Meanwhile, huge marble boul-ders fill the riverbed to create rapids, and there are little water falls and various ponds. One wonders how so many giant rocks found their way there, and one cannot but feel humbled by the immeasurable power of Mother Nature.
The word "shakadang" is an Aboriginal term meaning "molar tooth." It is believed that the stream's name was derived from the fact that many molars -- which local Aborigines believed were part of their ancestors' remains -- were found on the trail at the time when the footpath was constructed by the Japanese.
This cool and refreshing scenic trail is well-canopied with trees and ferns, and birds and butterflies are abundant along the roadside. Sometimes you may even see Formosan macaques playing in a small group high up in the trees.
The track is never desolate, even in midwinter. It is 4.4km in length and takes approximately four hours to make a round trip.
More information:
Where to stay:
The Grand Formosa Taroko in Hualien
Special rates:
NT$2,450 a night per person for each couple until the end of August.
Tour package includes one-night stay, breakfast, dinner, transportation to and from Hualien train station or airport, free use of hotel facilities, etc.
Web site:
www.grandformosa-taroko.com.tw
Contact:
Taipei: (02) 2560 3266
Hualien: (03) 869 1155
Kaohsiung: (07) 215 2733
Restaurant
Chefs at the Grand Formosa put a lot of effort into preparing a great variety of food for their hotel guests and change their menus in keeping with the seasons.
As Simmone Kao (高曉慧), a senior staff member of the Grand Formosa points out, Chinese herbs, Western herbs, seasonal fruits and other health-conscious ingredients are always emphasized in the hotel's dishes.
Fruits available daily during Taiwan's summer season include oranges, kiwis, durians, bananas, pineapples, mangos, pumpkins, apples, cherries, strawberries and passion fruits. And these are often combined by the chefs for their signature dishes.
Among the dishes most frequently recommended by the hotel's old-timers are deep-fried trout and pineapple roll, sliced beef with mango sauce, steamed rice with pumpkin mash and baked crab with cream apple mash. The secret to the fantastic taste of each course lies, perhaps, in the exclusive home-made sauces or gravies.
Also, many menu items are intended to improve your health in a particular way and you may inquire about the particular health benefits of a meal with your waiter.
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