Peak Performance in Taiwan

Taiwan is a country with stunning nature, 21st century transport options and wonderful food.

- Dominic Ellis

Our packed train is chugging slowly up the Alishan Forest Railway, straining under throngs of standing Chinese tourists, in order to catch the sunrise behind the 13,000-foot Yushan (Jade) Mountain opposite, the tallest peak in east Asia. It’s 5:20 AM and I rose two hours earlier – which must be a record for anything work related, at least outside an airport – along with most of the guests at the remote Alishan House. Catching the sunrise is one of the 139-room hotel’s key draws and there can’t be many properties that tick to such a nocturnal beat. Walking bleary eyed into the busy lobby, I thought someone had pressed the fire alarm.

The sunrise took all of 20 minutes and once it was up, we all ambled back to the station, but it was worth every fatigue-battling minute, watching such an unadulterated landscape bathed in soft pink, purple and blue light, misty clouds stretched out beneath disappearing mountains.

Alishan House general manager Victor Chang said it only had 51 percent occupancy last year, which is surprising given the alluring setting. But its average room rate is $180, rising to $250 and $400 in the new, more contemporary 104-room wing which opened three years ago. He says it’s planning to introduce classes to “relax your mind and body together” although most guests shouldn’t have too many problems on either front.

Sixteen hours after the sunrise, as our bus pulled into Kaohsiung in the southwest, the sun finally called it a day and the half moon also followed us from Alishan. The journey to and from Alishan was breathtakingly green (banana, tea and coffee plantations provide some variety to the forestry).