Woke up real early this morning too cos its a long journey from Miao Li to Sun Moon Lake, Nantou. Have to take a train to Taichung, then transfer to express bus and then transfer to shuttle bus that will bring us to our hotel (The Lalu) in Sun Moon Lake area. ARGH! We had to wait approximately 45 minutes for our express bus to depart from Taichung and so we shopped around the vicinity. Things are really cheap in Taiwan. The ankle socks were going for SGD1.00 a pair and I bought enough to last me a lifetime.
When we finally arrived at Nantou from a 2 hours bus ride, our hotel car was already waiting for us at the bus stop. It came to pick us and us only! So atas right? The moment we got out of the car at the hotel entrance, we were greeted by their staff and escorted to the lobby area where plum tea and nuts were served. Apparently The Lalu is a 5 star hotel that provides luxury accommodation, comprehensive facilities and immaculate service and that do not befit our status. We were budget travellers who had no other cheaper alternatives. Sun Moon Lake is a very famous tourist attraction, hence all the hotels in the vicinity charge rocket high rates for their rooms. The Lalu seemed like the most value for money (SGD$340 per room per night) accommodation available on Asiarooms (http://www.asiarooms.com/).
When we finally arrived at Nantou from a 2 hours bus ride, our hotel car was already waiting for us at the bus stop. It came to pick us and us only! So atas right? The moment we got out of the car at the hotel entrance, we were greeted by their staff and escorted to the lobby area where plum tea and nuts were served. Apparently The Lalu is a 5 star hotel that provides luxury accommodation, comprehensive facilities and immaculate service and that do not befit our status. We were budget travellers who had no other cheaper alternatives. Sun Moon Lake is a very famous tourist attraction, hence all the hotels in the vicinity charge rocket high rates for their rooms. The Lalu seemed like the most value for money (SGD$340 per room per night) accommodation available on Asiarooms (http://www.asiarooms.com/).
A staff escorted us up to our room once it was ready and gave us a brief orientation. The room, in fact the entire architecture of the hotel, was beautiful. Furnishing was contemporary with a touch of Zen, exuding elegance. I was really facinated by the design of the toilet because it actually blended with the rest of the room (instead of the usual enclosed design) by having the basin cabinet located in the centre of the room like an island on a vast ocean. There was also a balcony, with a day bed and a spectacular view of the lake.
The Lalu also has a warm water swimming pool. How cool is that?
Later in the afternoon, we went on a 1.5 hours boat tour around the lake for SGD$15 per pax, one of the recreational activities offered by the hotel.
The boat made stops at several islands for passengers to explore on foot. I managed to try the best herbal tea eggs I have ever tasted in my entire life. It was flavourful and the egg white was very Q, not too hard or soft. Story has it that this herbal tea egg shop has been around for at least 50 years and even has an online blog!
Eugene and I met a real cool Singaporean dentist couple during our boat tour. Justin and Jeanie treated us to a sumptious dinner and invited us to their room for a chit chat session afterwards. It was only after we visited their room then we realised that our room was of the lower grades. Justin and Jeanie's room was TWICE the size of ours with a living area and a huge bathroom. Pretty~~
Card playing was our favourite past time during the trip.
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