In this video I take you with me to Shizhuo (near Alishan) for a super cozy, super informative oolong tea tasting in Taiwan’s high mountains. Alishan is famous for “high mountain tea,” but the fun fact that blew my mind is that a lot of tea branded as Alishan High Mountain Tea is actually grown and produced right here in Shizhuo—about 40 minutes from the national park. I also share the very real solo travel logistics: the bus stop is easy to miss, countryside bus schedules are… a gamble, and I’m basically speed-walking with “don’t miss the bus” energy the whole time. I end up at a tea shop/factory run by a second-generation owner whose family helped establish the Alishan tea name in the first place, which is honestly so cool. He explains how every shop’s tea tastes different because the processing style is based on what they personally think tastes good—and that buying tea is kind of “fate” (like you stumble in, you like it, you buy it). I also talk about their DIY tea experience where you can pick leaves and make your own green tea (seasonal, reservation needed). To wrap up my slow travel thoughts, I share how I’d re-book this trip next time: one night in Alishan Park, and one night in Shizhuo at a tea-farm B&B so you can actually soak it all in (and maybe catch better weather for the trails).