Taiwan’s Mountains

CREDIT: COURTESY OF HOSHINO RESORTS

You know it as a destination for bubble tea, buzzy night markets, and the modern metropolis of Taipei. But in 2020, Taiwan is shining a light on one of its most prized yet overlooked treasures: its mountains. Seventy percent of the island is covered with craggy peaks, but until recently, red tape made hiking permits tough to come by. Now the government has streamlined the application process, and to celebrate, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau collaborated with the Construction and Planning Agency to identify 24 trails that showcase the very best of the island’s scenery, such as the Lake Jiaming National Trail, which runs through a hemlock forest, and the Nenggao Cross-Ridge Historical Trail, an ancient trade path used by the indigenous Atayal and Seediq tribes. Luxury operator Remote Lands just launched an itinerary that takes visitors deep into Taiwan’s rugged terrain, from touring the dramatic Taroko Gorge — the island’s Grand Canyon — to tasting whiskey at Kavalan Distillery in the mountains of verdant Yilan County. And enjoying the great outdoors is made even more pleasurable at the brand-new Hoshinoya Guguan, where private outdoor baths are fed by the mineral-rich hot springs of the Central Mountain Range. — Chadner Navarro