A February 2004 trip to Alishan by panda2
Quote: Alishan is a very popular place to visit -- stay overnight and get up very early to look at the sunrise to reap this destination's full benefit. The food in general isn't all that good and it's pricey by local standards.
Overview
Hotel
The hotel was built without insulation in the walls. There was no weather strip on our entrance door, so cold air came in through the relatively large gap. We managed to insulate it with a large jacket to obstruct the airflow. There's a heater in the room on a timer. The beds were very firm, which is typical in Taiwan. The hot water faucet had to run for a while before the water turned lukewarm. Warm was the best we got, if you have the time. The hand towels were what was available to use in place of the normal bath towel. The staff really didn't speak much, if any, English in this hotel. There's another hotel owned by the same people where there is someone able to speak English.
Member Rating 2 out of 5 on February 25, 2004
Alishan Deng Shan Hotel Alishan, Taiwan (05) 267-9777
Restaurant
The menu has items in English. We stayed away from the hotpot dishes, as the prices go up significantly for these. The small soup we ordered was quite large. Overall, though, the food was only passable.
Member Rating 1 out of 5 on February 25, 2004
Juh Shang Yuan Alishan, Taiwan
Attraction
Member Rating 3 out of 5 on February 23, 2004
Sunrise Viewing Sunrise Viewing Lot Alishan, Taiwan
Member Rating 3 out of 5 on April 8, 2004
National Scenic Area Alishan Alishan, Taiwan
Story/Tip
Alishan Forest Railway is worth the price of admission. There's only one train a day in each direction from/to Chiayi. Tickets are available at either Peimen Station or Chou-ping Station.It's best to pack a good lunch and some drinks for the train ride. If you stay overnight, bring thermals and/or winter clothing as it gets to freezing temperatures overnight.
panda2 California, California