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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 15h

Lots of prettiness on the Lake Matheson Loop Trail today. *Temporarily not in Taiwan.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 06/10/2026

Whether in glorious sun or gloom, I will never tire of the scenery found in New Taipei’s Ruifang District. This newest post on the site details a walk we did there in murky conditions earlier in the year, which was beautiful despite the weather’s best efforts to make it not so.

View from inside a dark, rocky cave looking out through a large, irregular opening. A lone hiker with a backpack stands on a rubble-strewn path just outside, facing away into thick fog that hides a forested slope below.

Close-up of a hand resting on a layered rock face streaked in mustard yellow, rusty orange, and slate grey. The thin, tilted bands of rock are cracked into small, flaky blocks.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 25/08/2026

Though Dashu (大暑) has official passed, we’re still months away from genuinely cool weather. Still, when in Beitou, a girl can dream. Yesterday’s good company and pleasant wander amidst the mists and the murk and the rain was precisely the tonic for my soul that I needed.

Plumes of steam rise from a rocky geothermal valley strewn with pipes and stone-lined vents, with forested hills fading into misty blue sky in the background.

A small wayside temple shrine at dusk, with a red-curtained altar visible through iron bars, a brick incense burner, and a bronze censer lit by a single lamp under a corrugated awning, surrounded by dark forest.

A rushing mountain stream cascades over moss-covered boulders through a dense, lush forest of bamboo and broad-leafed trees in Taiwan.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 09/08/2026

This little drama just unfolded outside my back balcony. It was the first time I’d ever seen a kingfisher there and I was surprised because there’s not enough water there to sustain a stable fish population. It turns out the kingfisher’s diet is more varied than just fish!

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 05/08/2026

Of course, you can enjoy the night scenery year round, but summer is a the best time to spot all the creepy crawlies. (It’s also the only comfortable time to be hiking near the city in the summer.)

A newly emerged cicada with pale, still-soft wings showing green and blue iridescence hangs below its muddy empty exoskeleton on a twig, night photo with dark background.

A brown, tree clings vertically to a leaf attempting to nap while a long-horned beetle rests on its rear right leg, rain droplets visible on surrounding foliage, night photo.

A green tree frog with a bright yellow throat and large dark eyes clings to a thin branch above broad green leaves, night photo.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 26/07/2026

This isn’t my usual kind of hangout, but I found it pleasing enough to share. In a multi-storey carpark in city-bound Luzhou District, a small section had been cultivated as an allotment complete with wormery and hydroponic fish pools.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 19/06/2026

We had no bananas to hand, so went with the tried and tested finger-for-scale approach.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 15/06/2026

A Taiwan kukri snake (赤背松柏根, non-venomous) that was right where my foot was about to fall when I spotted it. The last time I encountered one of these, it thrashed around like a crazy thing, but this one was rather mellow.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 14/06/2026

It’s my MIL’s birthday today, so we’re having dinner with her at a vegetarian Yunnan shop in Taoyuan’s Pingzhen District. Curiosity about why such a shop would exist in such a place led to me learning about the Yunnan-Burma ROC soldiers who were relocated here in large numbers in the 1950s.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 02/06/2026

Patience and luck were required to get this photo. About 2 months ago, this was one of several holes I saw barbets making on the trail where I hike most often. All bar this one were swiftly abandoned. A month later, I heard chicks inside, and now finally I’ve caught sight of one resident.

A Taiwan barbet (五色鳥) peers out from its nest cavity in a tree trunk, its vivid patchwork head — turquoise, green, yellow, and red — filling the round opening. Dappled forest light filters through foliage in the background.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 18/05/2026

It and its buddies were very photogenic. I think it’s a moltrecht’s tree frog.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 18/05/2026

An unexpected trip to the south has meant I’ve been able to visit a Tainan trail that’s been on my want-to-visit list for a number of years.

A hiker sits on a broad, rope-anchored rock outcrop at a mountain summit, facing away from the camera toward a sweeping panorama of densely forested ridgelines receding into hazy distance under a partly cloudy sky. They wear a blue t-shirt, grey pants, and orange trail shoes, with a small orange hip pack at their side.

View from inside a narrow rock crevice looking upward toward a sliver of sky between two towering cliff walls. A metal rung ladder descends into the dark foreground, while a silhouetted figure stands at the top of the cleft with arms raised in a victory pose, backlit by the bright opening above.

A small bright-green tree frog floats on the surface of dark reddish water inside a water butt, viewed from directly above. Its orange-and-black spotted hind legs are splayed wide, and its golden eye is clearly visible. Small debris flecks dot the water surface around it.

