.
> Taroko National Park - The park was absolutely gorgeous (pun intended)! There a number of hikes you can do all directly or indirectly serviced by the public buses that travel through the park. You can pick up buses from either Hualien or Xincheng station. Each bus has its own pass and you can’t use one on the other. Another thing to note about the park is that many hikes are closed during heavy rains. You can find the full list of hikes and conditions here: https://www.taroko.gov.tw/en/Tourism/DayHikes. If it has been raining for a few days or it’s heavily raining on the day you decide to visit you may be limited in which hikes you’ll be able to do. Also, the famous narrow bridges you see in many people’s pictures require a permit to traverse. You’ll need to apply for those well beforehand and you’ll get to walk the bridge and the rest of the accompanying hike (considered a “mountaineering trail”, but we saw families doing the hike). Even if you don’t do those particular hikes, you’ll still have many other great hikes to do and vistas to enjoy. We did the Shakadang, Swallow Grotto, and Baiyang trails. We particularly liked the Shakadang trail for its views of the gorge and the start of the Swallow Grotto trail for its view of the mountains and bridges. Another thing that we had read was to get out early and start your hikes at the furthest stop and then to make your way back on the bus doing hikes along the way. By starting at the furthest stop, you’ll run opposite of the tour buses and have quieter hikes to enjoy. Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/GtLbUmLL24cWw9m68
> 小旅行迷你公㝢Mini Voyage Hostel - We really enjoyed this hostel! It is less than a hundred meters from the train station, it is really clean, and the staff is really helpful. Around the hostel, you’ll find restaurants and about a 5-10 minute walk away you’ll also find a couple of grocery stores. Note that one of the largest nearby grocery stores doesn’t take foreign credit cards, so make sure you’ve got some cash with you. You’ll be able to find a bunch of ATMs around town. Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/fYLhzarcvD7Res1Y8
> Salt Lick 火車頭 道地美式烤肉屋 - This was a fun place we stumbled upon while walking around the Creative Industries Park. It’s run by an American expat who decided to recreate a little taste of Chicago in the middle of this small town. We were grateful from a break from Asian food and devoured our giant falafel salad. The hummus was awesome and the ambience was great. We were able to catch an NBA game here! Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/bcvZtHYftWuPPgBYA
We didn’t explore the town of Hualien itself too much other than a brief visit to the Hualien Culture & Creative Industries Park (https://goo.gl/maps/8NqeR4bD5Tg73HYi6). Buses in the town are few and far between, so many folks end up renting scooters or take taxis.
One odd (or, at least it’s odd until you know why) thing is that you’ll find hundreds of stores selling mochi and different variations pineapple cakes. It’s because the town is known for its mochi and sweet cakes. You’ll find samplers everywhere and at many stores you can pick and choose the individual packs you’re interested in and create your own grab bag of snacks.
Hualien’s night market is also supposed to be an experience, but we didn’t end up checking it out. The idea of walking throw rows of meaty delights did not excite our vegetarian senses. We did catch a glimpse of it while we were walking back from the industrial arts center and it looked big!
