Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011 - Day 1: Sun Moon Lake, Part I

* Read Parts 2, 3, and 4.

     I took the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus at the Taichung Railway Station bus stop.  I paid NTD 180.00 for a one-way ride to Sun Moon Lake.  I was able to catch the 9:00 a.m. bus, which was almost full when I got in.  A man was telling passengers that there's another bus going to Sun Moon Lake for NTD 200.00, in case we don't find a seat in the shuttle bus.  He looks kinda creepy but I think he's a liaison for a bus company that services Taichung and Sun Moon Lake because I see him directing passengers to a bus in Sun Moon Lake going to Taichung later in the day.

     The one and a half hour ride from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake was quite relaxing.  The scenery was awesome!  It was green everywhere.  The mountains are quite beautiful and the foliage, lush.  I was still sleepy but I managed to stay awake because I just could not resist the beauty laid before my eyes.  I got a seat in front, behind the driver.  I noticed in Taiwan that people don't usually seat behind the driver; it's one of the last seats to be taken, unlike here in the Philippines where people love to seat in front (is it a reserved seat?)

     When the bus reached Sun Moon Lake, and the passengers caught their first glimpse of the lake, everyone ohh-ed and ahh-ed in awe.  The moment I saw the emerald waters glistening in the mid-morning sun amidst the mountainous backdrop, I knew it was love at first sight.  I uttered a simple prayer thanking the Lord for making it possible for me to see this wonder of nature.  And this is just a small part of what I saw:

     The bus finally made it's stop in front of the Shueishe Visitor's Center.  I boarded down the bus and asked for the restrooms.  Heehee.  Afterwards, I consulted with the friendly staff at the visitor's center in planning my day.  I asked what time will the last bus going to Taipei depart.  I was told all the bus schedules I need, and I was given advise on what time I should head back to Shueishe to catch the Taipei-bound bus.

     I was too ecstatic when the staff told me that there's this Sun Moon Lake Pass I could buy which includes tickets to everything I wanted to see or do, and more, for a much cheaper price than buying those tickets a piece.  The day before, I was computing how much the trip would cost me.  The boat ride around Sun Moon Lake would cost me NTD 300.00, the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway for NTD 300.00, and the round-the-lake unlimited bus ride for NTD 80.00.  But the Sun Moon Lake Pass (blue) costs only NTD 299.00 and it includes: 1) One-way shuttle boat to  Ita Thao Pier; 2) Sun Moon Lake Ropeway Ticket; 3) Around-the-Lake Bus (unlimited ride); 4) a bike rental coupon; and 5) 20% off discount coupon for an electronic bike.  If you want a return boat ride, where you can go to some temples, too, you only have to add NTD 100.00.  I didn't want to temple-hop because I was thinking of going to Ci En Temple anyway and I must conserve energy.  So I just bought the regular pass.

     If I had more than just a day to spend, I would have gotten the green pass, NTD 899.00.  It includes everything in the blue pass plus a Taichung-Sun Moon Lake round-trip ticket and a ticket to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village (FACV)!  It's so darn cheap!  The ticket to FACV costs NTD 650.00 and a one-way ticket from Sun Moon Lake to Taichung is NTD 200.00, so the round-trip costs NTD 400.00!  You do save a lot!

     There's even more.  There's a Sun Moon Lake Smart Card which costs NTD 1439.00 for two cards!  It has a discount card for a store chain, a TWSC bus voucher, everything in the blue pass, and a FACV ticket (which includes a ropeway ticket) and a separate ropeway ticket.  If you'll only buy a single card, it'll cost NTD 739.00.  It's so cheap that I don't see a reason why you should not go to Sun Moon Lake.

Click the photo for full-page resolution.

     Also, don't forget to grab the Easy Go Sun Moon Lake booklet.  It has everything you need for your visit to Sun Moon Lake, including information on dining and accommodation.  You could collect stamp marks  ,on your booklet, which you'll find in temples and trails and exchange them for freebies at the Shueishe Visitor's Center.

     Now that I have my Sun Moon Lake Passport, all I needed to do was start my adventure in Sun Moon Lake, yay!

For bus schedules to and from Sun Moon Lake and around the area and just about everything else related to bus service, check this LINK at the Sun Moon Lake website.

 For the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway website, click HERE.

For the FACV website, click HERE.

 For the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus website, click HERE.

For any other inquires, please do not hesitate to contact me for tips.  I might be able to help.