Nanya Rock Formation

Located at the northern east coast of Taiwan is Nanya. It is famous for its unique rock formations and coral shore.

 The stone patterns were said have been formed through the weathering of sandstone lining up the shore. The stripes were due to the oxidation of iron ore. One rock is shaped like an ice cream twirl.

 

There is a viewing area where visitors can enjoy the scenic shores. 
Hire a private car for a hassle free travel. Nanya rock formation can be part of your day tour.


Our day tour itinerary
yehliu-juifen-shifen-day-tour

Raohe Night Market

One of the popular night markets in Taipei is Raohe night market. It is one of the oldest night markets and is located in Songshan district. It is 600 meters long and packed with all the night food, snacks, shops and stalls.

A colorful Chinese arch marked the entrance to the night market.

One can not miss the long line for the pepper bun being sold right at the entrance. While the line is long, it is fast moving. The pepper bun is prepared right there and cooked tandori style. There is a big hot clay jar where they stick the bun and let it bake for 3-5 minutes. It has meat and veggie fillings and it is delicious. A piece cost NTD50. Eat it while it's hot to enjoy the juicy filling and crispiness.

Continue walking and more food stalls await you. Be adventurous and try some of the food.

blow torched beef  @NTD100

Aside from food, other merchandise are sold - TShirts, souvenirs etc.

One alley will take you to the nearby Rainbow bridge. It is pretty safe to roam around and just watch the colorful bridge , the river and walkway.

How to get there:
Take the Songshan-Xindian Line to Songshan exit1 . Direction to the market is very clear and one can not miss it. The market is about 20 meters away.

Other things to do when in Taiwan:
Day tour to Yehliu-Juifen-Shifen
Elephant Mountain Trail
Taipei 101- An engineering marvel

Yehliu-Juifen-Shifen Day Tour

We found an English speaking driver  recommended by one of the travel bloggers when she went on a day trip to Yehliu.  We emailed him 3 months before our trip and he was still available on our preferred date.  His tour rate is NTD3500 for the whole day and we confirmed that we're getting his services.

He picked us up at our hotel at 9am and off we go.

1st stop: Yehliu Geological Park – we stayed here more or less 2 hours. Rock formations are impressive. There's a pathway for the disabled to enjoy the scenery. Sadly, throngs of tourists from the mainland photobombed the area. 

mushroom rock formation

famous Queen's head ( right most) from afar

2nd stop  : Nanya Rock Formation – fantastic rock formation and coastline. Luckily , only a couple of tourists. Bus cant park here due to small parking space which is better. We had the area all to ourselves !! spent around 30 minutes

3rd Stop: The abandoned gold mine – we made a quick stop and did not alight from our vehicle. Took few photos from inside the car.

4th stop: Ying Yang Sea – saw a different kind of wave breaker; shaped like a big jackstone

5th stop: Golden Waterfalls – located in Jinguashi . It's an awesome falls just right across the road. The beautiful gold color is a result of the combination of rainfall in this mining area and plenty of heavy metal elements deposited in the riverbed. Happy that there are no bus loads of tourists. 

6th Stop- Japanese mining – just walked a few meters and not much to see.

7^th stop – Juifen- had our lunch here- noodles and 5 kinds of meat balls, taro balls for dessert ; very crowded. Besides the main roads, there are several small alleys and lanes that make up the area. There are a lot of stores selling food, souvenir items. There are also teashops with a view of the sea. You will never go hungry in this place. A warning though, there is a very long line for the comfort room.

Noodles, 5 kinds of meatballs, braised pork rice

taro balls ( sweet sticky rice balls with ice)

tea egg

8^th stop – Cat Village – so many cats; fat and cute; there is a train station here called- Houtong. The cats are so adorable.

a bridge was built so the cats can cross over to the other side

9^th stop – Shifen – watched people releasing  lanterns. Too crowded even if it was raining. 

Drove 40 minutes back to the city and we're at our hotel by 6pm

I am happy to have found a great tour driver. It was an awesome day.

For the name of our driver:
Andy Lin
+886975780915
email: mp5k780915@gmail.com

You may also want to read:
Elephant Mountain Trail

Elephant Mountain or Nangang District Hiking Trail

Aside from Taipei 101 observatory, Taipei surroundings can also be viewed from Elephant Mountain also known as the Nangang District Hiking Trail. It offers stunning views of Taipei especially at night.

A hiking trail to the top of the hill can be reached by taking a short walk from the MRT red line Xiangshan station exit 2 then through Zhongqiang park. You will pass by several apartments and rent a bike.

The uphill climb is not for the faint of heart. There are a lot of steps involved in getting there.  If you’re fit and used to hiking, you can reach the first lookout in 20 minutes.  Otherwise, it is heart pumping and knee breaking trek. But there are rest areas where you can stop and catch your breath.

entrance to the trail

trail map

start of the ascent

long way up

It is a nice place to watch the sunset. Start your trek at around 4pm and wait for the setting of sun with Taipei 101's  silhouette. .

Bring a tripod for a night shooting to avoid camera shake

nice artwork at Xiangshan station

For more of Taipei, please click below
City Inn Branch 1
Taipei 101