Taiwan Lodging Information and Review

Here are some logding information for my own future reference, as well as for anyone interested in backpacking in Taiwan

Our first 2 nights in Taipei was spend in Camel Oasis. The hostel is just 5 minutes walk from CKS MRT station, and cost us S$45 per night for a double bed room. Shared facilities includes a very cosy living room, bathroom, kitchen area and washer area for clothes. Internet is available, and WiFi connected. The owner Shawn is also very friendly. Its almost like staying in your own home. The only downside is, the mosquitos! They left quite a few marks on me!

Next we spend one night at Taroko Hotel at Taroko Gorge. Its 400m from the park's headquarters, and cost us S$75 per night with breakfast included. Very cosy as well, as shown in the photos here. I slept from 6pm to 7am the next day while I was there. This was largely due to the 10km walk on my first day there :)

The receptionist, who happens to be the hotel owner's son, is also very friendly, and helped us to plan our journey around the gorge. He also hooked us up with a wonderful cab driver on our second day there. We stayed in room 301, and there are no lift in the hotel! But the worst is yet to come at Alishan!

We stop by one night in Taipei before heading to Chiayi, staying at Taipei Backpacker which cost us S$45 a night and situated at Ximending area. Compare to Shawn's place, it was clastophobic, crowded, and unfriendly. Actually this is what a typical hostel is like, so you can't really fault them for it. Its just that we were spoilt rotten on our first two nights in Taipei :) Ximending was however very vibrant when the shops were open, but very sad and depressing after 11pm.

The next two nights was spend at Shernmu Hotel at Alishan. Costing us S$105 with buffet breakfast included, this was our most expensive hotel in our whole trip. We stayed in room 512, and get this, NO LIFT!

We reach our room breathless everynight! Yet it was one of the best room in the hotel. Very cosy as shown in photo here! But staff there were commercially friendly. Our last three nights were spend at New Mayflower Hotel near Taipei Main Station, charging us around S$60 per night. The aunties there were really friendly, but the room is just so so. Air con leaked, but the beds were comfortable.