Taiwan Part 2 - Alishan

The second stop on my trip to Taiwan was to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area – usually known just as Alishan. This is just a small part of the larger Alishan region up in the mountains in Central Taiwan, which has a number of small towns and is known for its oolong tea. It was also listed as one of the NYT’s 52 Places to go in 2025. I’m sure exploring the whole area would be fun, but I stuck to the main tourist destination that, for simplicity, I will also just call Alishan. I just missed the famous cherry blossoms (again!) that were planted by the Japanese when then colonized Taiwan. But the forest is filled with ancient cypress trees - a number of which are over 1000 years old – that were considered sacred to the Taiwanese. Visiting Alishan is usually high on people’s to do lists for Taiwan and it was one of the highlights of my trip. Some people do this as a day trip but I highly recommend you spend a bit more time there.

Must Do
Watch the Sunrise
Taking the old-fashioned narrow-gauge train up the mountain in the dark to watch the sunrise above the mountains is a quintessential Alishan experience and one that is fully worth it. The sky starts to lighten while you are on the train (at least for me, I was on the second train) but that was magical in it own way, watching the darkness separate into the forest and the sky getting lighter and lighter. Once you’re at the end of the train station, yes there is a large crowd of people. I didn’t mind though – it’s part of the experience. There are also a ton of little food stalls selling coffee, tea, and nibbles. If you want a more alone/commune with nature sunrise experience, there is a hike to a different lookout that you can take, but I was not about to hike alone in a forest pre-dawn.  

Early Morning Walking in the forest
The absolute best thing I did in Alishan was walking in the forest early morning. Rather than go have breakfast after the sunrise, I got off the little train in the middle of the park and walked around the forest and along the trails. It was only about 7ish am and there were very few people about, so I could wander the paths and commune with nature and relax. Early morning is the perfect time to see the forest because the sunrise tourists are almost all getting breakfast and people coming in for the day won't arrive for a couple hours. So you have very few people around. It was beautiful and perfect to enjoy the forest with a surprising amount of solitude. 

Say Hi to the Sacred Trees
As I mentioned, the cypress trees – including some very specific ones - were sacred to the indigenous Taiwanese. You do not need to be religious or a tree-hugger (although I only patted the trees hello, I did not literally hug them) to feel the age and the importance of the forest. It’s important to take a beat while you’re there and not just see but appreciate the trees. And say hi to the spirits if you want.

Enjoyable but not Required
Riding the Train between Alishan and Chiayi
The narrow-gauge, old fashion train between Alishan and Chiayi just reopened fully and it is considered one of the things to do for Alishan. I like trains, although I do find them overly-romanticized at times – and this one was, enjoyable enough. The elderliness of the tracks meant the ride was quite jerky, and while the conductor provided a lot of commentary, it was all in Mandarin so I had no idea what she was saying. That said, it’s both an efficient and very picturesque way of getting traveling between the two locations. But I wouldn’t call it a must do.

To Keep in Mind
Altitude
Alishan is in the mountains and the area has an average of 2,000 meters (6,500 to 7,000 feet) above sea level, and you'll probably be coming from sea level, one of the coastal cities. Which sounds obvious but I did not but did not really put that together. It's not so extreme as to have altitude sickness but I did get dizzy the first few hours I was there as my body adapted. Just something to be aware of - and make sure you hydrate while you're there. 

Leaving on a bus is complicated and annoying
For all the things I read about the logistics of getting to Alishan (this guide was absolutely invaluable: https://www.nickkembel.com/alishan-taiwan-sunrise/) But while it was clear how to get there on a bus from Chiayi to Alishan, it was very unclear how to take a bus to leave. Turns out you cannot get a bus ticket in advance. You have to buy them, in person, the day you are leaving, from the bus ticket stand in the 7/11 and they don't start selling tickets until close to 9am. And if it's busy you can probably get on, but won't have a seat. Once you do have the ticket, it was very unclear to me (and I admit, this might be a me issue) where to go. It was doable (and extremely cheap - and the bus ride in the mountains was beautiful) but more confusing and stressful than I would have liked.

Conclusion
Alishan is fully worth visiting if you have a couple days in your itinerary (and if not - make them). I was there for two nights, but you really only need one night there, the place isn't that large, although if you want to explore more of the Alishan region you'd need two to three days. I'd also recommend taking a bus one direction and the train in the other, so you can get both experiences and enjoy the scenery in different ways.