A hiker crosses a narrow, rust-patched metal suspension bridge over a densely vegetated ravine, gripping the cable handrail. They are photographed from above and behind, surrounded by subtropical forest — tangled trees, cascading grass, and layered undergrowth filling the gorge below

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 16/05/2026

Beginning to feel Taiwanese convenience stores are waging a vendetta against the concept of sandwiches.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 06/05/2026

It’s warmed up enough to bring the bats out. There are lots of these hefty fellows chasing moths through the tree tunnels tonight.

A bat in mid-flight at night, wings fully extended and backlit to reveal the translucent membrane with visible pink blood vessels. The bat's brown furry body faces left. Dark green foliage fills the background.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 06/05/2026

I ended up exploring a few spots in Taoyuan’s mountainous Fuxing District that I hadn’t previously been to, among them, Xiaowulai and the hot spring village of Luofu. Yes, it’s a long way, but if you pack a swimming costume, this is a full day out.

A vivid turquoise river winds through a steep mountain valley, its rocky bed visible through the clear water. Forested hillsides rise on both sides beneath a partly cloudy blue sky, with patches of bamboo and dry-season yellowing vegetation on the upper slopes. The photo was taken from a bridge looking upstream into the mountains.

A chubby black-and-white Chihuahua sits squarely on a concrete surface, facing the camera with a distinctly unimpressed expression. Its body is rounded and cream-colored, while its face is predominantly black with white markings above the eyes.

A gravel path edged with low concrete curbing winds through a dense bamboo grove, the slender stalks arching gracefully overhead. A single broadleaf tree with reddish-brown bark rises at the path's bend, providing a visual anchor amid the sea of green and golden bamboo canes.

A slender waterfall drops through a narrow, moss-streaked rock face into a dark plunge pool surrounded by boulders, deep in a lush subtropical forest. A stream flows over flat rocks in the foreground, and dramatic lens flare from bright sunlight piercing the forest canopy adds an ethereal quality to the scene.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 02/05/2026

Just chaperoned this dozy muppet off the road.

A slender, vividly green snake crosses a dark asphalt road at night, its body forming a loose S-curve as it moves. The snake is uniformly bright lime green dorsally, with smooth, glossy scales that catch the light. A faint shadow cast by a street light is visible beneath its body.

This is Cyclophiops major (大青蛇, the greater green snake), consistent with the uniform dorsal coloration, slender build, and rounded head. Non-venomous and commonly encountered on roads at night, especially in warmer months.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 27/04/2026

I’ve updated my Keelung coffee shop page to include this wonderful oddity — a store where you can sip your coffee while sat in an old barber’s chair. taiwantrailsandtales.com/keelung-coff...

Exterior of 秋香理髮廳 (Qiu Xiang Barbershop), a vintage barbershop converted into a café, photographed at night. The large red-character sign is bordered with diagonal red, white, and blue stripes. A traditional barber pole glows on the left wall. Through the glass storefront, warm amber light illuminates the interior. A low wooden bench sits outside the entrance.

Two coffee drinks served on a small stainless steel tray on a dark wooden surface. On the left, a small white ceramic espresso cup holds a shot of espresso. On the right, a vintage-style glass wrapped in orange and red horizontal stripes is topped with a rosette of finely textured milk foam latte art.

Interior of a retro-styled café bathed in warm amber light from pendant lamps. An espresso machine sits on a dark wooden bar to the left, with a chalkboard menu in Chinese characters behind it. A white-tiled arched nook in the centre holds shelves of vinyl records and magazines. The right wall features subway tiles, a decorative barber pole graphic, vintage motorcycle posters, and shelves displaying retro collectibles and a cash register.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 25/04/2026

Beautiful scenery from Lanyu (aka Orchid Island aka 蘭嶼).

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 22/04/2026

Tung season is currently bringing its white, green and blue colour palette to the hills of northern Taiwan. These photos are from Daqiong Trail in Taoyuan — a popular spot with blossom chasers. If you’ve got these trees in your neck of the woods, I’d love to see pictures.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 19/04/2026

My second snake of the year was this red-banded snake. It slithered quickly into a fallen log as we approached but seemed to think it was invisible once it had got head tucked away. We also saw a couple of fireflies and a hammerhead worm.

A well-camouflaged snake with dark brown and tan patterning rests among dense dry leaf litter and fallen vegetation, its body nearly invisible against the forest floor debris.

