Sun Link Sea sits at about 1,600 m in the folds above Xitou, reached by a mountain road that is an event in itself. It is a privately run forest resort rather than a national park, which means it is tidier and more managed than Xitou but also more expensive — and the setting, in permanently misty cloud forest, is remarkable.
The property is built around a garden and trail network on the valley floor, with the big draw being a 116 m waterfall at Songlong Rock and, in spring, a peony garden that is among the largest in Taiwan.
Top things to do at Sun Link Sea
Songlong Rock waterfall
A 116 m fall reached by a well-built boardwalk trail of about 45 minutes each way, ending in a rock overhang you can walk behind. The best single walk on the property.
The peony garden in spring
Thousands of peonies flower from late February into April, backed by cherry blossom earlier in the season. This is when the resort is at its busiest and most beautiful.
Cloud forest boardwalks
A network of short, flat trails through cedar and broadleaf forest that is almost always in mist. Undemanding walking in genuinely atmospheric surroundings.
How to get to Sun Link Sea
- It is about 45 minutes beyond Xitou on Investigation Route 16, a narrow mountain road with 12 tunnels.
- Public transport is limited to a small number of daily shuttle services from Xitou — most visitors drive or come on a tour.
- Entry is charged and is higher than Xitou. Check whether your accommodation includes admission.
- The road is prone to closure after heavy rain and typhoons; confirm it is open before setting out.
- Bring layers — at 1,600 m in constant mist it feels considerably colder than the temperature suggests.
Best tours & tickets for Sun Link Sea
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to enjoy Sun Link Sea and its surroundings:
Private day tour from $320 per group Taichung: Xitou Forest, Lukang and Rainbow Village Tour
The one tour on our list that gets you into southern Nantou’s forest country. Xitou is a former National Taiwan University experimental forest turned nature reserve — a plateau of towering Japanese cedar, a bamboo walkway through the canopy and air that sits a good ten degrees below the plains. Next door, Monster Village is a gleefully strange Japanese-styled resort village built around Taiwanese folk monsters, and a firm family favourite. The day is rounded out with historic Lukang and Taichung’s Rainbow Village. Priced per group of up to four.
- Xitou Nature Education Area — cool cedar forest at 1,150 m
- Xitou Monster Village, Taiwan’s wonderfully odd Japanese-themed street
- Lukang Old Street and the colourful Rainbow Village near Taichung
