EXPERIENCE TAIWAN RURAL ADVENTURES by Edison Travel Service Tailor-made itineraries into Taiwan’s indigenous and rural areas are developed by Cheryl Robbins, a licensed, native English-speaker tour guide and published travel writer, as well as Menno Goedhart, former Netherlands representative to Taiwan and current Taiwan Tourism Ambassador. We provide complete packages including driver, tour guide, and trip planning based on your interests and schedule. Our standard itineraries provide just a few examples of all that Taiwan’s rural and indigenous areas have to offer. They are focused on places that are off-the-beaten-path and that offer a glimpse into Taiwan’s hospitality, cultural diversity and spectacular scenery. In addition, an effort has been made to link them with more popular tourism destinations, to allow travelers to make the most of their time in Taiwan. Please contact Cheryl Robbins at [email protected] or [email protected] for details about this itinerary or creating a tailor-made itinerary for exploring Taiwan’s indigenous and rural areas. What to expect: Taiwan is a small, advanced island nation. Many of Taiwan’s indigenous communities are located in somewhat remote areas, but all can be reached by paved roads. Taiwan’s indigenous tribes have had contact with the outside world and mainstream society for a long time. Even in their villages, they mostly live in, to Taiwan standards, modern houses and dress in modern clothing. However, it is still possible to experienceTaiwan’s rich indigenous culture. In addition, communities are surrounded by natural beauty, offering excellent ecotourism opportunities. These include, but are not limited to, hiking, river tracing, bird watching, swimming, white water rafting, and paragliding. There is usually at least one small grocery store in each village where you can buy snacks and toiletries. However, you will need to bring along enough New Taiwan Dollar (NT$) in cash, as credit cards are rarely accepted and there are very few ATMs or banks. Basic medical care and first aid is usually available but there is rarely a pharmacy. So, bring along an ample supply of all necessary prescription and over-the-counter medication. There are not many hotels located in indigenous and rural areas. Accommodation will mostly be in family-run guesthouses. What to bring: 1. Adequate supply of all needed prescription and non-prescription medication. 2. Toiletries: Shampoo/conditioner, soap/shower gel, towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, hair gel, etc. In indigenous villages, we will mostly be staying in family-run guesthouses and not all will provide these items, so it is best to prepare. 3. Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, swimsuit, mosquito repellent, comfortable walking shoes. 4. Most, but not all, guesthouses will have Internet access. Voltage is 110V. 5. Camera, extra battery, extra memory card. 6. Adequate cash (in NT$). 7. Notebook, pen 8. Flashlight 9. Sense of curiosity and sense of humor. 5-day Eastern Taiwan This tour includes a visit to the National Museum of Prehistory which houses exhibitions on Taiwan’s prehistoric cultures and indigenous tribes. We also visit Paiwan, Rukai, Truku and Amis tribe villages, as well as ride the rapids of the Xiuguluan River and spend time in the spectacular Taroko Gorge. Date Itinerary D1 Taipei/Taitung (Taitung City, Taimali Township, Jinfeng Township) Meals: Lunch and dinner From Taipei’s Songshan Airport, we will take a flight to Taitung’s Fengnian Airport. Taitung is located in the southeastern part of Taiwan and boasts the longest coastline (nearly 200 kilometers) of any county in Taiwan. At the National Museum of Prehistory, you will gain an overview of Taiwan’s natural history and indigenous culture. We will then head southward to Taimali and Jinfeng townships. Both of these townships were devastated during Typhoon Morakot in August 2009. The residents have shown that the human spirit can overcome natural disaster and have rebuilt their communities. We arrive at the first indigenous community on this tour, Xinxianglan Village. This is home to members of the Paiwan and Amis tribe. The residents of this village have revived several aspects of Paiwan culture including the youth meeting hall and hunters’ school (for teaching survival skills and tribal legends) and millet growing. Millet was once a staple food of many indigenous tribes in Taiwan. A dinner of dishes made using local millet and traditional indigenous ingredients will be served at the village’s restaurant. Accommodation: Tjiljuvekang Art & Leisure Guesthouse or equivalent. (Note: It may be necessary to share a bathroom this night.) Tjiljuvekeng Art & Leisure Guesthouse (吉盧夫敢藝文民宿) 8-1, Lin 1, Xinxing Village, Jinfeng Township, Taitung County, Taiwan 台東縣金峰鄉新興村 1 鄰 8 之 1 