My travel experiences from Tapiei City to Alishan (part 3)

Sunrise Tour!!!

Alot of touters will be asking you to join the tours, even Hotels/Homestays have their own tours. But this is the only ONE using a very nice %26amp; comfortable bus, the rest are using vans/car.

The tour includes a guide which he%26#39;ll do all the talking.. The tour will leave at 4.50am (depending on Sunrise timing) and back at around 9.00am.

First stop - my favourite of all - Stars!

As I grew up in the city, i have not seen SO MANY stars up in the sky before!!! It was so beautiful, i think i%26#39;ll never forget in my whole life. The tour guide will explains (in Mandarin) the name of the stars, your horoscope stars, etc etc..

Next, we proceed to see the cloud forming, the first light and finally Sunrise...

The tour cost is NT300 per pax. U can look out for a red bus (see picture via link below) parked outside Starbucks around 4pm.. or check with the ppl in tourist informations centre.

…flickr.com/3499/3270624141_7088f9c062_o.jpg

My travel experiences from Tapiei City to Alishan (part 3)

Gee, very detailed and useful info u%26#39;ve got here, thanks for sharing.One could also take the ZhuShan train to the sunrise, but waking up that early is a pain.Any part IV coming? I%26#39;m gleefully waiting....

My travel experiences from Tapiei City to Alishan (part 3)

i am going to alishan on 1st march. i wonder if it will be as cold. is there hotel or homestay that has heater?

Here is about Hotels in AlisH area, some hotels equiped with heater,

http://letsgo-alishan.com/bg/ali201.html

The local lady talk about the Hotels in Alishan,

www.babyhome.com.tw/mboard.php…

hi hi.. there%26#39;ll be no more part 4.. coz my trip is only a 2 Day 1 Nite.. ;p

I%26#39;m not sure what%26#39;s the weather there in March, should be warmer as it%26#39;s the cherry bloosom season.. U can check out the weather forecast before set off.. Click the link here andlook under CHIAYI.

http://www.cwb.gov.tw/eng/index.htm

Also very important to check if they have water heater before finalising the room.

Have fun! Please post some cherry bloosom pictures when back !!!

hi, according to the tour guide, u may not catch Sunrise everyday from Zhushan as it%26#39;s much lower than Yushan (the tour bring us up to a higher place).

But I%26#39;m not sure is this sales tactics or truth. So if anyone have Zhushan experience may share..

But if you take your own train to Zhushan, u%26#39;ll miss the Star gazing.. It%26#39;s really beautiful!

hi wensi, after you describe the sun rise trip with the tour bus, i am tempted too. Does the tour bus bring you up to yushan?

I have a few questions :

1) where did you register for the bus tour? Is there a counter somewhere to register?

2) Did the bus tour include sight seeing like the 巨木群棧道(阿里山景點)? Or the tour bus only focus on the sunrise?

3)Does it drop you anywhere to have breakfast?

4)Where is the meet up place for the tour in the morning?

5)Xin xin minus does not have heater?I have made reservation with xin xin minsu too. If it does not have heater, i think i have to look for other accommodation. Because i am having parents travelling with me. Dont want them to catch cold.

6)What is the transport you took to get down to chai yi?

7)Did you drop by Fenchihu to try the famous bento?

I have also checked with the people in xin xin minsu.They told me 1st March will not have cherry bloosom. Sad to know that. Hopefully I can at least see some.

Thank you.

Wensi, what your tour guide told you might indeed be true, because I%26#39;ve heard of people being disappointed by the sunrise at Zhushan due to the cloud conditions of that particular morning that they went.

Hi happyprincess,

1) where did you register for the bus tour? Is there a counter somewhere to register?

ANSWER: there is no counter, they stop their bus right in front of Starbucks (in Alishan) everyday around 3 - 4pm.. Check with the Tourist Info Center when you arrive there. The tour bus has limited seats (think only 2 buses - max 40 ppl). Click on my link to view the picture of the RED bus, it%26#39;s easy to spot...

2) Did the bus tour include sight seeing like the 巨木群棧道(阿里山景點)? Or the tour bus only focus on the sunrise?

ANSWER: No, you have to go on your own to see the 巨木群棧道 (Giant Trees). You can choose to walk (hike) which took us about 2.5hrs (to %26amp; fro) or buy a train ticket from Alishan station, they have a line to Shenmu Station, the tickets are quite cheap, think is NT100 or NT150 (not too sure) one way.

3)Does it drop you anywhere to have breakfast?

ANSWER: No, you have to settle that on your own. For me, we bought cup noodles from the 7-11 a night before and wake up earlier to have it before set off. But we saw some locals there selling hot buns, not sure if it%26#39;s nice...

4)Where is the meet up place for the tour in the morning?

ANSWER: the meeting place is in front of the Tourist Info Centre. The 7-11/Starbucks/Tourist Info Centre/Restuarants/some Homestay/some Hotels are just all located in this area.. All within short walking distances, which is in front of the Alishan Train Station.

5)Xin xin minus does not have heater?I have made reservation with xin xin minsu too. If it does not have heater, i think i have to look for other accommodation. Because i am having parents travelling with me. Dont want them to catch cold.

ANSWER: U can call/email Xinxin again to double confirm whether is there any room that provide heater/warmer..

6)What is the transport you took to get down to chai yi?

ANSWER: U mean from Alishan?? I took an Express Bus. Coz i didn%26#39;t want to walk the 500m in bewtween forest train station again .. U can buy bus ticket from 7-11 cashier counter.

P/S: I refunded my Forest Train ticket at Alishan Train station after i purchase my express bus tickets.. They allow refund..

7)Did you drop by Fenchihu to try the famous bento?

ANSWER: No leh, i didn%26#39;t have enough time coz i didn%26#39;t plan that into my iti.

Hope my answers helped.. ;)

hi happyprincess,

missed out one question..

The tour bus didn%26#39;t goes to the %26#39;peak%26#39; of Yushan but much higher than Zhushan. We actually see cloud below... that%26#39;s why according to tour guide, they%26#39;re quite confident to catch sunrise coz no clouds will block it.. ;p

Also, according to the locals there, cherry bloosom is mid march..

cheers!

Yes, it is true that sun rise is not a garaunteed thing, on our most recent trip to Alishan, which was more than a year ago, the ones in our group who did go up for the sunrise did not see it due to %26#39;misty%26#39; weather condition; hence, height is an important factor.