Taroko Lodge

Taroko National Park


This hard-to-find place is very much a homestay in the old sense: three very ordinary rooms in a family home whose charm lies in the garden, tree-lined approach and wrap-around balcony that gives something of a Deep South US vibe.

The main draw is their drive-up, bike-back bicycle-rent service, a great way to visit the Taroko National Park on two wheels.

Though it is only around 600m west of Xincheng train station as the crow flies, the convoluted actual route is 2.1km via a double-back beside the big cement works, so you'll be pleased to be picked up by the hosts if you don't have your own wheels.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Taroko National Park attractions

1. Eternal Spring Shrine

3.23 MILES

Picturesque for its setting, backed by toweringly steep mountainsides, this small shrine sits above a gushing spring that pours out onto the rocks below,…

2. Taroko Gorge

3.8 MILES

This 18km marble-walled gorge is Taroko National Park's crown jewel. It's a must-see attraction whether you're hiking its trails, peering at its…

3. Qingshui Cliffs

4.83 MILES

Very steep rock-and-forest mountainsides north of Taroko descend directly into the sea from several hundred metres' altitude. That means that roads and…

4. Bulowan

5.19 MILES

Nearing completion at the time of research, a breathtaking new suspension footbridge at Bulowan will soon cross the gorge, dizzyingly high above the river…

5. Swallow Grotto

5.56 MILES

This half-kilometre slice of gorge-side old road twists and turns between rock-cut pillars and minitunnels, reminding visitors of how the Taroko route…

6. Qixingtan

6.89 MILES

Qixingtan (Chihsingtan) is a former fishing hamlet whose few remaining, old, tin-roofed shacks are outnumbered by a gaggle of small but fanciful hotels…

7. Fogstand

7.75 MILES

An ambitious little gallery that showcases edgy and experimental works by Taiwanese, Asian and Western artists. Fogstand also has an artists-as-resident…

8. Gangtiangong

9.15 MILES

Climb through a dragon's mouth into one of two spiral staircases that front this gigantic Matsu temple – the biggest in Hualien. There is particularly…