Author: Gi Hsieh
Photo credits: Taiwan Outdoors
Editor: Levarcy Chen
Step off the tourist trail and explore Taiwan’s wild side with Taiwan Outdoors!
Most visitors know Taiwan for its bustling night markets and quaint historic towns, but step outside the metropolis and you’ll discover that there’s a whole other (natural) side of the island to explore.
Taiwan has the largest density of high-altitude mountains in the world and is surrounded on all sides by impeccable reefs and oceans. It typically boasts a subtropical climate year-round but demonstrates surprisingly diverse landscapes ranging from the lush tropical forests of Kenting National Park to the crisp alpine lakes of the Central Mountain Range.
Instead of sticking to the beaten tourist trail of hiking Elephant Mountain, spend a few days wandering the ancient cypress forests of Alishan, go scuba diving among sea turtles near Xiao Liu Qiu, or watch the sun rise majestically over the main summit of Jade Mountain.
The challenge, however, is that most of these outdoor adventures are difficult to access. They’re tucked away in hidden valleys and high mountains that take hours to get to by public transportation, or have strict permitting procedures that (even if you could find accurate, up-to-date information in English on) are still a nightmare to coordinate.
Introducing: Taiwan Outdoors
So that’s where Taiwan Outdoors comes in!
Taiwan Outdoors provides customized, small-group tours designed to help you get outside and explore more of Taiwan’s natural beauty. Take a backseat on the planning and let local bilingual experts guide you through a fully immersive, slow-paced journey to Taiwan’s wild side.
The company takes you beyond the superficial and curates thoughtful experiences interwoven with the island’s rich cultural heritage. You not only get to see some of Taiwan’s most scenic views, but also get to learn about indigenous culture and connect with locals (and fellow travelers) in a more personal and meaningful way.
So, if you’re hoping to step outside during your trip to Taiwan but don’t have the time (or frankly the interest) in planning these trips yourself, then Taiwan Outdoors is by far the best organization to get in touch with!
The Story Begins With Parkbus
Inspired by its Canadian counterpart, Parkbus Taiwan was founded during the pandemic with a simple but powerful mission to make hiking in Taiwan more accessible. It started as a transportation service to bring hikers from major cities to National parks and popular trailheads, but quickly evolved into something more.
As the community grew, it became clear that travelers weren’t just looking for a ride; they wanted connection, camaraderie, guidance, and some context for the trails that they walked on.
In response to this growing demand, Parkbus expanded its offerings to include small-group experiences to Taiwan’s best hiking destinations, including the island’s most popular high-altitude summits and some lesser-known (but equally stunning) historic trails. Building on that concept, the team launched Origin Wild Co., a premier Destination Management Company (DMC) that manages a trio of adventure-focused brands: Parkbus Taiwan, Taiwan Outdoors, and Ride Taiwan Ride. Each offers a distinct way to explore the island. From niche outdoor adventures like birding and night hiking to multi-day cycling expeditions, all experiences are intentionally aligned with the core mission of making Taiwan’s outdoor adventures safe, enriching, and deeply impactful.
How Taiwan Outdoors Is Shifting The Travel Industry
Anyone who has visited Taiwan or has even done the tiniest bit of research on exploring the island knows that the same few experiences are pushed by travel providers again and again, with little variation or effort to evolve.
Everyone –literally everyone– takes a day trip to Jiufen or Shifen during their first visit. Not that they’re not worth visiting, but I do think that there’s something incredibly extractive and superficial about the tourist buses that just shuttle you to a destination, have you visit the same souvenir shops, and then ship you back to your big name corporate hotel, only to do the same thing again the next day.
That’s also not to say that this industry-wide challenge is specific to Taiwan. Travel providers all over the world use the same formula of providing cookie-cutter experiences to the same famous attractions because it’s logistically easier to coordinate and supposedly the most “economical” way to go.
Unfortunately, this leaves visitors underwhelmed, and when there’s no depth, there’s no reason to return.
