Taiwan’s East Rift Valley (Huadong Valley) Travel Guide 花東縱谷旅遊指南 – The Most Beautiful Places in Taiwan

Historical Background:

Taitung has been inhabited by the Amis Aboriginal Tribe, which has lived there since at least 1500 BC, and over 35% of the people that live there are Taiwan Aborigines. The area is still a center for Amis rituals and traditional ceremonies, as well as aboriginal culture. The East Rift Valley was also settled by aboriginal tribes, such as the Puyuma, who relocated from Pingtung.
Qing dynasty Chinese farmers started settling there in 1875 as a reaction to the Mudan Incident of 1871 (in which a crew of shipwrecked Japanese sailors were beheaded by Taiwanese aborigines) and the Japanese punitive expedition to Taiwan in 1874. After the Japanese took control of Taiwan, Taitung’s main industries were growing sugar cane and rice. The eastern railway line was completed in 1926, linking Taitung to the rest of Taiwan.
After the ROC took control of Taiwan, Taitung Airport opened in 1981, which further improved transportation links to the region; however, Taitung has remained relatively undeveloped when compared to the rest of Taiwan, and the population of about 200,000 has been in decline for years. However, Taitung has become an important tourist destination, and the local government has invested heavily in tourism development.
With its untamed and undeveloped landscape, towering mountains, beautiful coastline, and vibrant aboriginal culture, Taitung has become a tourist hot spot in Taiwan.

When to go:

The East Rift Valley is great year-round, but it can get a little hot in the summer, and the Typhoon season and heavy rain season last from about May to October. If you are afraid of the heat and rain, then you can visit during winter when the temperatures are mild and the climate is usually dryer. 

How to get there:

By Plane:
Traveling to Taitung by plane is the fastest way to get there. The trip only takes one hour from Taipei, and there are planes that leave daily through Mandarin Airlines and Uni Air. From Taitung, you can switch to Saily Air, which will take you the rest of the way to Green Island or Orchid Island. A plane ticket to Taitung takes about one hour and costs about 5000 NT per round trip. You can book discount tickets to Taitung on KKday here. You can also book cheap flights to Kinmen on Trip.com or CheapO Air. You can also search for cheap flights in Taiwan here.
By Train:
The train ride from Taipei to Taitung takes 3-4 hours and costs about 800 NT one way. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.
By Car/Scooter:
From Taipei, a car ride to Taitung takes about six hours, and a scooter ride takes about eight hours. You can rent a scooter from Taitung Station on Klook or KKday. Scooter rental is about 300 NT per day. You can check out our scooter rental guide here.

How to get around the East Rift Valley:

By Plane:
Traveling to Taitung or Hualien by plane is the fastest way to get there. The trip only takes one hour from Taipei, and there are planes that leave daily through Mandarin Airlines and Uni Air. From  Taitung, you can switch to Saily Air, which will take you the rest of the way to Green Island or Orchid Island. A plane ticket to Taitung takes about one hour and costs about 5000 NT per round trip.  You can book discount tickets to Taitung on KKday here. 
By Train:
The train ride from Taipei to Taitung takes 3-4 hours and costs about 800 NT one way. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here.
By Bus: Buses leave hourly from Taipei to the East Coast. A bus from Taipei to Hualien now only takes about 2.5 hours. You can book tickets to travel to Taiwan’s East Coast via inter-city bus on Klook here.
​By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. 
By Car/Scooter:
From Taipei,  a car ride to Taitung takes about six hours, and a scooter ride takes about eight hours. 
You can rent a scooter on Klook or KKday. Scooter rental is about 300 NT per day. You can check out our scooter rental guide here.
You can also rent a car for about 1500 NT per day. You can rent a car on Qeeq here or Klook here.  You can hire a driver or taxi, and you can charter a car here.
You can check out our car rental guide here.

Where to Stay:

Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands.
Hualien:
We also have stayed at and recommend Dream Taiwan Homestay (Agoda / Booking.com), a high-quality hostel for the money in downtown Hualien, Farglory Hotel (Agoda / Booking.com), right next to Farglory Ocean Park with amazing views of Hualien, and Goldenflower B&B (Agoda / Booking.com) in Yuli right next to Sixty Stone Mountain.
You can find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
Taitung:
We have stayed at and recommend the Papago International Resort in Chishang, which is a five-star hotel with private villas with pools for each room, and Mountain and Ocean B & B in Taimali, which is a quiet and affordable B&B right next to the beach. 

