• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Taiwanese Secrets Travel Guide

  • About
  • Contact Me
  • What’s New
  • Facebook
  • Pizza Rock
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • What’s New
  • About Taiwan
    • Facts About Taiwan
    • Culture
      • Ancient Chinese Things
      • Taiwanese Culture
      • Language
      • Martial Arts
      • Music
    • Festivals
    • Food
      • Snacks & Fast Food Guide
  • Travel Info
    • 17 Best Road Trips in Taiwan
    • Accommodation
    • Transportation
      • Transport in Taiwan
      • High Speed Rail
      • Train
      • Bus
      • Rent a Car
      • Scooter & Motorcycle
      • Hitchhiking
    • Hiking Guide
    • Scooter / Motorcycle Travel
    • Surfing in Taiwan
    • Nightlife in Taiwan
    • Important Links!
  • Taipei
    • Introduction to Taipei
    • Best Area to Stay in Taipei
    • Getting Around
      • MRT (metro) Guide
    • Attractions
      • Dihua Street
      • Museums, Memorials, Historical Buildings
      • Taipei 101
      • Temples
    • Shopping in Taipei
  • North
    • Hsinchu
    • Keelung
    • Jiufen
    • Long Dong
    • Pinglin
    • Taian Hot Spring
    • Taoyuan
    • Wulai
    • Yangmingshan National Park
  • East
    • Chenggong
    • Donghe
    • Douli
    • Dulan
    • Hualien
    • Fulong
    • Highway 11
    • Jiaoxi
    • Taroko Gorge
      • Hiking in Taroko
      • Taroko Camping
      • Taipei to Taroko
    • Taitung
    • Tianxiang
    • Yilan
  • Central
    • Alishan
    • Baguashan
    • Changhua
    • Cingjing Farm
    • Mt. Hehuan (Hehuanshan)
    • Huisun Forest
    • Lugang
    • Nantou County
    • Sun Moon Lake
    • Taichung City
      • Attractions | Things to Do
      • Cafes
      • Getting There and Away
      • Hiking
      • Nightlife
      • Parks and Canals | Walking Guide
      • Restaurants
    • Zhongxing New Village
  • South
    • Chiayi
    • Donggang
    • Kaohsiung
    • Kenting
      • Best of Kenting
      • Restaurants and Cafes
      • Baisha Beach
      • Fengchuisha
      • Hengchun
      • Houwan (Back Bay)
      • Jialeshui
      • Manzhou
      • Nightlife
      • Nanwan (South Bay)
      • Sail Rock
      • Snorkeling in Kenting
      • Surfing in Kenting
      • Taipei to Kenting
      • Pizza Rock Kenting
      • Wild East Guesthouse
      • Xiaowan (Little Bay)
      • Wanlitong
    • Maolin
    • Tainan
  • Islands
    • Green Island (Ludao)
    • Kinmen Island
    • Matsu Island
    • Orchid Island (Lanyu)
    • Penghu
    • Xiao Liuqiu (Lamay Island)
  • Pictures
    • Hualien Gallery
    • Chinese Dragons Gallery
    • Dangki | Jitong
    • Faces of Taiwan | Portraits
  • About
    • Contact Me

Hiking Mt. Manabang in Miaoli County

Mt. Manabang (1407m) is a small, round peak that’s located in Dahu Township, Miaoli County. I did this hike alone in the middle of summer 2020 and it took me about 3 hours round-trip. If you don’t stop every 5 minute to take pictures like I do, you could easily complete this hike in 2.5 hours.

Manabang Mountain
Panoramic view from the top of Manabang Mountain. On clear days, you can see Snow Mountain.

I wouldn’t recommend this hike to visitors to Taiwan who don’t have a lot of time on their schedule. The hike is not too bad, but it’s nothing exceptional either. It’s not my favorite mountain that’s for sure! There are many more much better peaks to hike on this island.

manabang miaoli
The forest is pretty thick the whole way.

That being said, I think Mt. Malabang might interest you if you live in Taiwan, you’re really into hiking, and you’d climb anything, just because it’s there or to stay in shape. That’s me! Again, it’s not that bad… It’s got very thick, jungle vegetation, the paths and stairs are very well maintained, and the trail are clearly marked.

manabang hiking miaoli
The trail is well marked with distance posts.

