An Early Start

I woke up really early today — before 6 AM — but still felt great. I’m heading to Alishan, a National Park where I’ll be staying for about 24 hours, including one night. Getting there is a bit of an ordeal: first a train, then a very specific bus that takes 2.5 hours. I bought a train ticket online but somehow lost it (no confirmation email, nothing), and I couldn’t book the bus because the whole site was in Mandarin. So… fingers crossed it all works out.

I checked out earlier than planned, got to the station earlier than planned, and the train ride to Chiayi was shorter than expected — which meant I could catch two earlier buses. A nice stroke of luck. On the train I finally realized I could buy my bus ticket through Klook. I have no idea why that didn’t occur to me sooner, but at least it solved the problem.

Before leaving Kaohsiung I wanted to buy a keychain. Tall Bear had really grown on me and I wanted to bring him along forever, but all the souvenir shops were still closed — and the train wouldn’t wait.

The Long Bus Ride Up

I boarded the bus and started working on my blogs. But after about an hour, the road began its winding climb into the mountains. Tight turns + stuffy air + an overcrowded bus = No way I could concentrate. Eventually I just closed my eyes and waited it out. When we finally arrived, stepping outside into the cool, fresh forest air felt incredible. I hadn’t looked out the windows during the climb — I was mostly looking at my my eyelids — but once I opened them, the views were stunning.

First Impressions of Alishan

I dragged all my baggage — two backpacks and a big red carrier — to my hotel. I checked in, though my room wasn’t ready yet, so I wandered around a little. During check-in, the staff showed me a map of the area… and it was absolute chaos. I couldn’t tell what was a path, what was a landmark, or what was just decorative.

Up until this point, my plan for Alishan was simple:

A small hike on arrival
Go to bed early
Take the sunrise train
Walk back down slowly
Check out
Take the bus back

But after seeing the map, I realized I needed more time to understand the layout. Trails weren’t clearly marked, and everything was connected in weird loops that made no intuitive sense.

Exploring Before Sundown

I grabbed lunch, went back to the hotel to change, quickly jotted down a rough plan, and headed out again before the park closed at sundown. Arriving early turned out to be a huge benefit — if I had taken my originally planned bus, I would’ve shown up after dark and missed the chance to explore.

I took a walk to see as much as I could in about an hour and a half, because the park closed done for the night. Surprisingly, that was enough time to get a feel for the area. I managed to see a temple, Two Sisters Pond and a couple of viewpoints. The paved walkways mixed with forest paths made everything feel both accessible and atmospheric.

On my way back, I bought my sunrise train ticket, along with breakfast and snacks for tomorrow. I also picked up souvenirs early to save time — and managed to get a really nice keychain. Mission accomplished.

Prep for Sunrise

Back at the hotel, I ran through my plan with a very helpful receptionist and got some good insights.

Sunrise tomorrow is at 6:40, and the train leaves at 5:20. I was told to arrive early to make sure I get a seat. I assumed that meant an hour in advance, but apparently 20 minutes is enough. Still, to be safe, I planned to be there 30 minutes early. With what I learned from my short hike, I finally had a clear plan for the morning.

A Hotpot Adventure

For dinner, I went for hotpot — probably not the smartest choice for a hotpot newbie, especially showing up 20 minutes before closing. But the staff were kind and guided me through it. I didn’t know what half the ingredients were, but I did know I was hungry, so I just went for it. It turned out to be pretty good.

I am happy that I woke up really early to day. To gave me a lot more time in the park, and also prepared me for the early morning tomorrow. Let's see what this Alisan has in store for me!