Superb one-day trip to Yilan – Don’t miss the Monkey Cave Waterfall!

Text & Photos /SOLO’s Travel Guide

Here are some of my favorite travel spots in Yilan that I’d like to recommend. Due to the large number of photos and the length of the text, I’ve compiled a table at the beginning for easy reference.

I’ve also included my full-day itinerary for anyone who might want to use it as a reference:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0WE4zgzYYpON19IckRuLUFZU1U
For those who don’t want to read a long article, you can scroll to the bottom for the video section.

First Stop: Lanyang Museum

The Lanyang Museum, completed in 2010, features a geometric design inspired by a monadnock and blends seamlessly with the landscape. The museum showcases Yilan’s natural and cultural heritage, but what fascinates most people about this grand building is its glass exterior.

After arriving at the Lanyang Museum parking lot, you’ll need to walk around a lake to reach the museum, but the view from the other side of the lake makes for an even better photo with the museum.

After walking around the lake, there’s a slope leading downward.

You’ll see lots of people taking photos with the glass exterior here.

Everyone comes here to capture photos with this magnificent glass wall that reflects the sky.

There are two glass walls. The first one is larger and reflects the beauty of the sky more vividly, but it’s usually crowded with people waiting in line to take photos. The second wall is smaller and doesn’t reflect the sky as well, but it’s much less crowded. If you’re in a hurry and want to avoid the crowds, consider taking your photos here.

It’s also highly recommended to take jumping photos here. Remember to turn on burst mode and jump as high as you can. There’s a bit of space between the pillars, but be careful when jumping over them.

Attraction: Lanyang Museum
Address: Section 3, Qingyun Road, Toucheng Township, Yilan County
Operating Hours: 9:00–17:00
Admission: NT$100 for adults, NT$50 for students
Reminder:
1. Taking photos outside and using the restroom are free; admission is only required for entering the museum.
2. Please be courteous to others when taking photos and avoid pushing or arguing.

Second Stop: Monkey Cave Waterfall

I heard there’s a hidden gem in the mountains of Jiaoxi where you can see the Lanyang Plain from the waterfall’s mouth at the mountaintop. That’s exactly what SOLO came for on this Yilan trip.

Turn into Baishijiao Road from Jiaoxi Road in Jiaoxi, and you’ll find the trailhead.

The first step at the trailhead – it takes about ten minutes of climbing from there to reach the waterfall.

There’s a small campsite along the way up the mountain – we noticed someone had a barbecue there when we were leaving.

The area is rich in natural wildlife, which also means there are tons of mosquitoes!

There’s a sign that says “restroom,” but it’s just a regular toilet.

After the uphill climb, there are stairs leading upward. These stairs are quite steep, so be careful while walking.

After walking up the steps, you'll be greeted by this stunning view!

There are two ways to get over there for photos. The first is to roll up your pants, take off your shoes, and wade through the water.

The other option is to climb down from the staircase entrance directly onto the large rocks.

Although this method keeps you dry, it’s a bit more dangerous.

If you’re taking photos with a phone, the limited focal length might require you to stand in the water to get a good shot.

The large rocks are pretty big and stable—I had no problem lying down on them. The weather that day was mostly rainy and overcast, so I added the sky in post-processing.

Attraction: Houkeng Waterfall
Address: Baijiaoshi Road, Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County
◎ Notes:
1. There are many mosquitoes, so it's recommended to bring mosquito repellent.
2. Please be courteous when taking photos—no pushing or arguing.

Stop 3: Volcano Eruption Chicken

After descending from Houkeng Waterfall, the whole street is lined with vendors selling claypot chicken. No worries about getting hungry after playing in the water. The main star, the volcano chicken, actually has quite dry and tough meat. If you're looking for delicious chicken, I don’t recommend this place. Food reviews probably belong in the food section—I’ll post one there separately.

Volcano Eruption Chicken – Turns out the star isn’t the chicken!

The whole street along Jiaoxi Road is packed with claypot chicken stalls. This time we went with Volcano Eruption Chicken, but it seems the best thing here isn’t the chicken!? The volcano chicken costs 650 NTD, Rating: (out of five stars – I give it three), It’s a fairly large portion, enough to feed our group of eight on-site. But I found the meat to be quite dry and lacking flavor—it really needed salt/pepper or the nearby fermented tofu for taste.

Shop Name: Volcano Eruption Chicken
Address: No. 39, Section 7, Jiaoxi Road, Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County
Business Hours: 10:00–22:00

Stop 4: Sakura Cemetery

This is a photo borrowed from a friend. Actually, we couldn’t find this place at all that day. We heard it’s inside a bridge, but the fog was so thick that driving there was difficult. There’s another popular spot nearby—Weishui Hill—but since there were signs saying “No Climbing,” we decided to play it safe and not bother the staff, so we just headed back down the mountain.

Location: Sakura Cemetery
Address: No. 139-1, Paoshao Road, Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County
Business Hours: 08:00–16:00

Stop 5: Chule Coffee

By the afternoon, it’s always nice to have some dessert to refresh your mind and body. If you want to relax and enjoy an afternoon tea in Yilan, SOLO’s top recommendation is definitely Chule Coffee.

Every corner inside and out is so beautiful—it’s clear the owners put a lot of effort into the decor.

As soon as you walk in, you can feel a strong French style. The passage to the second floor is even a spiral staircase—we must’ve taken tons of photos here!

The first floor has the kitchen and counter, with limited seating. The main dining area is on the second floor.

The walls on the second floor are covered with various exotic murals, and going up to the third floor completely blew my mind.

As soon as you reach the third floor, you’ll see a gorgeous crystal chandelier and a long dining table—it feels like the perfect spot for a fancy dinner in an evening gown.

The third floor is like a little garden in the sky. Lying here and leisurely spending an afternoon can really make you forget all your worries.

The view from the third floor is nothing but stretches of lush green farmland, giving your eyes, often tired from daily strain, a chance to relax.

There’s also a fourth floor if you go up further.

The view from the fourth floor is even more expansive — not only do you see the green fields, but you can also gaze at the distant mountain scenery.

The food is equally stunning and photogenic, though not particularly tasty. My food review is still on the food section as usual.

First Joy Café — Over-the-top Matcha Pancakes

If you’re looking to unwind and enjoy a relaxing afternoon tea in Yilan, SOLO’s top recommendation is definitely First Joy Café. Every corner inside and out here is so beautiful — you can tell the owners put a lot of effort into the decor. Since this is the travel section and not the food section regarding the shop’s scenery, I’ll leave that part for the food section. Let’s get back to the main topic.

Shop name: First Joy Café (Café de Samuel)
Address: No. 17, Maopu Road, Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County
Business hours: 11:30–20:30

Stop 6: The Little Wooden House on Sky Island

Due to time constraints during the day’s itinerary, SOLO didn’t stay here, so for now, I can only introduce the photo environment outside. Next time, I’ll share the experience of staying inside and enjoying the view.

On that day, SOLO deliberately chose to visit around dusk, known as the "witching hour," just to capture the most beautiful photos. At that time, the sky wasn’t completely dark yet, but the little wooden house had its lights on, which made the rainbow colors stand out even more.

Shop name: The Little Wooden House on Sky Island
Address: No. 70-12, Xmdi Road, Shichao Village, Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County
◎ Reminder:
Please remember that non-guests are not allowed inside. When taking photos outside, also avoid disturbing the guests.

Also, I’ve made a video of that day’s trip, which you can check out if you’re interested.

The above are all my genuine experiences, but everyone’s feelings may differ — what’s honey to me might be poison to you, and vice versa.

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