Taiwan's best waterfall hike

Sandiaoling Waterfal Trail 

This hidden gem is something not many tourists know about. While coming across tourists in Taiwan doesn't happen much anyway, during this hike you probably won't see them at all. It is a great, beautiful and refreshing day hike if you want to get out of the heat of Taipei. 

It is a popular route for local hikers, since it is easily accessible, not very tough, but you'll still feel like you're far away from civilisation for most of the parts. It is possible to bring your kids on this hike, since it is a relatively easy hike. But make sure to check the weather since in the rain it can become quite slippery. 

Pingxi Railway Line

First of all, you'll start with a beautiful ride on the Pingxi Railway line. It takes you about an hour from Taipei and goes through an amazingly green and beautiful valley. In itself, this trip on the train is already worth it if you want some relaxed sightseeing. When you arrive in Sandiaoling, this is where you get off the train. From here the hike takes about 2.5 hours to the end of the trail. After that you have two options, either take the same route back, or continue your hike to Dahua (next stop on the Pingxi line), or to Houtong (the stop before Sandiaoling on the Pingxi line). 

Getting off the train, you simply follow the tracks (and maybe some other hikers) and when the tracks split in two, you take the pedestrian underpass and keep going straight. After about ten minutes you arrive at a small settlement. This is where you can buy your last bottles of water, and you'll need them so make sure you do! You can buy them if you keep walking straight along the train tracks and arrive at some small workplace. Just ask one of the guys for water and they will be happy to give you a bottle. Return to the crossing point and cross the tracks. Right beside the blue-ish looking building, you'll find the trailhead. Just walk up the concrete steps, passing some houses and you'll gradually enter the forest.  

Hegu Waterfall

The first part is an amazing but easy 30 minute hike towards Hegu Waterfall. This waterfall of 40m in height, you can only view from a distance from an observation deck. It is beautiful to see such a big waterfall in the middle of dense forests. 

Motian Waterfall

After Hegu waterfall you'll continue the path until you get above Hegu. You'll cross some cool-looking suspension bridges and will finally walk along the stream. The jungle becomes thicker and thicker, making it an even cooler hike. Be careful of slippery parts though! It will take you about 25 minutes to reach Motian Waterfall. You can watch the waterfall from below, from a wooden platform, or you can try to make your way behind the waterfall. Just continue the path for a few meters and you'll see there's a small, muddy trail towards the overhang on your right. 

Pipa Cave Waterfall

The Pipa Cave Waterfall is the nicest waterfall for a picknick lunch, since there are a lot of places to sit and you can swim in the water. To find it, just continue the trail which goes up a new metal staircase. Here, you'll already find the Pipa Cave Waterfall, just above Motian. Sit down, relax, have a sandwich and enjoy your beautiful surroundings for a while before either going back or continuing towards Houtong or Dahua. 

If you follow the trail out from the Gorge, through an almost vertical wooden kind of ladder, you'll find a proper path with signs for Houtong and Dahua. I have done the Dahua trail, which took me about another 1,5 hours (without breaks). For Houtong, you go right, for Dahua you go left. However, I would recommend to go right to check out the small temple first. The trail to Dahua was a bit strenuous and slippery in some parts. The route I'll describe in another blog. 

In total, the route from Sandiaoling to Dahua took me about 3,5 hours, it was not too hard, about 7 km and I greatly enjoyed it! It also left me with enough time to visit the Shifen waterfall and Shifen itself before heading back to Taipei (I did start hiking around 9 in the morning).