Most of the time when we travel, we DIY because it is a whole lot better than organized tours for the following reasons: you take control of your own time and speed, you have your own freedom to explore, and it is way cheaper.

But that is not always the case. Sometimes, choosing convenience and comfort over spontaneity is the best choice.

You see, exploring Taiwan would have been easy if the bus routes and directions were also written in English. Not that I'm saying it's difficult, but we simply want to relax and not stress over boarding the wrong buses, getting lost, and chasing bus schedules that we chose to book a guided Yehliu-Shifen-Jiufen tour from KKDay. And I never thought traveling could be this easy and hassle-free (this is not a paid endorsement and also, I think we're just getting old).

Our first stop was at YEHLIU GEOPARK.

Located at the Wanli District of New Taipei, the Yehliu Geopark offers you stunning transformations of rocks done by nature over time. Hand over your NT$80 and in exchange, you will see something that probably won't last long. The rocks change, remember?

I was a little excited for this because I've always been fascinated with rock formations. But there's no denying my disappointment when we got there. It was too crowded despite being there early on a weekday. 

The weather was gloomy and temperature was around 20-23°C - probably not the best weather for photos, but I think it is just perfect for long walks. I couldn't imagine going there in summer when it's too hot and humid. There's not a single shade anywhere.

It was a bit cold when we were there. Everyone was wearing a jacket . And I couldn't fathom how Jan can just wear a t-shirt and shorts and still not feel cold at all.

Batang pasaway!

We only have a little over an hour to explore the place. And that is apparently not enough. So we didn't waste time trying to get a photo with the most iconic rock formations (the Queen's head for example) because the queue was crazy. Appreciating them from a distance is already enough for me. But we still took photos, mostly in random spots that are not congested with tourists.

You just have to be creative if you want something instagrammable.

Use your imagination. For example, here's a rock that looks like a peashooter from Plants vs Zombies. No one bothered to take photos here because they don't know that, but I do. *wink*

Actually, there's not much you can do at Yehliu Geopark. But if it's your first time in Taiwan, you wouldn't want to miss this. And whatever season you are going, I suggest you bring an umbrella to protect you from either heat or rain. Also, wear shoes with good traction because some areas can be slippery.

Up next: Shifen and Jiufen old streets. Please stay tuned.

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