It was now time to start the journey around the island – so we hopped on the bus, stopped off at the ‘miniatures museum of Taiwan’ and headed to Jiufen. The area became famous when gold was discovered and nearby gold mines were opened. Now it is very much developed as a tourist attraction with retro-Chinese style cafés, tea houses, and souvenir stores bearing the name “City of Sadness”. 

The final stop on Day 1 was Nan Fang Ao, a fishing harbour with a famous temple.  After stopping here for photographs and a bathroom break, it was the long drive around the coast, past the beautiful beaches of Cisingtan to Hualien for our overnight stop.

Gallery 1 (19 pics)