Tours:

You can find more tours and activities in Hualien such as Surfing, Paragliding, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Kayaking, Canoeing, River Tracing, River Rafting, Whale Watching, Snorkeling, Diving, ATV / 4-wheeling, Paintballing, Farm Dream Estates Zoo, Water Biking, Oyster Harvesting, Shrimp Harvesting, Indigenous Experience, Glamping, Cycling, Ziplining and much more on Klook here or KKday here. 

Please note the following list is a work in progress. We will continue to add to the list as time goes on.

Map:

Please see a map of the places we will cover in this blog below:

360 Pano

For a 360-degree view above Sity Stone Mountain, please see below or via this link.

Let’s get this list started!

Sixty Stone Mountain 六十石山

Sixty Stone Mountain (aka Liushidan Mountain) is a beautiful flower and mountain landscape on the eastern flank of the eastern rift valley in Hualien County. The annual Daylily flower blooms and amazing views of the Eastern Rift Valley attract thousands of tourists each summer. Some of the most picturesque and beautiful views anywhere in Taiwan can be seen from this mountain…(read more)

Ruisui Farm 瑞穗農場

The dairy cows at Ruisui Farm in Hualien, where much of Taiwan’s homegrown milk comes from. You can get close and feed the cows if you dare. There is also a novelty shop here for tourists.

Nanan Falls 南安瀑布

Nanan Falls near the Batongguan Trailhead in Hualien. Even though swimming is forbidden here, you cannot stop the locals from cooling down on a hot summer day.

Hualien Sugar Factory 蓮糖廠

Hualien Sugar Factory is a fun tourist historical attraction with the most flavors of ice cream of any Taisugar store I have seen, and also the most restored Japanese-era wooden buildings I have ever seen.

Emerald Valley 翡翠谷

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hake Art Village 吉安好客藝術村

 

Meilunshan 美崙山

 

 

 

Sadly, due to a recent earthquake, much of Taroko Gorge, Hualien’s most famous landmark, is no longer accessible to the public. However, the visitor’s center is still open, and the road through Taroko is still open three times a day if you have your own vehicle. In this blog, we will take you on a virtual tour of Taroko Gorge after the earthquake, from a recent trip where we risked rockfalls and poor road conditions.

​Taiwan International Balloon Festival 台灣國際熱氣球嘉年華

 

Taiwan’s International Hot Air Balloon Festival, held every year in Taitung County during the summer, is one of the premiere tourism events in the country. Prepare to be amazed by an array of balloons, or enjoy the amazing natural scenery in Taitung by taking a tethered or non-tethered hot air balloon ride…read more
Tethered Balloon Ride (熱氣球繫留體驗): 4PM- 6:30PM or 4:30AM to 6:30AM (July to August). The ride lasts about 5  minutes.
Ticketing website:  KKday​
Untethered balloon ride （熱氣球空中自由飛行): Usually between 4AM and 6AM
Ticketing website: Klook 

Luye Highland 鹿野高臺

 

 

 

Wulu Fort in Haiduan Township of Taitung County was originally made by the Japanese to suppress an uprising by the Bunun Indigenous tribe. Now, it stands as a monument to Taiwan’s colonial past. The area also has great views of the Wulu Gorge and Wulu Village along Taiwan’s South Cross-Island Highway…read more

Chishang 池上

 

Are you a fan of rice fields, biandang, and rice in general? Chishang is the place for you! As the unofficial rice capital of Taiwan, its unspoiled views of rice fields with a backdrop of the eastern Rift Valley is one of the most unique and unspoiled scenic areas in Taiwan…read more

Guanshan Sea of Flowers 關山花海

 

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Papago International Resort 日輝國際渡假村

 

 

Custard Apple 釋迦 (Shì jiā)

 

 

Places and activities we missed:

Chulu Ranch 初鹿牧場
Yuan Sen Garden 原生應用植物園
Lisong Hot Spring 栗松溫泉
Taitung Night Market 台東觀光夜市
SUPing / Paddle Boarding
Surfing 衝浪
Speed Boating 
Glamping 豪華露營
River tracing 朔溪
Paiwan Culture DIY Experience 排灣族文化體驗
Pilot Training Experience
Zhiben National Forest Recreation Area 知本國家森林遊樂區 
Dapo Pool 大坡池
Taitung Forest Park 台東森林公園
National Museum of Prehistory 國立台灣史前博物館
…and many, many more. Get out there and explore for yourself!
You can find more tours of Taitung on Klook here or KKday here. 

Check out our guide to Taiwan’s East Coast here.
You can also check out our full guide to Hualien here and our guide to Taitung here.

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. ​