Basically we only went to two main places: Taipei and Ching Jing Farm, including Ching Jing Farm Stay for two nights. It is very sunny there right now (just back in Singapore two days ago). I am at least two shades darker.
Ching Jing Farm Stay
We stayed two nights at Star Villa , 天星渡假山莊. This minsu have a theme of horoscope and stars. Basically, they used the name of stars and horoscope to name their rooms. Complimentary breakfast included for every room booked. The owner is basically in his fifties. From what he told us, his son forgo his job in Taipei, and help up in the operation of the minsu.
The room we stayed for the first night is the Japanese Style room 和室四人房, they also named it as Aquarius (水瓶座）. Very spacious room at 4th floor (the top most floor) of the front building. There is no lift, thus, we have to climbed all the way up the stairs. Alternatively, one can walked on the concrete formed slope up to the third floor, and climbed one floor up to the room.
The room is at roof top, thus, the shape of the roof is the ceiling of the room. From first sight, it is very clean and tidy. Been situated in the mountain and wooden formed ceiling, if you look closer, you will see insects, spider webs and dust trapped in between the gaps between the wood. The room have no balcony, only one small window at the side and one bigger window at the front. No much view can gain from the window. Furthermore, the day we enter the room, there was a medium size unknown insect trapped in between the two glass sliding window. We took a long time to get rid of it, as we feel uncomfortable leaving it there while we are asleep.
The bathroom is fair. From the joint of the tiles, we can assumed that this building have been constructed quite sometime.During night around 9pm, and early morning 5.30am, the flies will gather around the light in the bathroom, and some stationed on the wall. As I am the first to take shower in the morning, I have a good fight with the flies using the "water gun". I tried to get rid them before I can comfortably take my shower.
Despite all these insects, it is not a big deal, overall we enjoy the stay in the room.
We shifted to another room the next day, as we are unable to book the same room for two nights, as it was fully booked.
The second night, the room we stayed is Deluxe Stargazing Double Suite，豪华观星双人房, also named as Mars，火星。The room is situated at the building behind.
This room is at 4th storey, with a balcony. Although is it at 4th storey, it is at a higher level of our previous room, as the building behind stands on the higher ground. This room looks and feels much more like a hotel room, pretty new, clean and comfortable. The very great difference is, this room does not have much insects. Inside the room, the ceiling is specially designed, painted with luminous painted shooting stars and stars on the ceiling. You will able to enjoy "star glazing" by simply laying on the bed at the night.
The view from the balcony is the roof of the front building. However, one can still see the mountain and sea cloud. The view in the morning and evening is cool.
This minsu offers star glazing guide every night at 9pm, which you can gather at the top most level of the balcony at the building behind. The floor of the balcony is specially treated, which is warm at night, where one can lay on the floor to view the star and listen to the explaination provided by the minsu's owner.
The first night we were unable to see the stars, as they were blocked by the clouds. It is only the second night that we saw the stars. It is very amazing, all the stars gather around there, which we could not see in Singapore. We were informed to download the stargazing app through our phone. Surprisingly, the star location from the app is same as what we see on the sky.. COOL. The only downside is, the second night we were not able to listen to the owner's son's explanation, as he accompanied his wife to Taipei for pregnancy checkup. The owner himself does not really know much of the horoscope stars, thus he only gave a brief explanation from what he knows.
Things you may want to know:
- Temperature: Early morning and Night is around 17 degree. Daytime: Feels like 20 to 30 degree, with sun which will let you get tanned.
- Distance from the minsu to main road: 200m
- Distance from the minsu to Small Swiss Garden: 20 minutes walk via pathway.
- Distance from the minsu to Qing Qing Chao Yuan （青青草原）: 40 minutes walk via pathway.
- During weekend, the owner offers free rides in the morning at 8.30am to the bus stop for us to take shutter bus to the Qing Qing Chao Yuan. The shutter bus charged 20 NTD per person.
- During weekdays, the owner offers free rides to Qing Qing Chao Yuan, provided it is not crowded at the minsu.
(The distance stated above may sounds pretty far from destinations, but in actual, it is not so tiring. Please note that the pathway to Green Green Land consists of 500 steps, it will be upwards when walk from minsu to Green Green Land, downwards when walking back.We enjoy the walking. Do note that there is no need to walk next to the cars on the main road, look out for the path way. Not recommended for Ah Ma and Ah Gong in their 70s onwards, unless they are really energetic.)
How will I rate my stay:
- Location: 9.5/10
- Room Condition: 9/10
- Breakfast: 7/10 (Vegetarian friendly)
- Dinner (individual steamboat at NTD300 per person): 7/10
- Scenery: 9/10
- Staff： 9/10
How do we get there ?
- via High Speed Rail to TaiChung (1 hour ride), and OKBus to Minsu (2 to 3 hour ride).
Remarks: We do not have a pleasant ride with the OKBus (they also named it as Ego Bus). They left out our names. It is only when I called up the PIC of the OKBus, to ask the location of the bus, than they last minute informed the driver. The driver let us in the bus. The ride was 2.5 hour, longer than what they stated in their website (90 to 120 minutes). The driver will let those staying at the minsu at the main road to get down first, then follow by those minsu away from the main road.
As we have also booked return ride, the operator told the driver via walker talkie (which all of us on the bus can hear what they say to each other), to take down our email, contact and name.
The operator called me up that night, to ask if my deposit paid via paypal, when it was made...She then mentioned she will go and checked one more time. It was only when I retrieved the paypal record and sent to her, then the problem solved. Issit miscommunication? I feel that they are not professional enough. Furthermore, the way that the driver contact with his colleague via walker talkie, is very distracting. They talked things related to work, as well as other stuff.
Moreover, the transport was a mini bus, pretty old, cramp and not comfortable.
Conclusion, most likely I will not engage them if I am going to Ching Jing again.
(The above information based on our visit in early October 2015.)
See my post on our visit to the Small Swiss Garden here.
See my post on our visit to Green Green Land here.
See my post on our one-day taxi tour to Yang Ming Shan, Beitou, Tamsui here.
See my post on our one-day taxi tour to Yeliu, Jiufen, Houtong Cat Village, Pingxi here.
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