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As a cyclist I have a list of qualities I look for in a riding destination: safe roads, good food to fuel my legs, beautiful scenery and ideally a bit of topography. But it was only recently that Taiwan registered on my radar as the perfect destination to go for a riding holiday. Early last year I found myself riding around Taiwan in a personal quest to heal a broken heart, and I was thoroughly charmed by the people, the food and the varied landscape. After two weeks and 1400 kilometres, my only regret was not getting into the mountains for a full understanding of Taiwan’s varied landscapes.

Therefore, I was thrilled for a recent opportunity to join a 5-day Giant Adventure trip that included Sun Moon Lake and climbing the Wuling peak. Typically, the Giant Adventure tours are filled with enthusiastic locals but is suited to anyone looking for a well-supported cycling tour with helpful mechanics and excellent ride leaders.

Across 4 days we rode over 200 kilometres and climbed about 5000 metres, but these numbers don’t shed any light on the lovely communities we rode through, the monuments we passed, the rivers we crossed or the mountains we climbed. Being part of a tour was like being on a school trip in many ways. There’s a timetable and a set routes, and a typical day followed a simple routine: breakfast, group briefing and stretch, ride, snack stop, ride some more, delightful lunch, ride, snacks, ride, arrive at accommodation, rest and recover, dinner and down time. For the less experienced riders this is a perfect way to see Taiwan and get a taste for riding in this magnificent country.

As a more experienced rider, I still enjoyed the tour as the cultural experiences sprinkled throughout offered an insight easily missed if travelling unaccompanied. From the unique tea ceremonies to the informative stops at various monuments, I was able to gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s unique history and it made my riding experience all the richer for it.

The author, Tina Thorburn, was a guest of the Taiwan Tourism Information Centre in Sydney