Recognizing this gap in Taiwan’s tourism industry, Michael founded Taiwan Outdoors on the belief that travel should be enriching for the visitor and the communities they engage with. The company’s experiences are designed to offer genuine insight into Taiwan’s landscapes, history, and culture, and are built to provide three key solutions:
- Provide objective and useful information in English for travelers who want to plan the outdoor trips for themselves
- Support international visitors in finding local experience providers who deeply understand and care for the land
- Help local vendors reach an international audience and share their culture and knowledge with more people
To further demonstrate this commitment, they’ve vowed to also donate 1% of their Net Income directly to the Society of Wilderness (SOW Taiwan), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the island’s natural environment.
A Trip To Jade Mountain Reimagined
This can all feel pretty abstract, so I asked Michael to give me a concrete example of how trips with Taiwan Outdoors differ from trips organized by other providers.
We’ll use a hike up to Jade Mountain (玉山), Taiwan’s tallest mountain, as an example.
According to Michael, most hiking tours to Jade Mountain include two days and one night of guidance. Hikers have to organize their own transportation to the base of the trailhead at Dongpu Lodge (東埔山莊) and are provided no meals for their first day. They hike up the first two-thirds of the mountain to Paiyun Lodge(排雲山莊), where they’re given a bunk and a bento for the evening, and then complete their trek the second day with a summit. It’s a fairly bare-bones service, with the tour company mostly handling the permitting logistics and providing guidance along the trail.
An adventure with Taiwan Outdoors, on the other hand, is a much more extensive and in-depth service.
The Jade Mountain Main Peak tour is a 3-day, 2-night excursion with transportation to and from Taipei Station. This additional day includes a stay at an indigenous Bunun community in Wangxiang, which gives travelers a chance to acclimate to the altitude while also learning more about the local culture.
The second day begins with a comfortable ride to the base of the mountain at Paiyun Mountaineering Service Center, where visitors check in and get their permits verified. Permits to Jade Mountain are notoriously hard to get because it’s just a popular hike, but when you book with Taiwan Outdoors, you get access to a special mountain permit quota for international visitors. The trail follows the traditional route from Tatajia, and hikers spend their first night bunking at Paiyun Lodge.
The third day begins with an early start (at 2am!) to ensure that the group makes it to the summit by sunrise. From there, everyone descends together and commutes back to Taipei for a well-balanced and fulfilling trip.
Adventure Travel Beyond Hiking
While hiking Jade Mountain is sometimes seen as a must-try bucket list, with both locals and international visitors clamoring to check it off, Taiwan Outdoors also offers a plethora of other lesser-known but just as exciting outdoor adventures.
For example, in our conversation, Michael told me that his favorite hike as of late has been the Syakaro Historic Trail in Hsinchu. This 21km hike is a unique blend of outdoor exploration, culture, and history as it follows the old indigenous trade route dotted with Japanese military outposts, passing beautiful cedar, maple, and bamboo forests, and crossing a massive suspension bridge. It’s rare that you get to see all these components of Taiwan’s history so well-preserved, and this hike is a clear example of just how much depth there is in the land itself.
Beyond hiking, Taiwan Outdoors also specializes in organizing custom tours for all adventure types. Whether you want to go surfing along the east coast, scuba diving near Turtle Island, or cycling your way around the island with a crew of like-minded individuals, Taiwan Outdoors can help you design your dream outdoor experience!
Travel is an opportunity to shift your perspective and to see the world through a different lens. Instead of rushing from one destination to the next, take the time to pause, listen, and learn.
With Taiwan Outdoors, you’ll walk forest trails that hold centuries of history, share meals with local hosts who offer stories and insights rooted in indigenous wisdom, and witness the island’s beauty in a way that guidebooks can’t capture.
Their tours are thoughtfully curated to prioritize meaningful connection over crammed itineraries. Rather than simply passing through in a shallow manner, you’ll get to know this land, its people, and its stories in a way that leaves a deep and positive impact.
