CantaloupeAlone

Our friendly server pauses for a photo My family and I visited Taroko Gorge on Taiwan's East Coast near Hualien early May of 2017. The day was full of breath-taking views and fresh air. Possibly the most memorable stop on the trip was lunch. We hired a taxi driver for the day and when he suggested lunch at 達基力部落屋風味餐 (roughly Da Ji Li tribe restaurant in English) no one had any doubts it would be excellent. Taiwan has 14 different aboriginal tribes , totaling 533,600 people as of 2014. They have held on to their traditions and culture despite Taiwan's troubled past. I'm sorry to say I am not sure which tribe this restaurant represents. the spread seating table set The restaurant is open-air, and on the side of a hill with a view out facing the ocean. It is a good idea to apply some bug spray before sitting down. The mosiqitoes of the east coast know no mercy. Our driver let us know that the restaurant has live aboriginal music on weekends as well. I

I need to confess. I've been living in Taiwan for 4.5 years now, and never visited the Taroko Gorge National Park , Taiwan's most famous tourist destination. I have been to its nearby city, Hualien, but never the sweet spot. Because it is most often mentioned on all the most very touristy lists, I wrote it off as too far to get to for too little payoff. I assumed it would be an amazing view worthy of 10 minutes of photo taking crowded with tourists, and not an entire park filled with natural wonder and options. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Taroko is located on  Taiwan's scenic East Coast , just North of the center. It can be visited as a stop on the whole East Coast, or in a day from Taipei. The park is free, so organizing transportation is the main expense. It is possible to rent a car and drive yourself, but even easier is to take an express train from Taipei Main Station via the TRA . The high-speed rail does not connect with Hualien. A ticket can be booked online,