We woke up to breakfast on the table (Shihlung is such a wonderful host) and headed out by bike. We have decided the motto for this trip is “We tried!” Since Kaohsiung we have attempted to see many things and have epically failed. Thus is travel! Today we tried to go for a hike, only to discover that all the hiking paths are about two hours away by bike. So we decided to go to the hot springs in Chihpen instead. Another host had sent me a message saying she couldn’t host me, but she could give me free tickets to the Royal Hotel’s hot springs. AWESOME. Chihpen is one train stop away from Taitung. At the station we had two options take a really slow and infrequent bus or take an expensive taxi. I decided to make an option three. I approached a young man who was assisting his grandmother out of a car. I inquired about a bus and sure enough he offered to drive us. Taiwanese people ROCK. Jeff is pictured above. The ride to the hotel was surprisingly long, but meandered along a river and was quite breathtaking. I confidently approached the front desk and informed them that my friend named Tabby lived in the hotel and had left tickets for the hot spring with the administrator. The man asked me for her Chinese name and of course I couldn’t give it to him. He asked for her room number… nope. Cell phone number… nope. Email address… nope. So I showed him her picture and told him that she is a teacher. That is all I know! After a while I pulled up my Couchsurfing messages to find a new one from Tabby. Only to discover that she needed me to confirm an exact time of arrival and that she would then leave the tickets at another hotel. With this discovery I felt a bit ridiculous. The Royal Hotel’s staff kindly drove us to Tabby’s hotel just to check if she had left them. Nope. Oh well, we tried.
The Royal Hotel is one of the older and more famous hotels in the region. It is built up on a hill and has sweeping views of the forested hillsides. With the mist rolling off the trees the area felt very tranquil. We paid 350 for the hot springs and had a great time relaxing.
Back at Shihlong’s house we were greeted by three additional couchsurfers! Sam is from Belgium. Theophile is from Switzerland. Nini is from Chicago. All three are traveling independently and had very interesting stories. The house felt more like a hostel than a private residence. Shihlong made us pumpkin noodles with tofu and cut up some fruit. It was a wonderful evening spent discussing our travels.
Recommendations for Taitung:
I personally like the hot spring resorts north of Taipei better. The Beitou hot springs definitely have a stronger sulfur scent, so if that bothers you skip them. The Chihpen hot springs are out of the way and your time would probably be better spent hiking one of the trails near Taitung. Thus, before arriving do some research and select a trail and a form of transit. I think the best way to do the east coast of Taiwan is by scooter or car.
The Royal Hotel is one of the older and more famous hotels in the region. It is built up on a hill and has sweeping views of the forested hillsides. With the mist rolling off the trees the area felt very tranquil. We paid 350 for the hot springs and had a great time relaxing.
Back at Shihlong’s house we were greeted by three additional couchsurfers! Sam is from Belgium. Theophile is from Switzerland. Nini is from Chicago. All three are traveling independently and had very interesting stories. The house felt more like a hostel than a private residence. Shihlong made us pumpkin noodles with tofu and cut up some fruit. It was a wonderful evening spent discussing our travels.
Recommendations for Taitung:
I personally like the hot spring resorts north of Taipei better. The Beitou hot springs definitely have a stronger sulfur scent, so if that bothers you skip them. The Chihpen hot springs are out of the way and your time would probably be better spent hiking one of the trails near Taitung. Thus, before arriving do some research and select a trail and a form of transit. I think the best way to do the east coast of Taiwan is by scooter or car.