Although Nantou is a less obvious tourist destination, it is a pleasant surprise to many of its visitors. With its tranquil closeness to nature, people always find there is more to do than imagined. Be warned, this “Sky Walking” tour into the heart of Taiwan is not for everyone — you need to be reasonably sprightly to hike for three good hours and walk comfortably on the sky ladder.

Daan Sea of Bamboo allows you to embrace Mother Nature at its finest while tens of thousands of bamboos under your feet swing along with the breeze. And Zhushan Sky Ladder is another story. It’s exciting and might be a bit terrifying as you’re walking across a suspension bridge to reach Taiji Canyon on the other side. Even so, we highly recommend you to pluck up your courage because the natural and impressive beauty is truly rewarding. After the adrenaline-pumping activity (well, for some of you), we are heading to a rustic little village serving as the terminus of the Jiji tourist railroad — Checheng, with a “wood bucket bento” for lunch. The wood bucket bento is a perfect combination of local lumber industry and the single-portion takeout that miners used to have as everyday meals. After a highly active morning spent at Zhushan Sky Ladder, we can take our time here in Checheng, sit back and relax a bit before experiencing a short nostalgic rail journey to another beautiful town — Jiji.

This tour to Nantou will be a completely different adventure for most travellers and will surely delight those who like to travel a bit off the beaten path yet still expect some serious adrenaline rush. What we can guarantee is that you’ll be immersed in nature and leave feeling rejuvenated.

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