Read more to learn about my journey in Chiayi and Alishan!
Getting to Chiayi
My friend and I bought high speed rail tickets from Taipei Main Station, but you could also do so from the convenience store. While you can get tickets the day you set out, if you want to get reserved seats, you should purchase them earlier. My friend and I were able to get seats in the unreserved car, but it can get packed. There are also other ways of getting there, but the HSR is the fastest at the best price point.
Itinerary
After arriving in Chiayi station in the morning, we got on a bus to take us to their main transportation station. After arriving at that station, we immediately got lost because of the construction that was happening at the time. Ask for help, and you should be able to find your way. Since it was so hot and humid, we stopped by a boba shop to get a refreshing drink.
We made it to our AirBnB in the West District, which is a pretty convenient neighborhood to live in. Then, we set off to look around at some of the main attractions in Chiayi City. We were able to stop by Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park, Hinoki Village, and Chiayi Park. These are places where you can stroll around, but they're not the most amazing things I've been to.
The real star of the day was Wenhua Night Market, which featured some of the best foods I have eaten in all of Taiwan at amazing prices. Before you begin exploring, I recommend heading over to Smartfish (main location), which is located in the night market, and grabbing a number. This restaurant was featured on Netflix, and their fish stew (or casserole) is definitely worth the wait. I also recommend getting their turkey rice, another food native to Chiayi. While waiting for your table, you can explore the rest of the night market, which is equally as good. I was able to eat fried quail eggs, egg cakes, and my favorite find: fresh taro milk. After our dinner, we headed over to an Yi Liang Ice Cream Shop, which had amazing ice cream for an affordable price.
The next day, we started off early and went to the main bus station to head to Alishan. The bus ride took around 2.5 hours, and when we made it to the top, it was really cold. Be sure to bring at least a light jacket. There are lockers at the Alishan bus stop, so if you have baggage, drop it off there before you explore the mountain. To get into the national park, you need to pay 100 NTD. Afterwards, exploring is up to you, but stop by the visitor center for a map of the park. Some major sightseeing destinations are Magnolia Garden, Plum Garden, Sister Ponds, and Alishan Shouzhen Temple for some food. You can walk to all these destinations, take an electric bus, or take their train. We took a train for our last leg of the day, and it was 100 NTD. When you head back to the Alishan station, make sure you take the right bus back! There are lines for the local train or the HSR station. Lastly, we ended the day quite early and grabbed dinner at Sushi Express at Chiayi's HSR station.
Other things to note...
The weather is a lot hotter than in Taipei, so bring appropriate clothing. However, remember to reapply sunscreen and bug repellent throughout the day.
Chiayi is very cash-based, so don't forget that.
Transportation is not as convenient as in Taipei, so expect to walk a lot to get to places. Bus times were often unreliable and hard to find based on Google Maps. However, you can still use your EasyCard to get to places.
Alishan can be done in a day if you plan it out well, but if you want to relax and take a chance to visit Chiayi City, then follow my itinerary.
Check out my IG for a reel on Alishan and my highlight for everything I ate while in Chiayi!
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