Plan Your Trip Taiwan Outdoors - Taiwan - page 55

valid only for the date you apply for. If a typhoon cancels your hike, permits cannot
be changed to another date (you have to reapply). Note that Taroko National Park
only allows Taiwanese to apply for permits (though foreigners can join a local hik-
ing group).
There are two kinds of permits depending on where you hike:NNattiional p al park p rk perr-

miits(rù yuán) for entering restricted areas in a national park andPolic e perrmiits

(rù shān) for entering a restricted high-mountain area. Hiking in national parks re-
quires both kinds of permits.
National park permits must be applied for at least seven days in advance (for the
Yushan main route, at least a month in advance). It is best to apply online, but
you'll need a valid Republic of China (ROC) ID number. Passport and Alien Resident
Card (ARC) numbers do not work online. Online forms are in Chinese but English
forms can be printed and mailed to the national park. National parks will also usu-
ally process police permits for you. The Sheipa National Park ( www.spnp.gov.tw )
website has a sample of a completed form in English.
Police permits can be applied for at the Ministry of the Interior ( www.moi.gov.tw/
english ; 7 Zhongxiao E Rd, Sec 1, Taipei), at a police station in the same county as
the hike, or at the police squad within the national park. You'll need triplicate cop-
ies of your itinerary written out, the trail map, a name list of group members (in-
cluding their dates of birth and emergency contacts) and a national park permit
(you must have this before applying for a police permit). Make sure you have ID
and/or your passport. Free printable English sample police permits are available
online from Barking Deer Adventures ( http://barkingdeernews.blogspot.com )for al-
most all major hike itineraries.
Non-national-park hikes usually require only a police permit.

olice p

Cycling
Taiwan is one of Asia's top cycling destinations. And don't the locals know it! Cycling
fever struck the island around 2005, and all ages and levels of society now participate in
the sport. You'll find yourself well treated by fellow cyclists and also passerbys.
Much of the riding focus is on the more sparsely populated east coast, but there are ex-
cellent routes everywhere. In addition to world-class road cycling minutes from urban
centres such as Taipei, Taiwan has challenging high-mountain and cross-island routes, as
well as leisurely paths through rice and tea fields with no end of dramatic mountain and
coastal scenery to enjoy.