Only about 25-30 minutes from Xindian MRT station in Taipei, Wulai is the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of Taipei city life.
Being Taiwan's first tourist destination developed by the Japanese during their occupation, it is easy to see why they chose this area. As you zig and zag through the mountain on the short drive from Xindian MRT, you can see the breathtaking emerald waters of the Nanshi River. Upon arriving in Wulai the sites of the mountains, valley, and river will instantly mesmerize you. You will also notice how fresh and clean the air feels. While this is in no way a complete list of the activities, sites, or delicacies of the area.
A trip to Wulai should start with the following:
WULAI OLD STREET AREA
Upon arriving in Wulai by either bus, car, taxi, or Uber the first thing you will see is the pedestrian suspension bridge that crosses the Nanshi River. If you decide to walk up the road instead you will head directly onto Wulai Old Street. The Old Street is filled with local restaurants serving delicacies such as Dama Mien (fermented pork), deep-fried bees, crispy fried river shrimp, deep-fried smelts (small river fish), wild boar, and venison. You also have the opportunity to try treats such as Thousand year egg, millet wine, as well as locally grown millet and black pepper. The fresh mountain vegetables available in Wulai are also quite special.Due to the abundance of rain in the area, vegetables from Wulai such as spring onions, bird-nest ferns, cabbage, betel nut flower, and bamboo are said to be the most delicious in all of Taiwan. However, Old Street is not just food, they also sell local aboriginal handicrafts and offer many hotels that offer hot spring access. Just be aware that not all of the stores in the area are run by aboriginal locals but by people dressing up like aboriginals and trying to cash in on their culture.
Natural Sodium Bicarbonate Thermal Hot Spring
While the Atayal people were the first people to settle in the region and discover the hot thermal waters, it was the Japanese that turned it into a tourist destination by developing the Hot Spring infrastructure. Many hotels offer shared public pools, private hourly rooms with pools, and overnight accommodations with private pools in the room. Just be aware that many of the public shared pools are separated by sex and are Japanese Style (which means totally naked). Unlike the thermal springs in Xinbeitou, which are sulfur based and have a strong boiled egg smell, the springs in Wulai are sodium bicarbonate based and are essentially odor-free.
Atayal Tribal area
To explore the life of the Atayal people, their history or experience local activities such as basket weaving, If you push past the food, and hot springs of Old Street and cross the bridge over Nanshi River you will find more hot spring hotels. However, you will also get closer to the Atayal Tribal area or village. As you climb the stairs or drive up the winding roads up the mountain you will find places such as organic farms, churches, basket weaving museums, and other locations that celebrate Atayal history, culture, and people of importance. The local Atayal people are friendly and always willing to talk and share whatever they have with you, even if you can't speak the language well. While very few people speak English, many of the Atayal people speak Mandarin, and Taiwanese, as well as their own language. Unfortunately, not many of the activities are available during the week.
As you explore the Atayal village you will eventually make your way to the Wulai Waterfall area and Yun Hsien Resort. From the area you can take stairs either up or down to explore the area. From the Yun Hsien Resort area you can also take a gondola ride across the Nanshi River to the area above the waterfalls. Once you arrive there you can explore the small amusement park at the top. If you decide to walk down the stairs instead you will find another street with restaurants, cafes, locally brewed beer, and handicraft shops, as well as beautiful observation decks to take in the beauty of the waterfalls. Another thing that makes Wulai special is the way that the water flows down from the mountain and over the rocks of the falls.
Neidong Forest Recreation area
If you feel like going for a hike and seeing another amazing set of waterfalls with three separate areas or drops you can continue past the Wulai waterfalls to the Neidong Forest Recreation area. There is a small fee to enter this area however the beauty of the waterfalls and the hiking trail are worth the effort. The recreation area is about a 20-30 min walk from the Wulai waterfalls. There are taxis available to take you there however, I found the price to be a bit high. They will try to give you a flat rate based on the number of people instead of going by the meter.
Few video what to expect in Wulai are under this link: Wulai experience
