The Road to Alishan

I started early today.  I was already out of the hotel and going to Taipei Main Station before 7AM.  I took Exit B3 going to HSR Taipei Station.  The HSR ticket vending machine can be seen right after the exit.  There are also ticket counters available on site.  I bought a ticket to Chiayi for NTD 1080 (reserved seat).  I could have taken the earlier train but I would have to run to the platform to be able catch the it so I just opted for the 7:36AM train.  While waiting to be allowed entry to the platform, I bought some food at the nearby 7-Eleven store. 

For train schedules, visit their site.  They sometimes have discounts for online purchase so it might be better to buy online if you're definite of the time.

HSR Taipei Station

HSR Ticket to Chiayi

Pay attention to the LED boards to know the platform of the train number.  Minutes before the departure time, passengers are allowed into the platform.  Make sure to be there early as the trains leave on time.

Seats on the train looks like those of an airplane.  There's a LED crawler that displays information like train number, destination, time of arrival at specific stops, train speed, next stop and even weather information.

Inside the train

My breakfast

While the train is on the move, I thought I was just seeing a white wall... apparently, it's not.  It's the dense fog affecting some counties.

Dense fog

I got off at Chiayi HSR Station by 9:00AM, as specified in the schedule.

Chiayi HSR Station

There are only 2 buses to Alishan from Chiayi HSR Station, the first one wouldn't be until 10:10AM.  However, there are vans outside the station offering shared ride for a slightly lower price (NTD250 instead of NTD255).  The drivers do not know English, I do not speak Mandarin.  Good thing there are 2 Malaysians (who are also going to Alishan) who did the translation.  These vans are faster than taking the bus, it took less than 2 hours to get there, but be prepared for the ride as the drivers would overtake the other cars most of the time even if the street (going up the mountain) has double yellow lines.

Alishan Bus Schedule

Passing by the city

There are also English signs on the road

Passed by this suspension bridge, which I think is called "Everlasting Bridge"

Cherry Blossoms by the road

Gloomy/Cloudy skies blanketing the mountain ranges

Tea Plantations

Here at last - entrance to Alishan Forest Recreation Area.  Tourists have to pay admission fees here.  Adults pay NTD200 on weekends and NTD150 on weekdays.

The entrance fee receipt looks like a credit card charge slip.  The fee comes with an isurance.  You have to fill it up and make sure to drop filled-up half of the stub at the drop box near the Visitor Center.  A map of the area could also be found at the back of the insurance stub.

Entrance fee receipt and insurance stub

Transportation Options:

• Take TRA to Chiayi Station, then bus to Alishan
• Take THSR to Chiayi HSR Station, then bus to Alishan

Notes: 
There's a free shuttle bus that you could take from Chiayi HSR Station and Chiayi TRA Station or vice-versa in case you want to take the Alishan bus from the other train station.  It's about a 30-minute bus ride in between the stations.
As of this writing, the forest railway from Chiayi Station to Alishan is still under going repair.