Elephant Mountain

A lovely day walking in sunny Taipei

Few steps from Taipei 101 building, I discovered this green and fresh area with flowers and trees growing among the buildings.

I was looking for a cafe to sit and work, however Jerry sent me a name of a place that should be nice to see the city view so that change my destination for a bit. I took a walk to Xiangshan Trail to discover that the city also offer a green sanctuary that provide you with fresh air.

Parents, kids, elderly people and teenagers were walking up the hill that was with well made steps not too steeped to walk up. Along the way, I started to see the city from behind my back. It was stunning as the weather was very nice.

The contrast between skyscrapers and a small mountain on its side made this city very inviting for its fresh air and prompted facilities to offered.

Walking down the steps, I explore the greenery of trees and flowers that looks different from what is in Thailand. I can’t identify what are the names of each one.

Walking down the hill and found this small shop offers drinks made from “爱玉” - Ficus pumila or Jelly Fig. I remembered having the drink before during my previous trip to Taipei. I like how Taiwanese made their desserts and drinks that is less sweet and more healthy. I think my mom and grandma would also love this too.

I ordered one with pomelo and slices of lemon skin ( cost 55 TWD) Made it very fresh after a long walk.

Hike Elephant Mountain

Except for a few steep climbs, Elephant Mountain Hiking Trail is a pretty easy trail with man-made stairs all the way up. The trailhead is not far from the city center so easily accessible. It provides a great brid's eye view of the city and the iconic Taipei 101 building once you get high up there. We went on the early afternoon of Dec 31 and saw photographers camping out at various strategic points on the mountain to take the best shots of the NYE fireworks at Taipei 101. We really enjoyed the hike and the view despite the overcast weather. It rained every day during our stay in Taipei which was a bummer. That's one thing to be mindful if you plan to visit Taiwan during the rainy winter season.

Elephant Mountain is a hiking spot in Taipei where tourist can get a good view of Taipei 101. It is 183 meters high and is very easy to climb as it has stairs. It took us about 25 minutes to 30 minutes (could be shorter only if we had an active lifestyle) to get to a part where Taipei 101 could be spotted.

It was raining a little bit that’s why we were not able to take good pictures of Taipei 101. On our way to the jump-off point of Elephant Mountain, we passed by a small park where there were trees of cherry blossoms. It was my first time to see cherry blossoms that was why it was so precious for me. The flowers were so pretty and we could not help it so we took a few pictures with it.