A hammerhead worm moving across a moss-covered rock surface at night, its distinctive hammer-shaped head clearly visible, body uniformly dark and glossy, surrounded by scattered dry leaves.

A deep orange sunset over silhouetted forested hills, framed by the dark outlines of tree branches on either side, the sun just touching the distant ridgeline.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 16/04/2026

The site is quite popular with photographers, so it’s set up with red lights to help you find your way, and the sound track is shutters firing and croaking frogs.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 16/04/2026

…or rest at one of the town's cafes. My two favourites are 那個咖啡吧 for a relaxing coffee and 文山茶園 for simple vegetarian food.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 16/04/2026

There's the option to wander along the riverside paths…

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 16/04/2026

To make the trip even more worthwhile, the firefly trail doubles as a tung blossom viewing path during daylight hours.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 29/03/2026

Some 16x9 aspect ratio shots from a short stroll up to Pingding Street this afternoon, where the second wave of cherry blossoms are very much still in bloom.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 22/03/2026

Taiwan barbets (五色鳥) announcing the end of winter. 🎵Sound on

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 18/03/2026

I’d never heard of apple star fruit (牛奶果 in Chinese) before seeing them on a market stall yesterday. The English name comes from the obvious starburst pattern and the Chinese from the milky substance released when you cut into it. There mildly pleasant. Slightly lychee-ish in taste and texture.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 17/03/2026

Despite a poster on the wall proclaiming Tuku (土庫) to be a town that never sleeps, there’s a decidedly soporific small town feeling in this watch shop slash coffee shop.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 04/03/2026

Breaking news: Allosaurus* spotted on the loose somewhere in the mountains around Taoyuan. *possibly

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 01/03/2026

The trail also takes you past the church’s basketball court, which is adorned with mosaic pieces depicting bible and Tayal stories. The art is the work of Father Barry Martinson, a preacher who was assigned to serve the village in 1976 and has ended up staying decades.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 01/03/2026

The town has a prettily renovated Japanese-style building that has been deemed worthy of special preservation efforts due to the fact that it was home to Zhang Xue-Liang, a high-ranking military leader whose role in the Xi’an Incident saw spend over 50 years under house arrest.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 01/03/2026

It’s also blessed with a natural hot spring. The government maintains a small foot bathing pool, which (because it is open 24 hours) seems to attract crowds of car campers.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 01/03/2026

We hadn’t actually planned to do this walk, but ended up in the village after plans for a more serious hike were hindered by rain, but it turned out rather pleasant. The settlement spans two sides of the Shangping River and is connected by several bridges.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 01/03/2026

I am both sad and quite relieved that I don’t live particularly close to this spot.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 01/03/2026

We got a Lalashan peach sorbet, one scoop of almond milk gelato, another of pistachio and affogato with the most glorious yuzu gelato. Each flavour was perfectly balanced and the texture was on point. (The strawberry, magao, lavender, elderberry and vanilla were also strong contenders.)

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 01/03/2026

The boss lets her customers sample almost every single flavour and I’m very glad she did because otherwise I would have probably played it safe and stuck to what I know. (It also meant that our intended order of two scoops doubled to four!) .

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 01/03/2026

Sometimes you come across wonderful, entirely unexpected elements in the strangest places. Like this gelato shop hidden in a garden centre (桐興園花園) in Taoyuan’s Daxi District. The set up is basic, just a few garden tables protected from the elements by a tin roof, but the ice cream is truly divine.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 13/02/2026

Cherry blossom under blue skies in New Taipei’s Xizhi District.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 11/02/2026

Tales from the trail #3 Date: February 10 Location: Xinzhuang Ciyou Temple I was taking photos of the temple’s various gods and found myself standing close enough to a woman (mid 30s) and a small human (about 5) to overhear their conversation.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 09/02/2026

Tales from the trail #2 Date: February 8 2026 Location: Jinmian Mountain Trail Passing through the Scissors Rock summit area, I noticed an older gentleman approaching a younger man (clearly a stranger) who was sitting with his headphones in. 👴🏻: Can you take a photo of me? 🧑🏻‍🦱: Uh, sure.

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 06/02/2026

Bugs and bug-related stuff spotted on a recent walk. Top left: oscillated shield bugs Top right: not sure, orange egg fluff Bottom left: not sure, several stages of larvae (top is most advanced, right is youngest) Bottom right: Dindymus brevis

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Taiwan Trails and Tales @taiwantrailsandtales.com · 02/02/2026

It had an eye and funny looking buck teeth.

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