A solo trip

It's kind of funny; I have traveled all over the world, to many countries. And for most of these journeys, I have traveled alone. While many people would consider that boring or scary, I have come to really appreciate solo travel for the most part. There's something really nice about setting your own pace without having to worry about someone else.

Life in Taiwan has been more social than I originally expected though, and I often find myself with people here. It's definitely a lot of fun, but I found that I missed the solitude a little bit. And so on a long weekend, I took a solo trip to Wulai to unwind.

Wulai (烏來) is a small town in southern New Taipei City. Located up in the mountains, a dizzying bus ride was required to reach Wulai. It's famous for its hot springs, and there is also a small street market and a waterfall nearby. And so on the most perfect sunny spring day, I set off.

Perfect sunny day! Not too hot, with a light breeze

A view of the old street

It's a beautiful little town, flanked by lush mountains

The waterfall was also very picturesque! I don't know why but
I now have 20 pictures of this waterfall in 12 angles. :P

No filters needed for these vibrant colors!

I ended up staying a night in Wulai, at a hotel that offered hot spring spas. There was a public Japanese-style bath, where the genders were segregated. I went to that one briefly and enjoyed a nice warm soak. But my fingers were doomed to be pruney that evening as well, because I had a private bath in my room!

Relaxing!

It was really cool. I called a number from the phone in my room, and the tub would automatically start to fill. It definitely felt very luxurious to have TWO baths in one day. I tend to get bored easily in baths, so two short soaks was a lot more fun than a single long one.

My stay included both dinner and breakfast on the balcony,
accompanied by a beautiful view

While not particularly exciting, this little jaunt away from regular life was a refreshing way to spend a day and a half!