Comments on: Southern cross island highway

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:22:25 +0000

Yes, this road joins Pingtung and Taitung.
The mountains in Taiwan really are fantastic.
Too bad Shanghai doesn’t offer the same outdoor delights.

By: blaine

blaine — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 10:18:00 +0000

This is the one from Pingtung to Taitung, right? I lived in Taipei 1990-98 and often cycled around the island, training for triathlon or just messing around. Made it over this road a couple times enroute to Kenting. Most beautiful is the Huhuanshan then down through Talu gorge on the cross island or the suao – Hualian roads. Taiwan is awesome for cyclists (my bike has been in storage basically since coming to Shanghai

By: MJ Klein

MJ Klein — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:01:42 +0000

i went back and checked out this article as we recently drove Highway 20 too. you have some great photos!

By: Shan Ding Lu » Beautiful Butterflies

Shan Ding Lu » Beautiful Butterflies — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:34:03 +0000

[...] An amazing Blue Eye or Blue Pansy (Junonia orithya) we recently spotted on the Southern cross island highway. [...]

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:20:48 +0000

Its called the Yakou Country Inn (tel 07 6866057). Not sure of the Chinese name! Its a great place to stay.

By: jane may

jane may — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:09:38 +0000

We are going to Taiwan in December and hoping to do Hwy 20 if passable. Could you please tell me the name of the guest house you mentioned just past the tunnel
thankyou

jane

By: Joel

Joel — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:18:57 +0000

>Summer would be perfect for this trip. Add 10 to 15C and it >would be a beautiful respite from the Kaohsiung summer. It >would also be nice after a good snow fall over the next month >or so.

Yes, it would, as long as you don’t go there by scooter!

By: Stephen

Stephen — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:20:02 +0000

Joel,
The tunnel is famous for icicles that form in the winter. It hadn’t been below 0 for long enough when we were there but there are a few very short stalactite formations from the roof.

I didn’t get a picture of the crack in the floor unfortunately. It is no different from cracks in many buildings but it attracted my attention because it spanned the entire building that I could access.

Summer would be perfect for this trip. Add 10 to 15C and it would be a beautiful respite from the Kaohsiung summer. It would also be nice after a good snow fall over the next month or so.

By: Joel

Joel — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:01:28 +0000

Stephen

I’d love to go through that craggy tunnel. Japan has tunnels everywhere down its midsection, but I’ve never seen one left in such an unfinished form like that.

You mention “A large filled crack runs across the floor of the dining room, down the stairs and through the guest rooms”: any pictures of it?

Would it be best to go in the summer?

Thanks for the news about your trip–well done, mate.

Joel