[Nantou Qingjing 南投清境 ⌂ Stay宿] Sunnydale House 日光青境 @ Lynda's Taiwan-logue

Sunnydale House 日光青境 in the beautiful mountains of Nantou, Qingjing 南投, 清境 is one accommodation that I had visited sufficient times to become friends with the owners. While I only have photos dating from Apr 2011 (to the last trip in Dec 2016), my first visit was actually a couple of years before that. Just that it would be challenging to locate my 4R photo printouts from those days. (Also, to excuse the poor quality of early photos.)

Qingjing 清境 in the Nantou County 南投县 must not be unfamiliar to most tourists, and is a popular destination for domestic travellers. Over possibly a decade, I had been up in these mountains a handful of times, each time moved by the magnificence of the great mountains and feeling insignificant. A trip up to these mountains is highly recommended to escape the stress and bustle of city life, something I find therapeutic.

A few things to take note of, if you are considering this destination:
1. From Taichung city, expect an average 90minutes drive (subject to traffic), with a winding mountainous route in the latter part of the drive (be warned if you are prone to getting car-sick). Not forgetting it will be the same drive down to flat land, though somehow this always feels shorter and faster.
2. Take time to choose your accommodation from the many available, considering factors such as (but not limited to):
❐ location - some are located uphill or downhill vehicle-inaccessible narrow roads, and require mounting steps or slopes with your luggage in tow
❐ consistency of (shower) water pressure and temperature - critical in winter and basically chilly nights all through the year
❐ availability of indoor heater/heated flooring/heated mattress - again, critical in winter. (Side note: it is not intelligent to enquire about AIRCONDITIONING up in the mountains.)
3. Bugs (some very large ones) at certain times of the year. If you are not quite into them, be diligent with shutting the netted door.
4. Limited activity after (early) sunset. Most if not all folks up here should already be in the comfort of their accommodation, enjoying the chilly nights - often too cold for the ill-prepared - and starry nights at your balcony or patio. Even convenience stores are not opened 24hours here.
5. A lack of street hail taxis. Which means you would need pre-arranged transport, especially with kids or elders in tow. The good news is, most if not all accommodations are happy to help you book a driver* or the e-Go bus service.(*Remember not to expect regular metered cab fares, as drivers typically run on half or full day bookings. Have a little heart and reasonable expectations as they may not be natives, and need to drive a long way uphill/downhill to serve you.)

Though these are gathered from my experience so far, they did nothing to deter me from repeat visits, mostly with friends, once with my elders, and even once, solo. And Sunnydale House 日光青境 has been fulfilling my accommodation criteria. At the tail end of a mountainous drive, the B&B sits along a main road, and is a short drive to Mist Plaza (where Starbucks is), Qingjing Farm 清境农场, Swiss Garden 小瑞士花园, etc. (Or if you are up for a workout and adventure, you can try walking to/fro - it can get a little daunting after sunset as part of the roads may not be lit by street lamps, so have your smartphone or torch handy AND watch out for vehicles!).

That one solo trip, I tried the Nantou bus 南投客运 from Taichung High Speed Rail station, and conveniently alighted at Shou Ting 寿亭 right in front of the B&B.

≡≡≡ Reception & Diner ≡≡≡

Entering the reception area, this is also the dining area where breakfast is served, something I'll jump straight in to. Quite the regular fare up here in most accommodations, rejoice if you are into Taiwanese porridge and dishes (buffet style). The owners grow their own vegetables downhill - somehow, vegetables grown in the mountains taste alot juicier and sweeter. There are also toast, spreads and meats, with coffee and tea. I didn't get sick of these even over three or four night stays.

And how would anyone get sick of the breakfast here... with a multi-million dollar view at the alfresco seating area (if you don't find it too cold)?

For selected days of the week, there was dinner included in room rates. Do check with the host if this is part of your package. Again a popular and common offering up here, mini hotpot 小火锅 - served as individual pots and given a choice of chicken, pork or beef. This is definitely the cuisine of choice, in the cold mountain nights. While it may be called a 'mini hotpot' but the serving here is more than generous. In fact, a little too generous for my appetite, so I try to ask for less ingredients to minimize wastage.

My must-have dip for hotpot is Taiwanese satay sauce 沙茶酱!

My lady boss friend made me a "ginger duck" 薑母鸭 soup base for 1 of the trips in winter - extremely potent in warming up your body (and preventing catching a cold).

≡≡≡ Rooms ≡≡≡

Moving on to the rest of the accommodation - photos taken over multiple trips, as early as Apr 2011 and last in Dec 2016. The accommodation consists of two main blocks (1 of them an expansion to cope with demand). The original building houses the reception cum dine-in area and rooms, while the newer block is a few steps right next door. Do also note that only rooms upstairs come with private balconies.

≡ Quadraple loft room 云顶北 (阁楼四人房) ≡

This large room comes with a bath tub, which may be more viable to use in the daytime. To be honest, the nights are so cold that showers become a challenge, similarly for that moment getting out of a tub soak. Having said that, I still took pleasure in foot soaks (while clothed, no doubt), before a hot shower.

This room has two balconies - the one at the bathroom was not put to use (could have been if we had laundry to dry). The other balcony made me brave the freezing cold night to sit out and star gaze, and enjoy the morning or afternoon sun.

<Below> Balcony view of The Old England Manor 老英格兰庄园 - a popular and iconic attraction/accommodation here.

≡ Double room 观月杉双人房 ≡

≡ Quadraple room 采风儿四人房 ≡

During the colder months, rooms will be equipped with this bed warmer. For someone not accustomed to the wintery cold, this was a godsend - not only did it keep us warm, it made us doze off within minutes (the magic of improved blood circulation and a relaxed body!).

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More stunning views at Sunnydale House 日光清境. If you are into waking up well before 5am, you can even catch the sunrise from the comfort of your balcony.

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Earlier mentioned, the owners grow their own vegetables. My elders and I had the privilege of visiting their farm in Dec 2016, a short drive downhill, chaperoned by my lady boss friend. Truly, this is what inspires my farming dream after retirement.

▼ Sunnydale House 日光青境 at the top of the hill. You can see the bigger main (and original) block, and a smaller (shorter) block next to it.

There was even a brood of chickens and (not pictured) a mommy goat and her kid. Trying not to think about what happens to these farm animals.

On this note, a gentle reminder to always remember your sunscreen/block when up in the mountains. Even in cold weather, the sun is no less lethal (especially when we are closer to it up here!).

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Taking so much time and effort to make the way up here to Qingjing 清境, it is highly recommended to consider exploring neighbouring attractions and mountains 1-2 hour drives away. If half or full day drivers are not economical for you, there are mini and tour bus services available, which your accommodation hosts will be able to book for you. I have personally experienced these for Hehuanshan 合欢山, Aowanda 奥万大, Fushou Farm 福寿山农场, and before it ceased business, Lushan 庐山. (Personally, I am not inclined to merely make this destination a day trip or 1-night stay, preferring to dedicate 3 or 4 nights, for a leisurely and well-rounded experience.)

Till my return ~

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Sunnydale House 日光qing境
(Website in Chinese, English & Thai)
Address --- No.31, Shouting Ln., Ren’ai Township, Nantou County 南投縣, 仁愛鄉, 大同村壽亭巷31號

檢視較大的地圖

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