Part of this comes down to an image misconception with many people simply knowing very little about Taiwan and what it has to offer besides computers, bikes, and a pollution clogged western belt. Get outside the bustling cities however and you will find one of the best adventure playgrounds anywhere on this planet!

In Motion Asia, a private adventure organizer based in Taipei, regularly leads trips throughout the island and during the recent Dragon Boat long weekend organized a special 4 day mountain bike tour for a group of 6 eager adventurers who were keen to see what Taiwan had to offer.

The fun started in Lushan (盧山), situated at an altitude of around 1100m on the Central Cross Island Link. Whilst still bearing the scares from the previous typhoon season, Lushan is a delightful mountain village with scenic hot springs, strong local Aboriginal culture and an enchanting landscape. Lushan is also the gateway to the high mountain hikes of Chilai (奇萊山) and Nenggao (能高山), and offer the 2 wheel adventurer some of the best single-track in Taiwan!

Our first days ride consisted of around 42km including a tough 13km climb with just under 1000m of attitude gain. While not for the fainthearted those prepared to do the hard work are treated to a smorgasbord of pristine scenery and enchanting high altitude vistas. The trail was originally built by the Aborigines and expanded upon during the Japanese occupation as they fought to subdue the local people.

The trail is well maintained and has good signage along the trail allowing for timely stops to rest, read up on the local history, and enjoy the terrific scenery. The hut at 3000m was once a grand winter retreat but due to successive fires is now nothing more than an overnight stop for the many hikers wanting to push on to the top peaks. For us however is was more great riding out to the impressive 'light monument' before turning around and bombing back down this wonderful trail to the waiting hot springs at Lushan!

Day two dawned with yet another clear blue sky and after breakfast and a coffee or two we made our way up to Wuling (武嶺 3275m) at the top of the Central Cross Island Link. From here we enjoyed a spectacular 110km ride through the high mountains that eventually took us to Cilan (棲蘭) on the lower reaches of the Lanyang (蘭陽) River. Quite possibly one of the best mountain road sections in Taiwan as you get a true sense of just how rugged and untamed Taiwan really is.

With silhouette after silhouette of high mountain peaks radiating away in the distance to the crisp high altitude fruit orchids of Lishan (梨山) to the wild rivers churning in the gullies deep below, this is Taiwan at its best!

What was perhaps the most delightful of all was the friendliness of the local people who would eagerly encourage us on with the familiar call of 'Jia-you' and would inquisitively enquire whenever we stopped. The children in particular were keen to make friends and learn all about the 'funny and strange' looking contraptions we were riding.

Day three and an assault on the mountains behind Jiaoxi provided an abundance of hard-packed dirt trails and plenty of sweat as the group made their way up to the peak at 800m. After a quick rest we pushed on down the other side and navigated our way across a series of slippery rocks before emerging onto a wonderful maze of forest trails that paralleled the gorge and invited squeals of excitement from the group.

The tight turning and fast downwards trail provided maximum entertainment before we emerged onto the mountain road that took us into the Wulai (烏來) Scenic Area and a series of natural outdoor hot springs. With a cold beer in hand and memories of a fantastic weekend fresh in our minds the group excitedly starting planning for the next trip.

Taiwan truly is an adventurer's paradise and with the right equipment and proper planning you can quickly discover the many secrets and endless fun that this island holds!