After starting my trip in Taipei, exploring the charming streets of Jiufen, and hiking through the stunning Taroko Gorge, my plan was to keep heading south along Taiwan’s beautiful east coast all the way to Tainan. The next stop on my route was Dulan, a small coastal village known for its laid-back vibe, surf spots, and creative community.
While traveling around Taiwan, I usually rely on Google Maps to figure out transportation, travel times, and costs. But when I wanted to go to Dulan, I discovered that the Hualien County Information Center was actually a much better source. The staff there gave me clearer info and helped me save time by avoiding an unnecessary stop in Taitung.
By Train
- You can take a train from Hualien to Taitung, and then catch a bus to Dulan. The train ride takes around 1.5 to 2 hours and costs about 340 NT$.
- The Taitung train station is a bit away from the city center, but the buses to Dulan stop right in front of it.
- Just be aware that these buses aren’t very frequent and don’t always match the train schedules. You might need to wait an hour or two, so it’s worth checking the timetables and planning ahead.
By Bus
- There’s also a bus from Hualien Station (right in front of the orange building) to Chenggong.
- When you arrive in Chenggong, even though it’s the last stop, the bus doesn’t end at the terminal. It drops you off somewhere along Zhonghua Road, just after passing a FamilyMart on your right-hand side.
- On the same street, you’ll find another bus stop (just a pole with a small schedule) where you can catch the bus to Dulan. There are several buses during the day, roughly one every hour.
- It can be a little tricky to find the stop, but if you walk one block back along the same road, you’ll spot a small sign near the Chenggong Market.
- The ride from Hualien to Chenggong is really beautiful — most of the road runs along the coast, with amazing views of the Pacific Ocean. The deep blue sea and the lush green hills make for an incredible contrast.
- The bus drops you off on the main road through Dulan, where there are two stops — Dulan A and Dulan B — just a few hundred meters apart. The last one is right by the Sugar Factory, which is a good landmark.
- The whole trip took me about 3 hours and cost around 500 NT$
Traveling down Taiwan’s east coast, Dulan show up as a nice stop to break the trip between Hualien and the south. Dulan doesn’t offer many attractives but it’s the most famous surf break in Taiwan and so I decided to make a stop even though it wasn’t the season for surfing.
