Yilan - Jiufen - Taipei: Where to stay?
Planning a trip to Asia's little gem? 😍
Home to a myriad of waterfalls, hot springs and ethereal nature, taking a trip to Taiwan should be on your bucket list now! Experience its unique culture, insane landscape and endless number of things to see and do.
Taipei and Jiufen are almost always in everyone's must visit places in Taiwan; if you are in for a countryside atmosphere, why not include Yilan on your list?
Next thing to arrange is the accommodation.
For these three mentioned destinations, here are recommended accommodations to stay based on personal experience. 👍
Jiaoxi,Yilan: Twenty-one Hotspring BnB
The Twenty-one Hotspring BnB is 3-star bed and breakfast located a few minutes away from the Jiaoxi railway station. This unique BnB appears similar to a residence apartment with a few units in the block.
What makes this accommodation a perfect choice is its prime location. It's just a walking distance to a lot of food shops, convenience stores, souvenir shops, public hot springs, foot reflex and massage shops, etc.
Need more reason? Well, aside from its great location, what convinced us to stay here was the fact that it has its own hot spring! Yup, a hot spring inside the building.
Our room had a tremendous big hot tub where we relished the natural hot spring - no need to go to the public hot spring. 🥰 And of all the things we/I had to forgot.....it is taking a photo of the bathroom where the hot tub was.... guess it only means going back! 😍
The stay comes with a free breakfast, sadly, we weren't able to try it cuz we didn't have time (wake up late). 😆
Room amenities include fridge, electric kettle, free WiFi, LCD TV with cable channels, hair dyer, sofa and table, free bottled water, slippers and basic toiletries. The bathroom and room itself featured big windows but have blackout drapes or curtains.
In terms of customer service, the staff were extremely helpful and well-mannered. After checking out, they let us store our stuff while we grabbed some food. They also allowed us to go to the roof top of their annex where we had a panoramic view of the town. So lovely!
Jiufen: Sunny House
Perhaps one of the best accommodations ever tried! 😉
Oftentimes, visitors come to Jiufen as part of a day trip; however, if you want to stay overnight to see the town's beauty when the night falls, Sunny House is a minsu you should consider booking. (Minsu is equivalent to a guesthouse, B&B or a homestay)
With its convenient location, Sunny Room offers easy access to the town's must-see destinations. In fact, Jiufen Old Street is merely 5 minutes walk (or less) from the property. It's accessible but not in a crowded area where you can bump into a lot of people.
So what makes this minsu highly recommended? The view! 😇
Certain rooms feature a balcony with overlooking view of the sea and mountain. It was truly magical that you will just want to sit, grab a book, sip a cup of tea and admire its charm. Sunset anyone? Yup you can witness it from here. No balcony? No problem! You can relax at the property's sun terrace and viola, you've got a magnificent view. This experience is priceless. 😘
Let's talk about the amenities. Each of the guestrooms is well-decorated with unique ornaments from the vintage looking chandelier to the classic style faucet for the bathtub.
The open bathroom concept truly surprised me - divided into 4 zones (I'll just describe it this way 😉). On the other side of the bathroom is the shower while the opposite side is the toilet, in the middle is the basin with mirror then the outer part is my favourite.... the pink classic clawfoot tub! 😍😍😍 I wanna bring it home. 😍
While soaking on the tub, you can either enjoy the outside view or watch TV.
The bathroom is also equipped with basic toiletries, towels, slippers, hairdryer and more towels.... 😆
No time for boredom as you can watch movies or shows on the flat-screen TV or play music with the mini-sound system. The room also features refrigerator, electric kettle, air purifier, full body mirror, free bottles of water, tea/coffee maker, complimentary tea and coffee. There was a sofa with table and a teddy bear (does this count as amenities?) 😆. The huge floor to ceiling window had blackout curtains. At the private terrace, there were 2 comfy chairs.. Ohh wait, have I mentioned there were books in the room too? So many things to do in the room. And yes, it is spacious as well.
Guests can enjoy homemade breakfast at the property; you just need to wake up on time. 😆
The lady host was super nice and helpful. What more can I say??? With a superb location, remarkable facilities and excellent service, Sunny Room deserves an 11/10 rating. This property definitely hits the spot in several ways. 👍
Have I convinced you to stay here? Be sure to book or reserve early as the rooms can sell like hotcakes.
Taipei: Taiwan Youth Hostel & Capsule Hotel
Being extremely near to the Taipei Main Station exit M8 (just 2 minutes walk), this hostel is a good choice for solo, couple, group or even family (there are reviews from family with children both young and older). We opted to stay here for a night since it was our last 2 days in Taiwan.
The hostel is divided in different zones, male and female dorms are separated. We stayed in the mixed dorm which is just nearby the reception area.
TYH has a spacious lounge area with books, computers and a spot for live music performance. Yes they host some acoustic nights. Free breakfast is available at the shared kitchen which again, we haven't tried as we usually wake up late. This scenario is normal for us as sleeping weighs more than eating. 🤣
Bathrooms are split into 2 zones and can be accessed using the keycard. The shower rooms have shampoo, shower gel and hairdryer while the toilets have electronic bidet.
There's a free board near the other bathroom where guests can write or draw anything. Unfortunately, we were not able to experience the facilities at TYH as we were always out and came back past mid-night.
Each of the capsule has a locker, reading light and a universal socket. The beds were comfy and linens were clean so all were good. In regards to the customer service, the staff were friendly and accommodating. After we checked out, they took our baggage to the storage room so we could continue exploring the city.
Overall, the experience at Taiwan Youth Hostel and Capsule Hotel was pleasant though it was just a one night stay. Good price and great location!
Choosing a decent accommodation is essential when travelling and if you're lucky, you'll find not just a good one but the best one! And that's what we experienced in Taiwan!
6 - 10 July 2019