I came to Taiwan just to see the cherry blossoms!
Such a shallow reason, I know. But yes, that's the truth. :)
Ed and I have not traveled during springtime before, so when our vacation leaves were approved for March, I thought we should take it as an opportunity to visit a place where we can witness the true beauty of the season. And when you talk about spring, it is the cherry blossoms that first comes into my mind!
Japan was, of course, the ultimate goal for cherry blossoms sighting but we had to keep it out of the picture because of the visa application. Taiwan, on the other hand, offers a visa-free entry for Filipinos until July 2019, and although not well-celebrated, the country also boasts a variety of sakura flowers during spring! A win-win situation right there!
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Knowing that the lifespan of cherry blossoms is relatively short, I had to continuously monitor the blooms online and had to chase them when finally we reached Taiwan. Our travel itinerary basically revolved around the elusive pink flowers!
Here are some Taiwan cherry blossoms viewing tips:
- Cherry Blossoms season in Taiwan starts during Chinese New Year holidays until mid-April. There are several types of cherry blossoms and the flowers are weather-dependent.
- You can monitor the blooms by searching geotags on Instagram. Be careful on this though as some posts are #throwback!
- Or you can refer to this personal blog for updates: luomujie.blogspot.com. Unfortunately, Taiwan does not have an official website for cherry blossoms forecast. But this personal blog referred to me by a friend is constantly updated and was very helpful while I was preparing our itinerary.
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| Dream come true! |
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| We came right in time for the blooming of Yaezakura cherry trees! |
Cherry Blossoms Viewing Spot #1: Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall in Taipei
We traveled to Taiwan in the first week of March 2019. Taipei was soaked in the rain during that time. I was terribly bothered with the weather condition as I heard that the delicate blossoms can fall off the trees due to rain and strong winds. So, imagine how my face lit up when I saw a tinge of pink upon entering the massive gates of Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall!
The Yaezakura trees in the gardens of the iconic landmark are in full bloom! This type of cherry blossoms is in my favorite shade of pink... deep hot pink; the pinkiest of pink if I may say!
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| Love at first sight with Cherry Blossoms in the gardens of Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall |
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| You can tell how kilig I was! Hahaha! |
Cherry Blossoms Viewing Spot #2: Tai'an Police Station in Taichung
During our day trip to Taichung via OWNRIDES custom trip, I plotted a stop at Tai'an Police Station. The police station grounds turn into a tourist attraction during spring because its walkways are almost covered with clouds of pink petals! I saw stunning photos on Instagram a few days before our trip, so I kept my fingers crossed the whole journey and hoped that those were not throwback pictures.
Taichung is a long journey from Taipei. Hence, my heart jumped for joy because the travel time was all worth it when we arrived to this...
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| Wahhhhh! I'm in love! |
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| Such a dreamy spot! |
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| We also spotted a different type of cherry blossoms in the area; the one with blush pink petals! |
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| Gloomy weather, but these pink flowers are enough to brighten my day. |
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| It's also a prime spot for a romantic stroll! :) |
Cherry Blossoms Viewing Spot #3: [FAILED] Wuji Tianyuan Temple in Tamsui
While searching for more cherry blossoms viewing spots on the internet, I instantly fell in love with Wuji Tianyuan Temple. The 5-tiered round pagoda is perched on a hill surrounded by cherry blossom trees! I loved how the soft pink petals beautifully accentuate the majestic temple. But unfortunately, we didn't get to see this as we visited at the wrong time! The trees at the backyard have already bloomed on February and those around the pagoda were still budding.
On a positive note, Wuji Tianyuan Temple is a sight to behold with or without the cherry blossoms!
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| Budding cherry blossom trees in Wuji Tianyuan Temple |
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| No cherry blossoms, but this temple still wowed us! |
Cherry Blossoms Viewing Spot #4: National Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall in Taipei
On our last day in Taiwan, we asked our OWNRIDES driver - Rock, to make a quick stop at National Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall. We were supposed to visit this recognizable structure in Taipei on our first day, but we had to cancel it out as it was raining cats and dogs! I'm so glad that we were still able to squeeze in a visit before we left as the cherry trees were in full bloom in the area!
The memorial hall is surrounded by a tranquil and well-manicured park. It has a lake, lush trees, flower beds and animals freely roaming around. But, for me, it was the pink Yaezakura flowers that stood out in the vivid scenery!
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| Cherry Blossoms around National Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall |
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| And with that, I declare the first family spring trip a success! :) |
Other Cherry Blossoms Viewing Spots
We only spent 3 days in Taiwan; hence, I had to narrow down the places to visit in our cherry blossoms viewing itinerary. If we had more time, I would have probably included these recommended spots:
- Yamingshan National Park (Mid February to Mid March): Less than an hour by bus from Taipei
- Wuling Farm (early February to Early March): 4 hours by public bus from Taipei
- Alishan (Late January to Mid-April): 3.5 hours by regular train or 6 hours by overnight bus from Taipei
- Sun Moon Lake (Eary February to Late March): Around 3 hours by public bus from Taipei
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