Thrice Taiwan: Yangmingshan

We headed up to Yangmingshan on a Sunday. Since it was the weekend, we made sure to head up early, since access can sometimes be restricted due to the crowds. Our first stop were the trails around the calla lily farms:

We had chanced across these farms during our second visit to Yangmingshan (you can read about our first and second visits here and here), but didn't realize there was so much to explore! This round, our driver dropped us off, gave us some vague instructions to walk further in, and then left us to wander about. 

So wander about we did. The calla lilies seem to bloom later in January, but we did spot a few flowers:

The trails make for lovely exploring, especially if you visit in the colder months of December or January. It was really hot when we were there (again, bring sunscreen and hats!), but the kids really enjoyed walking around the area, looking at all the flora and fauna around them. We spotted all sorts of insects, such as busy bumblebees, gorgeous blue-green damselflies, and butterflies. 

One highlight of the visit was the chance to splash about in the icy cold stream! The kids loved it.

There are quite a few places to dine at Yangmingshan, but our driver recommended us to Laohutian for lunch. 

The menu there is mind-boggling, with all sorts of dishes being served. Certain soups and noodles are free-flow. 

They served the best roast pork I've ever tasted!

It's a great place to dine at, but do order in moderation as the dishes can be quite large. The lady serving us kept recommending dishes, so we over-ordered, but we'll definitely come back for the good food. Especially that roast pork!

Another stop we made at Yangmingshan was to Xiaoyoukeng. The kids were fascinated with the sulfurous fumes issuing out of the fumaroles: 

But after awhile, the smell got to everyone. So we walked about abit, grimaced alot for some photos, then escaped to the visitor center. 

We were due to visit some relatives, so we didn't continue exploring Yangmingshan, but this is one place we'll definitely revisit! 

PS: This post is part of a series of posts for our third visit to Taiwan. For our trip itinerary, go here, and you can read about our first and second trips to Taiwan here, and here.