To fully enjoy the Taitung region, you need to get out of the city and explore the countryside. A car is essential as public transport is spotty in these stretches and the attractions are quite spread out.
The first stop heading north out of the city is about 10 km away. Xiaoyeliu's unique landscape is caused by the typical natural forces of erosion. After paying a modest fee for parking, explore the vast coastline, which has good footpaths, but you will stray away from these to walk amongst the rocks.
Heading further north, the Jialulan Recreational Area used to be a waste dump for the nearby airforce base, and you can hear fighter jets take off and land from this part of the coast.
Plenty of tourist coaches are parked near Dulan to see water "flowing upwards" in defiance of gravity. Can you spot the optical illusion?
Dulan's Sintung Sugar Factory is now an art district with studios, showrooms, and exhibitions.
Continuing north along Provincial Highway 11, a pullover yields great views of the ocean near Jinzun. Notice the wave patterns and the sandbar connecting to the island just offshore.
The small town of Donghe a bit further up the coast is a good pit stop for lunch. Its bun shop seems quite famous and had a crowd munching away at their various filling-laden buns.
With lunch on hand, enjoy it on one of the outside benches, watching other cars zoom by along the 11.
Chenggong's fishing harbour can get busy as 2 ocean currents meet just offshore, attracting plenty of marine life. Tourists also come for whale and dolphin watching cruises during the summer.
