This August, I have decided to try something entirely new. I’d rent a campervan in Taiwan, traveling the east side of the island. The trip lasted for 6 days, going from Qingshui Cliff to Sanxiantai; from the lush forest to the scenic beach.

Since it’s my first time even in an Asian country, and taking into consideration my love for nature, I decided to focus my exploration in the east of Taiwan, the counties of Hualien and Taitung.

Day 1：Qingshui Cliff → Taroko National Park → Dongdamen Night Market（Accommodation: Hualien Fenglin Slow City Park）

Day 2：Qixingtan Beach→ Yunshanshui Dream Lake（Accommodation: Going around Luye Highlands the previous night）

Day 3：Luye Hot Air Balloon Park → Mr. Brown Avenue → Tiehua Music Village-Wavy Roof Crafts（Accommodation: Taitung City）

Day 4：Chuku Ranch → Jialulan → Fushan Fish Recovery Area →Taitung Tourism Night Market（Accommodation: Taitung City）

Day 5：Pacefongan Beach → Doulan Village → Star Tribe Scenic Cafe（Accommodation: Doulan）

Day 6：Sanxiantai → Chenggong Township for souvenirs → Return Home

This time I chose to rent a campervan from 03Camper for my travels. I was looking online for rv rental services in Taiwan back in France. I was digging around on the internet with search terms like, “Taiwan rv rental” “Taiwan Volkswagen camper van rental.” And yes, I do have a preference to Volkswagen cars, can you blame me? I then came across 03 Camper’s ads, after browsing their page for a bit, and they looked like the perfect choice for a first-time visitor like myself.

03Camper is the first Taiwan campervan rental service directly authorized by Volkswagen. With a motto like “Rent a campervan, venture anywhere, anytime,” it is hard to resist them for an adventurous soul like me.

03 Camper offers 2 types of cars：

• T6.1 California Beach： bunk beds that can fit up to 4 people, a rooftop tent, a mobile kitchen, and a fridge.
• Caddy California：Built-in stove, a table, 2 chairs, awning, some augmented models have panoramic sunroofs.

Since I love stargazing, I chose the Caddy California model without a second thought.

According to 03’s staff, the mattress of the Caddy model offers a disc spring based support, as comfortable as the bed in your house. I was doubtful of this claim of course, afterall, how comfortable can a bed in a van be? My doubts were cleared as soon as I laid my body upon it, the comfortability of the bed is unmatched.

The Caddy is equipped with Volkswagen’s OEN chassis, which offers a stability only Volkswagen cars can provide. I was comfortable on the serpentine roads of the mountains as I am of the flat highways. Both the Caddy and Beach model offer the same seamless control on the road, making them both fantastic options for the mountainous island of Taiwan.

By the way, they’re having a special offer for a round trip in Taiwan over 5 days, which I highly recommend for those who are planning a long trip traveling all over the island.

As soon as I landed in the Taoyuan International Airport, I head straight to the youth hostel in Yilan.

The starting point of my first drive is in Yilan, going to Hualien from the Suhua Highway Improvement Section. Along the way I stopped by Qingshui Cliff and Taroko National Park, admiring the wondrous works of mother nature.

At night I parked at the Fengling Slow City Park parkway, they offer hot showers and public restrooms with a supermarket nearby, it was very convenient.

I enjoyed the sea breezes at the Qixingtan Beach, and went sight-seeing at the Yunshanshui Dream Lake for its famous Bald Cypress forest.

It was a slow-paced peaceful day, a wonderful break from the buzzing modern world.

I woke up at 5am to go see the hot air balloons float around in Luye Highlands, the colorful balloons decorated the morning sky like playful strokes on a canvas. I then went to Mr. Brown Avenue for a biking session, admiring the golden waves of the wheat field along the way. At night I visited Wavy Roof Crafts at Tiehua Music Village. If was a beautiful night filled with music, charming vendors, and good vibes.

I went to feed the cows at the Chulu Ranch in the morning, getting close to animals always make me feel good.

In the afternoon I went to Jialulan to see art pieces made out of driftwood, the combination of nature’s powers and the man-made artistry was mind-blowing. I left for the Fushan Fish Recovery Area, walking along the oceanic walkway. At night I went back the Taitung Tourism Night Market for something to eat. The choices were so abundant I had a hard time picking my dinner.

For day 5 I decided to slow down my pace. I took a long walk along Pacefongan Beach in the morning, then went chilling at Doulan Village Café. At night I went to the mountain range around Star Tribe Scenic Café to gaze at the wonderful nightscape of Taitung.

I went to Sanxiantai in the morning to admire the scenery, I was blown away, almost literally, by the wind. Before returning home, I went to Chenggong Township to get their famous dried roselles.

In eastern Taiwan, I’d recommend finding a riverside parking lot with a restroom, or campervan-friendly parking spaces. If you’d like a more comprehensive showering space, a swimming pool or a gymnasium might be worth visiting.

• Choose parking spaces with restrooms and hot water (i.e. Fenglin Slow City Park)
• There are showers available at Civic Sports Centers, swimming pools, and onsen houses. I would recommend checking with the staff of these establishment first.
• Prepare some amenities in advance in case you can’t find any facilities, like wet wipes or portable showering bags.

• Park at legally allowed spaces.
• DO NOT LITTER.
• Remember to close your windows and turn off electricity for your safety.

• Check your car for：tires, breaks, lighting, oil, water tank.
• Check your gear：drinking water, extension cord, portable fridge, charger, flashlight
• Check for safety：check out the situation for the roads you’ll be using, check the weather where you’re going, and check the tide table if you’re planning to go near the ocean.

• Hualien：Fenglin Slow City Park, supermarkets around the Fenglin Night Market.
• Taitung：Tiehua Music Village Parking Lot, Dulan convenience stores

• East coast line：during sunrises and sunsets.
• Fushan Fish Recovery Area and Pacefongan Beach：best by low tide.
• Luye Hot Air Balloon Festival (June to August)：would suggest booking a day earlier

From day 1 to day 6, from Qingsui Cliffs to Sanxiantai, this fantastic journey taught me the meaning of “Je Voyage.” Traveling isn’t about cramming as many tourist spots into your schedule as possible. The fondest memories can be found in the breezes by the ocean, the stars in the sky, even the steam from the instant ramen you had in the van. Of course you couldn’t compare the sense of comfort you get from a hotel room to a campervan rental, but the amount of freedom you experience if unmatched.

As you learn to look for directions, fetch water, cook for yourself; you start to realize that every road comes with its own unique story. There are scenes you can find only when you slow down.

See Also

Wanna try out the van I mentioned?

👉 Click here to see 03 Camper’s offer： https://www.03camper.com/en/deals/

👉 For more camping tips and routes： #CampervanTravel #Hualien #Taitung #SoloTravel