In my previous post about Taiwan, I mentioned I booked three day tours. Let me be honest, jet lag was a biiiiaaaatch! I am so glad I booked tours so all I have to do is get myself to the bus, and not worry about navigating anyplace myself. The first tour I booked is to Sun Moon Lake. The thing is, much of its beauty relies on the weather being clear. With a typhoon this week, I’m stunned to learn that the weather forecast is gorgeous, even though Taipei is cloudy.

Preparing For The Tour

I booked my tour through Klook and need to meet my group at Taipei Main Station. All three of my day tours depart from there which is why I chose to stay in the area my first week. Another brilliant decision because it’s less than 10 minutes walk to the station.

The meeting point is North Gate number three. To make things even easier, I walked over to the station yesterday to figure out where, exactly, that gate is. Once you find the main building, above ground, the gates are logically laid out, and I found the entrance pretty quickly. 

Inside the station, though, things are a bit chaotic. I highly recommend arriving early if you book a tour. There are multiple tour companies, including Klook, that gather their groups in the same area. Luckily, they all speak English and seem to know each other. I learn my tour guide will be Vincent. He ends up being fantastic, and highly recommend him if you do get the chance to go to Taiwan!

Travel To Sun Moon Lake

Vincent escorts us over to our bus. Once on it, I’m pleasantly surprised to find seat belts, which isn’t always the case with bus companies around the world. However, we’re also requested to watch a safety training video that was unexpectedly intense, almost more horror film than instructional(!), but soon we were on our way to Sun Moon Lake. (Eventually I’ll link the video footage to this post!)

About an hour and a half in, we make a rest stop at the largest rest center I’ve ever seen. It feels like a blend of a shopping mall combined with a food court and restrooms. You can grab snacks, enjoy a full meal, shop for souvenirs, or just take a break. I filmed it, but forgot to take photos, you’ll just have to wait for the video, sorry!

When we arrive at Sun Moon Lake and get off the bus, Vincent gathers us around a map and explains the layout of Sun Moon Lake. I’d read that staying overnight is ideal for catching the sunset or sunrise, and I’d love to do that someday. Unfortunately, this trip is just a day tour, so I knew I’d miss out on some sights.

Exploring The Lake

I’m sure you won’t be surprised that a lot of the visit is spent on a boat. Our group had a designated boat, and being out on that lake was magical. By the end of the day, it seemed like I had seen most of the lake, and I could easily have spent another day gazing at the beautiful views.

We make some stops during the day. Our first one is a small temple atop a steep set of steps. These were a wee reminder that I need to get back in shape, oy! The hot weather doesn’t help my climb, either. But, I make it to the top. The temple itself is charming, and I even pay for a printout of  my fortune, which is fun. But the real highlight is the overlook, which offers a higher vantage point of the lake.

When I walk back down all those steps, I find a shop that sells tea eggs which Vincent recommended. I buy one and try it while it’s still warm. It’s tasty, but it isn’t as good as the one I had in Singapore a few years ago.

Ita Thao

We get back on our boat and approach the main town, Ita Thao. The view is captivating. From afar, it looks like a few buildings nestled into lush moutains. As we approach, the city gets larger. And then it seems surreal to be on this serene lake, and end up in such a bustling town. Ita Thao is filled with shops and restaurants. I get a pork sandwich near the entrance of the town, which is a deal compared to some of the restaurant prices. If I had more time, I would have gone up the cable car.

One thing that has surprised me in Taiwan is how difficult it is to find tshirts and hats that say Taiwan on them! Of all the places in the world, this is not where I expected to have this problem. Low and behold, I find a hat shop in Ita Thao, where I find the perfect hat, for $3. Here’s a photo of me in it!

On our way here, we pass an area where you can rent paddle boats. Vincent advises us strongly against renting one because we’re going to do a bike ride at the last stop. He shares  a story about a couple on one of his tours who rented one and who needed rescuing in the middle of the lake after tiring themselves out. Instead of becoming THAT tourist, I grab a wonderful glass of iced coffee at a tiny coffee shop I found tucked away from the touristy bustle and relax until it’s time to get back on the boat. I do make a pit stop at a tea shop and pick up some Oolong 18 tea. That stuff is great!

Cycling Around Sun Moon Lake

Our final stop is a bike ride. I’m not a confident cyclist. I’m sure I’ve mentioned in prior blog posts that after taking a fall off a bike in Vietnam, I’ve been wary of bikes. But, I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, I found a bike that suited me perfectly, which I wasn’t expecting. And thank goodness I challenged myself to do it.

This ride is what made me wish I was staying overnight, and decide that I must return here one day. That ride is incredible.  The scenery is so beautiful I keep stopping to take photos. I even see a couple taking wedding photos by the water.

Happily, I make it around the lake without incident! For me, that’s saying a lot. I reluctantly head back to the bus which drives us back to Taipei. We make a stop at another crazy rest stop, albeit less huge. I remove my hat to get a silly photo then get back on the bus. While driving back, Vincent tells one of the other passengers he’s leading another tour tomorrow to the northeast coast. It turns out, he’ll be my guide again tomorrow!

When we get back to Taipei, I’m glad, once again, to be staying so close to the Taipei Main Station so I can grab an early dinner and go to sleep. I drop my bag off at my hotel first, and that’s when I discover my hat is gone! I text Vincent and he says he’ll look for it on the bus and if he finds it, give it to me tomorrow. Despite the loss of my hat, this has been a fabulous day, and I’d recommend doing this tour if you go to Taipei and can’t stay overnight at Sun Moon Lake.