號 Tel: +886-89-782-165 This guesthouse is owned and operated by Utjutj Tjiljuvekang, a member of the Paiwan tribe who is originally from Xinxing Village. However, he spent most of his working life in urban areas, recently returning to his village to become reacquainted with his roots. From the outside, this guesthouse is very striking. The white walls are painted with black murals, the subjects of which are Paiwan culture, such as the grinding of millet and hunting. Also in front of the guesthouse is a statue of a Paiwan male climbing a pole on which there is a hundred pace pit viper. Next to this is a stack of logs. Obtaining such a stack of logs was part of the preparations for Paiwan weddings of the chieftain clan. The guesthouse has five rooms on the second and third floors, with a shared bathroom on each floor. There is also a balcony for viewing the star-filled sky at night or the Pacific coast during the day. This guesthouse is located right within Xinxing Village and makes a good base from which to explore the area on foot. D2 Jinfeng Township/Taimali Township (Taitung)/Ruisui Township (Hualien) Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner We will start the day with a tour of Xinxing Village in Jinfeng Township. The residents of this village are mostly from the Paiwan and Rukai tribes. There are eight chieftains in this village and a tour will include some of their homes as well as a workshop selling products designed and produced by village residents. This village is perched on a mountain slope and from here there are excellent views of the coast and Pacific Ocean. After the tour, we will enjoy a Taimali Township specialty, beef noodles. After lunch, we head north to Hualien County, making stops at some of the scenic places in the East Rift Valley, a valley bordered on one side by the Coastal Mountain Range and on the other by the Central Mountain Range. We will arrive in Ruisui Township. This township is home to three indigenous tribes: Amis, Truku and Bunun. It is also famous for its natural hot springs, cycling paths and whitewater raft rides along the Xiuguluan River. For dinner, we will enjoy hot pot, a Chinese dish of broth boiled over a fire in which you add meat and vegetables. The twist here is local wild greens. After dinner, we head to a hot springs guesthouse where you can socialize outdoors in a large pool of natural hot springs water or enjoy the soothing waters in a large bathtub in the privacy of your own room. The iron content of these spring waters makes them appear rust in color. It is safe for bathing but not for ingesting. Also, due to the metal content it is best to rinse off after bathing. Accommodation: Yuan Hsiang Hot Springs Homestay or equivalent. Yuan Hsiang Hot Springs Homestay (原鄉溫泉民宿) 325, Wufu Road, Lin 5, Ruixiang Village, Ruisui Township, Hualien County, Taiwan 花蓮縣瑞穗鄉瑞祥村 5 鄰五福路 325 號 Tel: +886-38-876-307; +886-38-876-308 www.yuan-hhs.com.tw (in Chinese only) This homestay is located in the Ruisui Hot Springs Area and has a park-like setting. The rooms include a private hot springs bathing area with an adjacent shower. Outside are tubs and a large pool for soaking in the soothing waters while looking out at the surrounding fields and mountains during the day and up at the star-filled sky at night. Bicycles are available for guests to take advantage of the nearby cycling paths. D3 isui Township (Hualien)/Xiulin Township (Hualien) Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner Today starts out with a thrilling ride along 24 kilometers of the Xiuguluan River. We will experience more than a dozen rapids along this Grade 3 river. A simple lunch will be served along the river bank about half way to the ending point. After a shower and change of clothes we continue our drive through the East Rift Valley to Xiulin Township, home to the Truku and Sediq indigenous tribes and the world famous Taroko Gorge. We will tour one of the indigenous communities in this township before enjoying a dinner of indigenous cuisine. Accommodation: Crossing the Rainbow Bridge Guesthouse or equivalent. Crossing the Rainbow Bridge Guesthouse (走過虹橋民宿) 210, Lin 3, Chongde Village, Xiulin Township, Hualien County 花蓮縣秀林鄉崇德村 3 鄰 210 號 Tel: +886-38-621-328 www.teyra.com.tw In the traditional beliefs of the Truku tribe, only those who observe the moral code of the “gaya” will be able to cross the rainbow bridge and be in the presence of the ancestral spirits. This guesthouse is owned by Teyra Yudaw, an indigenous autonomy activist who has spoken at the United Nations. He is very happy to share his knowledge of Truku culture with guests. The rooms are beautifully decorated and some have breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. The water for the shower comes from clear mountain springs and is heated by solar panels.