Taixi

Day Trips

Touch down in Taixi and settle into a traditional seaside guesthouse overlooking the West Taiwan Strait. Wander along the gentle dunes of Coastal Park, breathing in the salty breeze and listening to the waves. Pop into the visitor center to pick up maps and insider tips from local volunteers.

Head to a nearby seafood shack for your first taste of freshly caught shrimp and grilled clams. Rent a paddleboard or kayak to explore the shallow inlets lined with reeds. Pause on the water to watch families of egrets swooping in for fish.

Return to the shoreline to witness a vivid sunset painting the horizon orange and pink. Wander through the small coastal night market to sample oyster pancakes and sugar cane juice. End your evening with a quiet walk along the pier, stars emerging overhead.

Rise early and join a guided tour of Haifengsi Mangrove Forest to spot fiddler crabs and herons amid the tangle of roots. Learn about the ecosystem’s role in protecting the coastline from erosion. Feel the cool morning air as rays of light filter through the dense canopy.

Enjoy a bento lunch by the edge of the wetlands, with bamboo bowls of local rice and grilled fish. Cycle along the levee roads, stopping to photograph flocks of migratory shorebirds. Peek into tiny fishing hamlets where nets hang to dry in the sun.

Attend a community talk at a nearby eco-center about conservation efforts in Yunlin’s coastal zone. Sample homemade herb tea infused with pandan leaves and lemongrass. Drift off early in anticipation of tomorrow’s adventures.

Set off before dawn to Dong-Fengxi Fishing Port to watch the trawlers unload their catch. Stroll among fishermen bargaining over squid, mackerel and pomfret still glinting with sea spray. Sip a cup of strong yilan coffee from a roadside vendor to wake up fully.

Join a hands-on workshop at the port’s cooperative to learn how to shuck oysters and prepare sashimi. Feast on your creations paired with tangy ponzu sauce on low wooden tables by the sea. Chat with villagers about their generations-old rock fence techniques that protect their boats.

Take a sunset cruise to witness luminous plankton lighting up the water around your boat. Back ashore, dine at a family-run taverna serving steamed clams in fermented bean paste. End the night with live folk music on the quay, lanterns swinging above.

Rent bicycles and follow the newly paved coastal route meandering past rice fields and windmills. Stop at an open pavilion to rest under the turning blades of the Taixi Offshore Wind Farm. Watch the turbines harness the sea breeze against a backdrop of distant islands.

Pause at a seaside stall for ice-cold mung bean soup and sugar cane slices. Cross the iconic Jinsui Bridge to reach a secluded stretch of shoreline dotted with mollusk shells. Scan the horizon for fishing boats returning from open water.

Return to town for a sunset picnic on a sandy spit, sampling local guabal dishes served in banana leaf parcels. Drift away with stories told around a bonfire about ancient maritime legends. Tuck into your guesthouse bed lulled by the rhythmic roar of the surf.

Begin at Ci Ma Temple, its ornate carvings telling stories of sea gods and fishermen’s patrons. Participate in an incense-offering ceremony alongside locals asking for safe voyages. Let the incense smoke carry your wishes into the vaulted roof.

Explore narrow alleyways to discover hidden shrines adorned with colorful murals. Drop by a folk art studio where you can paint your own protective amulet. Share lunch of braised pork rice and pickled vegetables in a centuries-old courtyard house.

Witness a local puppet show under lantern light, the wooden figures dancing to percussive rhythms. Savor sweet rice dumplings handed out by temple volunteers. Walk home beneath glowing street candles lining the lanes.

Visit Taixi’s market at dawn to haggle over fresh produce, fish and sun-dried seaweed. Sample morsels of steamed rice cake and sesame balls from grandma-run stalls. Observe oyster farmers sorting plump bivalves by hand.

Board a wooden boat for a guided oyster farm tour in the estuary. Learn how farmers tie oysters to long bamboo poles submerged in the tide. Feast on a tasting platter of raw oysters topped with ginger and chili.

Join a pop-up seaside feast hosted by farming families under tarps of LED lights. Dance with villagers to live hand-drum music as the tide laps nearby. Sip sugar cane whiskey spiked with local honey before retiring beneath a canopy of stars.

Set out on a raised boardwalk winding through protected wetland zones alive with butterfly orchids. Take a telesopic view of spoonbills wading through shallows hunting for crustaceans. Breathe in the fragrant marshland air heavy with pollen.

Cycle over to adjacent sunflower fields swaying in the breeze, their yellow faces turned toward the sun. Pack a picnic of sticky rice rolls and fresh fruit under a grove of tamarisk trees. Photograph endless rows of blooms against the blue sky.

Return to town for a serene riverside yoga session as lanterns float on the water. Enjoy a vegetarian farm-to-table dinner at a local homestay serving dishes made from foraged greens. Drift to sleep to the soft croaks of marsh frogs beyond your window.

Head to a waterfront kitchen for a hands-on masterclass in preparing fish soup with pickled mustard greens. Practice filleting and seasoning under the guidance of a Michelin-trained chef from Taipei. Sample your creations with fragrant jasmine tea.

Travel inland to a small uphill tea plantation planted with emerald Taiwan oolong bushes. Stroll among the terraces as workers demonstrate hand-roasting and leaf-rolling techniques. Sip the freshly brewed brew while gazing out at the coastal plain below.

Attend an intimate tea ceremony by candlelight at a rustic teahouse overlooking the sea. Pair delicate snacks of dried squid flakes and lucky rice crackers with evening pours. Let the aroma of roasted tea leaves soothe your senses before bedtime.

Visit the shimmering solar salt fields at low tide, watching the complex of shallow pans reflect the sky. Learn from salt artisans how sea brine is drawn, evaporated, and harvested by hand. Taste raw salt crystals that carry the essence of the sea.

Pedal to a nearby hilltop for panoramic vistas of the salt flats and coastline. Unfold a light lunch of green onion pancakes and salted egg on a picnic blanket. Chart the shifting geometric patterns in the fields below as clouds trail overhead.

Return as the sun dips low, setting the salt pans ablaze in hues of gold and rose. Capture photos of silhouettes of conical salt piles against the dying light. Toast the end of the day with a glass of salted pineapple juice, a regional specialty.

Spend your final sunrise on the rocky shore, collecting smooth sea glass gifted by the waves. Write gratitude notes to Taixi on biodegradable paper and float them downstream in a small incense boat. Feel the calm hush of the early morning ocean.

Enjoy a leisurely brunch at a beachfront café serving local honey pancakes and squid ink hotcakes. Revisit favorite spots such as the Mangrove Forest or Fishing Port for last glimpses of daily life. Pick up handcrafted souvenirs carved from driftwood by local artisans.

Gather with new friends for a farewell seafood barbecue on the beach beneath string lights. Share stories of the past ten days as distant breakers sound like applause. End the evening with a silent meditation facing the infinite sea, cherishing the memories you carry home.