South Cross-Island Hwy Getting there & around

Getting there & around

You can of course start the highway from either end but if you are riding a bike, or walking, west to east is best. With a car or scooter it doesn’t matter, though west to east just seems the better route. The long, scenic drive downhill through the Wulu gorge and out into the rift valley is a very satisfying conclusion. Similarly, if you are hiring scooters, Tainan is your best option as hire shops accept international driving licences while those in Taitung do not.

With public transportation it’s a different story. The Hsingnan Motor Transport Company (06-265 3121) runs four buses daily from Tainan to Meishankou (NT319, six hours, first bus 7am). In Taitung, the Kuo Kuang Hao Bus Company (089-322 027) runs one bus a day to Tienchih (NT351, 4½ hours). It leaves at 7.10am, but always confirm this time as some schedules (even the one at the bus station) still say it leaves at 6.40am.

Unfortunately this means that the 27km stretch between Meishankou and Tienchih has no public transportation. It’s possible to hire someone in Meishankou to give you a ride, but it won’t be cheap. You could walk, but if you don’t have so many days take the bus from Taitung to Tienchih and start your journey east from here. Meishankou has little of interest anyway and you can always see Paolai and Taoyuan when you visit Maolin.