SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Stephen Bugno traveled around the world as a digital nomad for 15 years before calling Anchorage, Alaska home. He publishes the online travel magazine gomadnomad.com and writes at BohemianTraveler.com. Find his cycling videos at @CyclingAlaska on YouTube.
Story and photos by Stephen Bugno
Cycle Touring in Taiwan
I had been to Taiwan twice when I decided to return to cycle around the island. Located off the coast of China, Taiwan is mainly known as a technology and manufacturing hub and for its contentious relationship with mainland China.
Taiwan is off most people’s vacation radar despite being an excellent travel destination. It’s culturally rich, has terrific food, soaring mountains, a scenic coastline, a modern infrastructure, friendly people, and is super safe. And your dollar goes a long way in this high-value country.
So, I thought I’d return to circumnavigate Taiwan by bicycle.
Cycling around Taiwan is a great idea. It’s small enough for a one or two-week bike tour but big enough for varied terrain, sightseeing stops, and culinary adventures. Taiwan’s well-developed infrastructure provides you with the flexibility of getting on a train to avoid crossing mountains or going head-first into strong winds. Add to this the fact that drivers are used to seeing bicycles on the roads (as well as scooters), and there is usually a large shoulder or special lane for scooters or bicycles only.
Taiwan’s Geography
Taiwan is slightly bigger than the US state of Maryland or roughly half the size of Scotland. It’s oval in shape and about 152 miles long and 56 miles wide. It is extremely densely populated, with over 23 million people (Maryland has 6 million).
Most of the population, agriculture, and industry are situated on Taiwan’s west coast. The center of the island is mountainous, with peaks soaring to nearly 13,000 ft. The east coast is very scenic, and most travelers with limited time would want to spend their days here, including the bucolic Rift Valley. Taroko (Gorge) National Park and the capital city of Taipei offer great additions to your bike tour.
Round Taiwan Bike Route
Taiwan Cycle Route No. 1 goes around the island, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick to it. In some places, it is a designated, away-from-traffic paved cycling path. In other places, it’s on the side of the road on a sufficiently wide shoulder. Many cycle tourists leave Route 1 to blaze their own path or simply hop on the train to the East Coast and cycle there if they have limited time.
The east coast has less traffic and is scenically more appealing. The air is cleaner. There, you can cycle up empty mountain roads, soak in hot springs, or ride across the junction of two colliding tectonic plates. You can get your picture at the Tropic of Cancer sign, visit tea farms, gaze out to the Qingshui Cliffs, or cycle through picturesque rice paddies. It also has the densest concentration of indigenous people.
The road surface in Taiwan is some of the best in the world. It’s amazing what good investment, engineering, and year-round mild weather can do to preserve road integrity.
On the west coast, don’t miss the city of Tainan. The former capital is crammed with ornate temples, engaging historical sights, and some of the best snack food in the country.
Lugang is another well-preserved city. Since the 19th century, there’s been little impetus for modernization, so much of old Lugang has survived to the delight of the travelers who enjoy the architecture, culture, and tradition.
Northern Taiwan is home to excellent hiking and Yangmingshan National Park. Tucked into the mountains north of Taipei, you’ll see steaming volcanic fumaroles, mist-shrouded grassy plateaus, and wonderful vistas.
A few Cons of Cycling around Taiwan
Although it’s a wonderful cycling destination, biking in Taiwan has some downsides. A dense population and heavy industrialization make some places unpleasant for cycling with heavy traffic and air pollution. I made it a point to avoid most big cities. But with the urban sprawl, it is sometimes unavoidable.
Also notable is that strong winds can blow you off course. I’m mostly speaking figuratively. I took a train in the south from the west coast to the east to avoid a miserable 15-20 mph headwind. Get a good weather app like Windy that will keep you from strong head or side winds and will show you which direction to cycle around the island.
Read: Cycling around Taiwan: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Taiwan Tourism Highlights
Thinking of Taiwan in general terms for sightseeing, you’ve got the biggest city, Taipei in the northwest, the historical city of Tainan, on the southwest coast, and a vast mountain range in the middle dividing it from the lesser populated east coast. On the east coast, you’ve got a couple of laid-back cities (Taitung and Hualien), a whole lot of natural coastline, and a scenic and geologically interesting rift valley.
Taiwan’s cuisine is fantastic, with a wide variety of meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes, along with specialties like soup dumplings (xiao long bao), stinky tofu, and bubble tea, just to name a few. Night markets are a highlight and a great place to sample the country’s food, snacks, and drinks.
Taiwanese people are some of the world’s friendliest. People were always quick to assist with directions or helping to translate for me when I couldn’t understand or express myself. In my experience, they were also very polite and generous.
Other Options for Cycling Enthusiasts not Committed to Cycle Touring
If you’re just semi-committed to cycling and you don’t want to do a full-on tour by bicycle, there are other options. There are nice places to incorporate cycling into a regular vacation to Taiwan. You can travel easily around Taiwan by train or rental car and rent bikes on the days you want to cycle.
Taipei
Taipei has an excellent bicycle path system, mainly along the rivers. Plenty of bike rentals are available all over the city. For more serious road riders, there are long winding roads that are good for cycling climbs. While in Taipei, don’t miss the National Palace Museum, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Lungshan Temple, and Taipei 101 – the world’s once-tallest building.
Chishiang
The small town of Chishiang is situated in Taiwan’s Rift Valley and attracts travelers looking to escape the bustle of city life. Here, country lanes and cycle paths weave around rice paddies and blooming canola fields. Stop for a bubble tea break and enjoy homestyle cooking.
Where to rent a bike in Taipei for bike touring
It is easy to find bike rentals in destinations around the world, but very few bike shops offer touring bikes. At MathewBike in Taipei, they offer comfortable and high-quality touring bike rentals at good rates. I was very happy with my comfortable Surly touring bike.
Other Practical Advice for Taiwan
Get a SIM card. Local telecom providers make buying a sim card (or e-sim) cheap and easy. I got one while exiting the airport. It was US $30 for 15 days of unlimited calls, texts, and data.
Use technology to your advantage. I used Google Translate, and my iPhone camera can translate Chinese into English. You’ll have to navigate most of your travels in Chinese, although some Tawainese speak English. Look at it as a fun challenge, and remember to take it slow and be patient with yourself.
My Bike Tour in Numbers
I cycled for 10 days in January, which is a pleasant time in Taiwan. Taiwanese people will tell you it’s cool at that time, but anyone from the northern hemisphere will find it warmer than where they’ve come from!
I started my bike tour in Taipei and went counterclockwise down the west coast. After six days, I took a train across the mountains to the east coast. Then I cycled north through the Rift Valley for a few days before taking the train back to Taipei.
In all, I cycled 412 miles (663 km) and climbed 11,071 ft (3374 meters) in elevation.
I broke down my trip in a day-by-day series on my YouTube Channel.
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