My main issue with Mt. Malabang is that there are basically no views at all the whole time you climb – apart from the trees and plants. When you get to the top, if you are lucky, you might see Snow Mountain (雪山 xue shan) in the distance, but chances are that it will be obstructed by either clouds, fog, pollution, or all three of them.

ugo ortolano
Me, wearing a towel on my head, to help with the sun, sweat, and flies.

Another thing that was a bit of a pain in the a**, were the flies and mosquitoes. I never, I repeat I NEVER have any problem with flies in Taiwan. Especially not while hiking. I don’t know why, but there were flies and mozzies trying to get in my nose, eyes, and ears from start to finish on Manabang. Weird…

taiwan ferns
Mt. Manabang is a great place for getting an up-close look at tropical vegetation.

My Experience on Manabang…

As I said, I climbed Manabang in summer, when the thermometer was showing 37 degree Celcius in Taichung. My wife told me I was mad to go as it was too hot. But as I was super bored in the city and had nothing to do, I still decided to go. I had wanted to climb at Hehuanshan or Guguan, but my Google Maps had shown horrible traffic to those two destinations. It was Sunday and people still couldn’t travel outside Taiwan due to Covid, so all the main touristic spots were packed.

馬那邦山
Stairs! The last part of the hike is quite tough on the knees – especially on the way down.

The drive from Taichung was about 1 hour and 20 minutes. It went fast as I drank my coffee and listened to a Joe Rogan podcast. I took freeway 1 all the way to Tongluo 銅鑼, then provincial highway 72 inland toward Dahu Township. From there, road #3 south, until you reach Nanhu 南湖. From there it’s country road 55, and then one last turn onto a super-steep road that is barely wide enough for two cars.

馬那邦山停車場
The parking lot near the trailhead at Tianranhu

Be warned that if you have a front wheel drive car with old tires, you might not make it to the top. My 2×4 Delica was spinning badly at some of the steepest parts in the switchbacks and it felt as if my van was about to start sliding backward.

Manabang Mountain Map
Map at the trailhead

When I arrived at the parking lot near the trailhead to the Manabang trail, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that only a handful of cars were there, a nice sign that the trail wouldn’t be busy – yeah!


Map of Manabang Mountain

Get Directions

Add Waypoint
show options hide options
Print directions Reset directions
Fetching directions......
Reset directions
Print directions

Filed Under: Central Taiwan Tagged With: Hiking, Miaoli, Mountains

Back to Top

Primary Sidebar

Hello, I’m Ugo

ugo taiwanese secrets websiteI’m the weirdo behind this site. I’ve been living in Taiwan since 2000, so basically I’ve spent half my life here. I have a big passion for everything Formosa and I’ve been working on this website since 2008 to share the beauty of Taiwan with the world! Read more about me.

pizza rock taiwan logo
Read about my precious baby: Pizza Rock, a company I started in 2011.

Browse by Topic

Attraction Beaches Cafe Changhua Chiayi Cultural Destination Culture Directory Drinking Festival Food Guesthouse Hiking Hot-Spring Hotel Hsinchu Hualien Itinerary Kaohsiung Kenting Manzhou Miaoli Mountains Nantou National Park Nature New Taipei City Nightlife Orchid Island Outdoor Pingtung Pingtung County Restaurant Seaside Shopping Surfing Taichung Tainan Taipei Taitung Taoyuan Taroko Temple Transportation Yilan

Categories

  • Accommodation
  • Accommodation in Taipei
  • Ancient Chinese Things
  • Central Taiwan
  • Chinese Culture
  • East Taiwan
  • Facts About Taiwan
  • Living
  • North Taiwan
  • Pictures of Taiwan
  • Pizza Rock
  • South Taiwan
  • Studying Chinese
  • Taichung
  • Taipei
  • Taiwanese Culture
  • The Islands
  • Travel Info
  • Uncategorized
  • Home
  • Contact Me
  • Important Links!
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Copyright© 2023·Taiwanese Secrets

 

Loading Comments...