Postcard Getaway

A First Timer’s Guide to Exploring “Taiwan’s Lake Como,” Sun Moon Lake

Written by Kaelie Piscitello

After a long bus ride, I still had not seen Sun Moon Lake. After a few months of living in Taiwan, I heard nothing but great things about the beauty of Nantou and the gorgeous lake in its middle. Since visitors can not swim in the lake, I decided to visit in December, when Taiwan’s temperatures dip to a more mild level and I can enjoy a hike without getting overheated.

The street I arrived on in Shuishe Township stretched for less than a mile, but it would act as my jumping-off point for the next few days. My hotel, a large Seven 11, and several restaurants were located along this road, and we could also find bike rentals to explore the lake with. It was the perfect spot to explore the lake.

A Welcoming Breakfast

To get to Sun Moon Lake, I took the High-Speed Rail (or HSR) from Taipei to Taichung on a Friday night and then the early morning Nantou Bus from Taichung HSR to Shuishe Township the next day. The bus ride took about an hour and a half, and I arrived at my destination around 9 a.m. I had not eaten breakfast yet, so I searched Google Maps for places to eat and learned Nomad Cafe would open in twenty minutes.

So, I went to Nomad Cafe for breakfast, ordered their French toast meal, and savored the best sausage I have tried in Taiwan. The meal had two pieces of yummy French toast and delicious fried potatoes. This set also came with a complimentary drink, so I ordered the local black tea and loved it. Nomad Cafe also served fantastic pastries, including a matcha cheesecake and fabulous cinnamon rolls in multiple flavors.

As much as I loved my breakfast here, I got lucky with my timing because the line for this restaurant gets long!! I recommend getting there 5-10 minutes before it opens at 9:30 a.m because it gets crowded fast! I arrived on time by chance my first day because of our early bus, and everyone coming in after me had a 3+ hour wait due to of all the reservations.

A Beautiful but Fated Bicycle Ride

After eating, I dropped my bags off at my accommodation, Mirren Hotel, that is set in a great location with kind staff who let me leave my bags there all day before check-in.

Afterwards, I rented a bike from GIANT and began making my way around the northern part of Sun Moon Lake. The person I rented my bike from had a positive attitude and helped me find a bike within my price range. He also gave me directions for attractions like Wen Wu Temple and explained what to expect from the terrain.

My self-guided tour of the northern side gave me beautiful views of the lake and allowed me to make as many stops as I wanted to along the way on my own time.

About twenty minutes into my journey, I came upon Wen Wu Temple, a gorgeous Taoist religious center created in the style of temples from Northern China. Taiwan built the temple in 1938 but rebuilt it in 1969 to expand its architectural grandeur. It includes two Chinese guardian lions at the front to ward off evil spirits and has great views from the top of the Lixing Gate. Koi fish swim in a pond nearby, and you can relax in many places around the temple and take in the natural tranquility of the site.

After seeing Wen Wu Temple, I continued my bike ride but went over the handlebars on a muddy road. Use caution on the muddy hills if you’re less experienced. I did take a tumble and ruined one of my favorite sweatshirts. I do not have any injuries, but wish I knew that the bike route is along a main road full of tour buses and cars.

An Evening at Sun Moon Lake

That night, after returning to my hotel and recovering from my fall, I explored Shuishe Township more and ventured into local tea shops. I bought hard candies made of black tea and enjoyed sampling other tea products, including skincare and candles.

I also spent time on the pier at sunset, viewing the boats coming in and helping other couples take photos. Afterwards, I explored the walking path nearby and came across some views from the lake’s western side. However, the sun dimmed quickly, and I had to turn back.

I didn’t feel hungry for dinner because I stopped for fried rice during the end of my bicycle ride, but I tried a few vegetable dishes from a family-style restaurant across the street from my hotel.

Everything closes early, so I would advise hungry travelers to eat dinner between 5 and 7 p.m. A hot pot restaurant also stayed open above the Seven-11, and everyone seemed to like it. I didn’t go because I lacked appetite, but it has excellent reviews online.

The Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village

The next morning, I woke up early to dine at the Nomad Cafe again, and took the tour bus around the lake to ride the gondola and visit the Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village across the lake. I didn’t realize it until I arrived, but the village is also a theme park. You can spend an entire day there trying out all of its activities.

While the price of visiting the village is a bit high, the ticket covers a round trip pass gondola that takes you there! When waiting to board, I noticed a separate, much longer line for a princess carriage when I took the gondola.

I hopped in the shorter line and realized the princess carriage is just a pink car instead of a blue or green. It didn’t have any extra features, but it might be worth it if you know who the character on the carriage is. (I did not). I loved seeing the sun and moon in parts of the lake and parts of the jungle in the mountains from the gondola. I thought the ride back in the evening had better views because of the sunset.

I found the Formosa Village a great way to get to know Taiwan’s native populations. It taught me more about the history behind each population and introduced me to their customs, including wedding rituals, the structure of their traditional-style homes, and celebrations.

The park also hosts cultural shows throughout the day, and I enjoyed watching a demonstration where a person blessed us and all departed souls. After the demonstration, I made a red and brown beaded bracelet and my boyfriend enjoyed hand making pottery at one of the stations.

In addition to exploring the aboriginal villages, you can go on the rides! The park has multiple log flumes, and people ride them in the winter with ponchos! I thought the weather felt too cold for water rides, but people seemed happy to get wet in cooler temperatures.

They had other traditional amusement park rides, including two roller coasters with loops, tea cups, and a swinging pirate ship. Unfortunately, I felt disappointed by the typical amusement park food sold here. I like Taiwanese food, but the meals here seemed overpriced and mediocre compared to other food in Taiwan.

Departing from Sun Moon Lake

Though I had an easy time traveling to Sun Moon Lake, finding my way back to the Taichung HSR station felt significantly difficult. Luckily, I had a late-night train scheduled, but if I did not take an Uber, I might have missed it. To avoid what happened to me, book your bus reservations two weeks in advance. I searched for tickets too late and could only find a bus reservation going towards the lake. 

Since I didn’t get a bus reservation for the way back, I thought maybe I could hop on a later bus. However, I soon realized everyone had the same idea and cues in a long line. The Sunday night buses come once per hour, and only seat 30 people at a time. If you can’t wait because you must catch an early train, get the Uber. The Uber takes 20 minutes to arrive, but it’s faster than waiting in line for several hours.

Also, I learned too late that you can take the bus from the Formosan Aboriginal Village to the Taichung HSR instead of taking the gondola back down and then busing back to Shuishe.

I wish I had known this when I visited because I took the gondola and missed the bus. In short, sometimes I need to remember to follow the advice I often give on Postcard Getaway and do my own research.