Two icons, one unforgettable route
If you drew a line through the very heart of Taiwan, it would pass close to two places that between them define the island's interior: Sun Moon Lake, the country's largest lake, ringed by forested ridges in Nantou County, and Alishan, the high-mountain forest area famous for its sunrise above a sea of clouds. Each is worth a trip on its own; connected by a spectacular mountain bus route, they make one of the best two- or three-day itineraries in Taiwan.
Sun Moon Lake: ride, sail and slow down
Sun Moon Lake takes its name from its shape: the eastern part is said to resemble the sun, the western part a crescent moon. At around 750 metres above sea level the air is noticeably fresher than on the coast, and the water shifts between jade green and deep blue as the light changes through the day.
The single best thing to do here is to get on a bicycle. A dedicated cycling path hugs the shoreline, and its Xiangshan to Shuishe section - boardwalks running right over the water - was once picked by CNN as one of the most beautiful bike routes in the world. Rental shops in Shuishe Village offer everything from city bikes to e-bikes (roughly NT$200 to NT$500 for a few hours); the full loop around the lake is about 30 kilometres, but many riders happily settle for the flat, scenic western section.
Out on the water, regular passenger boats shuttle between the three main piers - Shuishe, Xuanguang and Ita Thao - and a day pass makes hopping between them easy. High above, the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway glides towards the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village theme park, with the whole lake spread out below the cabins; the ride alone justifies the ticket on a clear day.
Around the shore you will find the grand Wenwu Temple, dedicated to Confucius and the war god Guan Gong, and the Ci En Pagoda, built by Chiang Kai-shek in memory of his mother - the short forest climb to it is rewarded with the best panorama of the lake. The Ita Thao lakeside village is the home of the Thao people, the smallest of Taiwan's officially recognised indigenous groups; its food street is the place to try wild boar sausage and millet wine. Do not leave without tasting the local black tea: the Ruby 18 cultivar grown on the surrounding hills has a distinctive minty, cinnamon-like note and a devoted following across Asia.
Alishan: railways, giant trees and the sea of clouds
Alishan Forest Recreation Area sits at over 2,000 metres in the mountains of Chiayi County. The Japanese built a narrow-gauge forest railway here a century ago to haul out precious timber; today its red carriages carry visitors instead, winding through cypress forest between mossy embankments, and the network of easy trails at the top leads past thousand-year-old giant trees on the Sacred Tree loop.
The ritual that everyone comes for is sunrise. Well before dawn, trains leave Alishan station for Zhushan, the sunrise viewpoint; on a good morning the sun climbs out of a rolling sea of clouds with the silhouette of Yushan, Taiwan's highest peak, on the horizon. It is cold at that hour even in summer - bring a warm layer. Afterwards, walk back down through the forest instead of taking the train: the trail through the giant cypresses in the morning mist is the quiet highlight of the whole area.
Alishan is also one of the world's most famous high-mountain tea regions: oolong grown at this altitude is prized for its soft, floral character, and teahouses along the road offer tastings. If you come in March, the park fills with cherry blossom and with local visitors who travel up specifically for it - book accommodation well ahead in that season.
How to connect the two
From Taipei, take the High Speed Rail to Taichung (about an hour), then the Nantou Bus route 6670 straight to Sun Moon Lake (roughly 90 minutes, around NT$195). The key link on this itinerary is bus 6739 from Sun Moon Lake to Alishan: it runs only a few times a day, takes around three hours and climbs across the spine of the island through tea plantations and cloud forest - arguably the most scenic public bus ride in Taiwan. Seats are limited, so reserve ahead in high season. Leaving Alishan, buses and the forest railway descend to Chiayi, where you rejoin the High Speed Rail network.
Where to stay and practical notes
At the lake, Shuishe and Ita Thao have the widest choice of hotels and guesthouses. On the Alishan side, consider spending a night in Fenqihu, a half-way village on the old railway famous for its wooden street and lunchboxes sold in traditional round boxes, or in the lodges inside the recreation area itself if you want the shortest possible walk to the sunrise train. Alishan admission costs NT$300 for foreign visitors (discounts apply online), and the sunrise train is ticketed separately at NT$150. Weather changes fast above 2,000 metres: afternoons often disappear into fog, so plan outdoor sightseeing for the morning, carry a light rain jacket and check the forecast in typhoon season from June to October.