Every year during the first week in September, Sun Moon Lake hosts a cross-lake swim. This is particularly exciting because swimming or having any contact with the water at all is usually forbidden. There are two main reasons for this: 1) Now that there is a highway that runs from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake, visitors to the area have increased exponentially and the degradation caused by swimming would destroy the area; 2) Local Aboriginal groups that inhabit the area continue to use the lake for fishing and preserving those rights means limiting visitor contact with the water.
To register for the swim, you will need to join a group or go through an agency. About six months before the swim takes place, local travel agencies will start registering people for the swim. Once registered, you will need to pay the fee and get yourself the necessary equipment: swim cap, life preserver of some variety (life vest, rescue tube/board, etc). Swim caps and life preservers are required; you will not be allowed into the water without them, even if your swimming skill level is high (ex. I'm SWI- Water Safety Instructor certified and I am still required to take one!). I highly recommend goggles as people will be slathering sunscreen on and if you don't have them, there's a good chance you'll get sunscreen infested water in your eyes. Yum.
Once registered with the necessary equipment, get up before dawn, have a light breakfast- some hotels offer early breakfast/snacks for swimmers, at other places you'll need to prepare your own- and head down to the waterfront area where the docks are located. Normally, this is where the boat tours leave from, but for this day only it is where visitors will be taking the plunge into the lake's chilly water. When the even planner makes the announcement, the first shift of people are allowed to begin the swim; you may be able to specify if you want to go later in the morning or earlier, but remember that the later you go, the more likely you are to get sunburned!
The swim itself reaches 3,000 meters across the lake's surface, but be warned that the term swim is a euphemism here; swimming is not a necessary skill, and most people will be floating their way across on their life preservers like little kids in a wading pool. If you want to actually swim it, make sure that you are first in line off the docks so you can stay ahead of the meandering masses. Otherwise, be prepared to be stuck in a watery traffic jam of feet and chattering old Chinese ladies. It should also be noted that it is not uncommon for someone to die during these swims because of the sheer volume of people, so be aware of your surroundings and be careful!
After the swim, head back to your hotel for a hot shower and a change of clothes, devour some breakfast at your hotel, and then go for a wander around the lake on one of the bike paths or go cheer on the next wave of swimmers. Once the swim is officially over, boats should resume and you can check out the other side of the lake, including the cable car. When it's time to leave SM Lake, head to Puli and scope out their night market if you have time, or one of the small but delicious restaurants (my favorite is a small vegetarian place down the alley across from the bus station). If small towns don't do it for you, stop in Taichung before you head home, and try one of the many high end restaurants available there.
*To get to Sun Moon Lake, take a train (TRA or HSR) or bus to Taichung and then transfer to a shuttle bus to Sun Moon Lake. Some buses will require you stop in Puli and switch buses for SM Lake. This is more likely when direct buses are full. On average this takes 30 minutes longer than the direct bus, BUT if you cannot get on the direct bus because they are full, you will have to wait a full hour for the next one. If that's the case, it might make more sense to just take the local and change.
**Make sure you book well ahead of time for your hotel- at least 6 months, if possible. The entire lake area becomes completely sold out during the swim, and the first shift leaves the dock at 6am, so you'll probably want to be there the night before as the whole area will be swarming with people (including the nearest major town, Puli).
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