David on Formosa

If you take the MRT all the way to Nanshijiao and then venture further south under the freeway to the edge of Zhonghe you will arrive at the start of the Hongludi hiking trail (烘爐地步道). Along the trail there are a number of interesting temples and stunning views across Taipei.  The first temple on the [...]

I took an early morning train to the small town of Gongliao (貢寮) in Taipei County. Not far from the town is the beginning of the Caoling Historic Trail (草嶺古道). This trail was once an important transport route connecting Taipei with Yilan. These days it is a pleasant outing with some great views of Taiwan's [...]

I took a few good panorama shots on my travels around Taiwan over the weekend. On Sunday afternoon I went out to Neihu with my friend Keith. We had a look around Dahu Park (大湖公園) which has a large lake in its centre (photo above). The Neihu MRT line is under construction along the edge [...]

On Saturday morning I rode my motorbike out to Wulai (烏來). Rather than visiting the town and bathing in the hot springs I headed a bit further up the road to the Neidong Forest Recreation Area (內洞國家森林遊樂區). There is an entry fee, but residents of Taipei County get half-price. So it cost me NT$40 rather [...]

Ziwei Tianhou Temple near Sanxia  Prince Roy visited the Lin Family Gardens in Banqiao last weekend and wrote some interesting comments about it on his blog. He was a little unimpressed by the gardens, however he raved about the Cihui Temple (慈惠宮) nearby.  I must have walked past this temple dozens of times and I [...]

After I got home from my trip to Sanxia on Saturday morning my friend Keith in Taipei called me and asked me to go hiking on Elephant Mountain (象山). It was to be my third hike in 24 hours!!!! Elephant Mountain is right on the edge of Taipei's Xinyi District. While it is not very [...]