The beauty of Taiwan - New Taipei City - Wulai

Wulai is a very special place in New Taipei city.  You can get a beautiful waterfall and hot spring at the same time.  Also,  it is not that far away from Taipei city; simply you just need to jump on the subway (MRT) and head straight to Xindian station (Green Line) then go get 849 Bus. Don't worry which stop to get off because Wulai is the final stop.

As soon as you get off the bus,  you can feel the air is so different from Taipei city. It is fresher, cleaner and even sweeter than the city.  The first place to look around is the old street.  Actually,  it is not that old, but you can indeed find some local native Taiwanese delicacies on the street such as shrimp from the stream, wild boar sausage, bamboo rice, wild herbs, and a lot of more.  These dishes are not easy to find in the city,  so 'Bon Appetite!' All most forget to mention,  you gotta try 'Mochi' which is native Taiwanese's dessert, a very delicious sticky rice ball. Give it a try,  you will love it.

If you are lucky enough to visit Wulai in spring and also in a right period, you will get an extra bonus which is cherry blossom. There are several types of cherry blossoms in Wulai. It is hard to say the extract period. Roughly, it is from the middle of February to the end of March. Of course,  during cherry blossom season,  Wulai is very crowded. It will be a good idea to visit during a weekday.

After enjoying the local delicacy, it is time to have a tour of the waterfall. Cross the bridge and take the stairs to the top,  there is Wulai trolley station. My advice is to get a one-way ticket. It is the fast way to reach the waterfall. The route is only 1.6 km. It is like a small roller coaster, not to be too scared because you will have a lot of fun to take the ride.

After a crazy ride,  you are now not far away from the waterfall.  Take a look at the shops on the way and put on some Atayal traditional costumes, you will be amazed how much joy the short distance can bring to you. Finally,  Walai waterfall is in the front of you. 

You can hear the splashing sound of the waterfall first. even just look at it, you feel cooler and refresher. When the sunlight sprays on the waterfall around 3:00-5:00 PM, you may have a chance to catch a wonderful scene of a rainbow showing on the waterfall. One word can describe it, "Magnificent!" 

Wanna have a peek at the sky?  You can take Yunhsien gondola for an aerial view which is the first gondola in Taiwan, only 2 minutes and 40 seconds for a ride. It has operated about 4 decades. The gondola will take you to Yunhsien paradise. What you can do there, including canoeing, hiking, camping, and lots. Making your ticket worth, you had better go there in the morning.

Just walk back to the old street,  so you have time to enjoy the fresh air more and have an excuse to enjoy the hot spring. There are tons of hot spring house in Wulai. The hot spring of Wulai is so different from Beitou which is odor-free and clean like crystal. It is also famous for its magic treatment which is good for your skin,  so it's also called "Beauty hot spring", a carbonic acid spring. If you want to have a try,  you can get a private bath for two hours. Be aware, most hot spring houses are not allowed a single person to use private bath because some people get the pass out when they stay too long in the tub which can be deadly.

If you prefer outdoor space,  you can ask for public bath which is cheaper and no time limit.  However,  you must be naked in front of everyone,  of course,  male and female bathes are separated. I bet you will fall in love with it.

Wulai may not enough for only one time visit.  Whenever you are tired of work or shopping, Walui is a right place for you to relax your muscle and free your soul.