An early departure takes us back through the gorge and onto the Central Cross-Island Highway — one of the most extraordinary roads in Asia. The highway climbs steadily from sea level through subtropical forest, past cascading waterfalls and sheer rock faces, until the landscape opens into the high alpine grasslands of the Hehuanshan range. At Wuling Pass (3,275 meters), we stop to take in the view from the highest point of any highway in Taiwan. The descent is equally dramatic, trading alpine peaks for the gentler hills of central Taiwan as we make our way to Sun Moon Lake. Check in by late afternoon; the evening is yours. Note: The Central Cross-Island Highway is subject to traffic control at multiple points. Timings are managed by your guide to align with official release windows.

A full day on the lake. We begin at Wenwu Temple, its grand terraces commanding panoramic views over the water, before boarding a pleasure boat from Ita Thao Wharf. The afternoon is given over to one of CNN Travel's top ten cycling routes in the world — the lakeside bike path that winds through forest and shoreline with the mountains reflected in the water alongside you. A quiet close to the day's most kinetic moments.

The mountain drive from Sun Moon Lake to Alishan follows the New Central Cross-Island Highway, climbing steadily through tea country. We stop at a high-mountain tea farm — a walk through the fields, a tasting, and the particular quiet of being surrounded by rows of tea trees at altitude. From there, we enter Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, check into the hotel, and take a late afternoon ride on the Alishan Forest Railway before the light fades.

Those who want it: a pre-dawn walk to catch the sunrise, the famous sea of clouds spreading below the ridge as the sky lightens. Breakfast at the hotel, then a morning in the forest — the ancient cypress trail, the giant tree groves, the particular stillness of old-growth forest. Lunch with a view at the Alishan House tea terrace. Before descending, linger over a final cup of high-mountain oolong at a tea house with views across the forest — a quiet close to five days in the mountains. Then we head back to Taipei.