timers – leads to the largest landing area in Taiwan, making it suitable for training. Come winter (the best season to fly) when it gets its ideal thermal conditions, it does get busy on weekends with tandem operators. The launch site is at 415m, and the ride takes you along the mountain ridgeline.
PARAGLIDING Taiwan's mountains are in close proximity to its relatively flat coastline, creating an ideal platform for paragliding. There are plenty of places where you can partake in the sport, with a number of places where you can learn or go tandem gliding – the sheer number of operators means prices are competitive (averaging NT$1,500 per flight). Saijia, Pingtung A popular site in southern Taiwan, Saijia's cliff launch – which can be daunting to first
Puli, Nantou Landlocked Puli is surrounded by mountains, making the takeoff and landing daunting yet exciting. Being in the heart of the Central Mountain Range, you’ll get to soar amidst peaks that reach almost 4,000m, dotted with lakes along the way.
Luye, Taitung While there are several launch sites in Taitung (home to the Highland Paragliding Training Center), Luye Gaotai is by far the most popular for visitors, where tandem paragliders operate from at least 2 easy sloping launch sites which are situated near the area’s famous tea plantations at 150m above the plains. From the air, you’ll get to see the fertile Beinan valley and the rolling mountains before landing on the beautiful east coast. The best season is from April to September. Paragliding Luye
Only licensed operators are allowed in this area, who offer both lessons and tandem gliding sessions. The launch site at Tiger Head (650m) has a gentle grassy knoll for take-off, with large spectator areas. You can glide here year-round, with the best season between October and March.
Pingxi Railway
MOUNTAIN RAILWAYS Hidden amidst green valleys and sleepy towns are Taiwan’s scenic railways. Built during the Japanese colonial period (18951945), these railway lines used to transport tonnes of timber and coal, and masses of workers, every day. Today, the big mines and factories are gone, and quirky, charming attractions – perfect for day trips – have taken their place. Jingtong Old Street
Pingxi Line, Taipei Known for its annual Lantern Festival, Pingxi is located along the scenic 12.9km-long Pingxi Line. At only an hour from Taipei, the Pingxi line is accessible from Sandiaoling Station and ends at Jingtong, passing Shifen and Pingxi along the way.
At Jingtong and Pingxi, you'll find unique retro architecture along the old streets, while Shifen is known for its scenic 40m-wide waterfall. The entire area is dotted with remnants of its coal mining past, and the valley features well over 20 waterfalls. While plenty of hiking trails branch off from the railroad tracks, a particularly scenic trail is the 3-hour long Sandiaoling Waterfall Walk that leads you to the 30m-high, 2-tiered Sandiaoling Fall. Jiji Line, Changhua Jiji Line is the longest of the scenic railways at 29.5kms, beginning at Ershui Station in Changhua County, and ending in Checheng,
near Sun Moon Lake. Between Longquan and Jiji stations, you’ll pass the picturesque Green Tunnel – a tree-lined road where the hundred-year-old camphor trees have intertwined their branches to form a beautiful canopy. At Jiji station near the Green Tunnel is Wuchang Temple which has been left untouched ever since it was damaged during the 1999 earthquake. The beautiful tiled roof and ornate decorations on its eaves are still largely intact, but the temple’s columns have completely collapsed. From Shuili, you can take a bus to Sun Moon Lake for an alternative form of transport: cycling.