‹‹Chosen Teams List
Formosa Adventurers
Theme of tour:Adventure Sports and Aboriginal Culture
Group leader:Phil Dawson(United Kingdom)
Group members:Stu Dawson (United Kingdom) Neil Wade (United States) Ross Tweedie (United Kingdom)
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Travel Guides - Check out our guides for the activities below
Jinlun Natural Hot Springs
Zhiben Forest Recreation Area
Day 4
We have had so much good luck with the weather on this trip it was a little surprising to wake up on day four to the sound of pouring rain. There was a tropical depression just off the coast and any chances of a fourth day of blue skies were instantly washed away. The wet weather did nothing to dampen our spirits though, as we ate breakfast and talked about the day ahead.
The rain seemed to stop for a brief moment and we decided to take a chance and catch the train to Jinlun Natural Hot Springs. After a hard hike with all our gear a few kilometers inland from the train station, the rain was driving down hard again and we knew that any chance of soaking a wild hot spring was gone. The hot springs are located just at the side of the river but if the river swells it is just too dangerous to go to them. Just as we planned to turn around and walk back, we were spotted by a group of locals in a small restaurant. Seeing our rain drenched faces poking out from our raincoats, they took pity on us and kindly drove us back to the train station.
Although it didn't seem possible, the rain actually got worse when we arrived at the Zhiben Forest Recreation Area. Fortunately, the lovely restaurant owner just outside the entrance said that she would look after our things when we went inside so that they wouldn't get wet. We had a tough trek up about 800 steps to the upper part of the forest and the 1000 root banyan tree. It really was a spectacular sight, made somewhat eerie by the mist and incessant rain. We then made our way through the monkey habitat to the waterfall. We did see a lot of monkeys climbing in the trees, but they were really high up so we didn't get a chance to film them.
The waterfall was in full flow, boosted by the incredible amount of rain that fell today. We sat and admired the waterfalls natural power for a few moments then made our way out of the park over the suspension bridge.
We were soaked through, a little cold, and very, very tired at this point. There was only one solution - hot springs! As we first lowered ourselves into the 40 degree water, the sunburn (which seemed like such a long time ago now!) stung a little, but soon faded as the relaxing waters soothed our aching limbs. We tried out the massaging jets and soaked in pools full of different minerals, all with their own special soothing qualities. There was just enough time to cook some eggs in the boiling hot spring water before getting back to the train station and our train home.
Every minute of the long train journey home was filled with us recollecting the events of the last few days and before we knew it, it was time to head our separate ways.
Over the last four days, we have had a truly unbelievable experience. We have done so much, met so many new people, tried so many new foods and activities and just had a fantastic time. This is not the end, though. The adventures, like the friendships we made on the trip, will continue long into the future. We hope you will continue to join us at our blogs for those.
Thanks for reading and watching!
Travel Guides - Check out our guides for the activities below
Jinlun Natural Hot Springs
Zhiben Forest Recreation Area
Day 4
We have had so much good luck with the weather on this trip it was a little surprising to wake up on day four to the sound of pouring rain. There was a tropical depression just off the coast and any chances of a fourth day of blue skies were instantly washed away. The wet weather did nothing to dampen our spirits though, as we ate breakfast and talked about the day ahead.
The rain seemed to stop for a brief moment and we decided to take a chance and catch the train to Jinlun Natural Hot Springs. After a hard hike with all our gear a few kilometers inland from the train station, the rain was driving down hard again and we knew that any chance of soaking a wild hot spring was gone. The hot springs are located just at the side of the river but if the river swells it is just too dangerous to go to them. Just as we planned to turn around and walk back, we were spotted by a group of locals in a small restaurant. Seeing our rain drenched faces poking out from our raincoats, they took pity on us and kindly drove us back to the train station.
Although it didn't seem possible, the rain actually got worse when we arrived at the Zhiben Forest Recreation Area. Fortunately, the lovely restaurant owner just outside the entrance said that she would look after our things when we went inside so that they wouldn't get wet. We had a tough trek up about 800 steps to the upper part of the forest and the 1000 root banyan tree. It really was a spectacular sight, made somewhat eerie by the mist and incessant rain. We then made our way through the monkey habitat to the waterfall. We did see a lot of monkeys climbing in the trees, but they were really high up so we didn't get a chance to film them.
The waterfall was in full flow, boosted by the incredible amount of rain that fell today. We sat and admired the waterfalls natural power for a few moments then made our way out of the park over the suspension bridge.
We were soaked through, a little cold, and very, very tired at this point. There was only one solution - hot springs! As we first lowered ourselves into the 40 degree water, the sunburn (which seemed like such a long time ago now!) stung a little, but soon faded as the relaxing waters soothed our aching limbs. We tried out the massaging jets and soaked in pools full of different minerals, all with their own special soothing qualities. There was just enough time to cook some eggs in the boiling hot spring water before getting back to the train station and our train home.
Every minute of the long train journey home was filled with us recollecting the events of the last few days and before we knew it, it was time to head our separate ways.
Over the last four days, we have had a truly unbelievable experience. We have done so much, met so many new people, tried so many new foods and activities and just had a fantastic time. This is not the end, though. The adventures, like the friendships we made on the trip, will continue long into the future. We hope you will continue to join us at our blogs for those.
Thanks for reading and watching!
