Cycling Around Sun Moon Lake

When we extended our travel dates, I know that a visit to Sun Moon Lake is a must. Two hours by bus from the city of Taichung, Taiwan lies the beautiful and breathtaking Sun Moon Lake.

Sun Moon Lake offers a lot of activities. You can do a round-the-lake bus tour, or board the boats and sail some areas of the lake such as Lalu Island and Ita Thao, or try the ropeway (a.k.a. cable car), where you can see a fantastic view of the lake from above.

But of all the activities that are offered, I only wanted to do one thing: go cycling. Sun Moon Lake has been dubbed as one of the most scenic cycling paths in the world.

And it did not disappoint.

Sidetrip to Longshan Temple

Longshan Temple

Bike rental shops are everywhere in Sun Moon Lake. Depending on the type of bike, rates start at NT$100 per hour. We opted to rent our bikes from GIANT even though they are a hundred dollars pricier because we honestly did not have a choice.

You see, they are the only shop that accepts credit card as payment. We ran out of cash and we only realized this when we were already on our way to the outskirts of Taichung. Haha. There were no money changers around and if there were, Philippine Peso bills are most probably not accepted. ATMs that accept international withdrawals are also elusive in Sun Moon Lake (but some 7-11 stores have one).

9am. Sun was high but the air was cool.

But anyway, it's the best bike I've ever driven yet. And just after riding that one, I don't think I would still want to get my old bike repaired. Seems like I don't want to settle for anything less if ever I'd get myself a new bike again.

Giant bike rentals start from NT$200. Depending on the model, some bikes require more than a thousand dollar deposit. It also comes with a bottle of water and optional protective gears. They will require you an ID or a passport to rent their bikes.

Dangerous dam. We had to walk our bikes until the end of the boardwalk.

The Sun Moon Lake is the prettiest lake I've ever seen (next to our very own Lake Holon). I know we could've seen more but we went cycling just for a little over an hour. As much as we want to go further, we no longer have the time. The Sun Moon Lake cycling path covers more or less 30km. Should you wish to cycle the entire lake, give yourself 3-4 hours or more considering the traffic and the time you consume to take pictures.

Our last stop.

Photo ops, of course!

Autumn feels

HOW TO GET THERE:
From Taipei board a high-speed rail (HSR) to Taichung (standard fare NT$700, travel time approx. 45mins). Before you exit HSR station, different Buses to Sun Moon Lake (Nantou City) are available (standard tickets around $NT300 roundtrip, travel time approx 2hours).

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