Sun Moon Lake 日月潭 is a beautiful place and the largest freshwater lake in Taiwan. Needless to say, it is one of the most visited attractions in the country but also one of the best places to experience the locals’ life out of the city.
While most people drop by here as a day trip, we wanted a longer stay and lucky enough, there are many homestays surrounding the lake. Even luckier, we found us a house built during the Qing dynasty and received the warmest hospitality from the hosts.
I can’t emphasize enough how much I enjoyed my stay. All you need to know about homestay at Sun Moon Lake:
Overview
- Location
- Our lovely hosts
- Common space and bedrooms
- Food
- Surroundings and tour tickets
- How to book your stay?
Location
The truth is, unless you’re staying in hotels located in the city centre, transport to any attraction is a hassle. I have to point out that the public transport around Sun Moon Lake is far from convenient and the taxi drivers took the opportunity to set high prices for travellers.
Although the place is just 3 bus stops away, each bus interval is at least an hour. We were really grumpy about it then. But hey, thinking back, this is part of the package of experiencing locals’ life. Tip! The host has the timetable of the bus arrival timings so she can tell you exactly when you should go out.
All intercity buses will bring you to Shuishe Visitor Center 日月潭水社遊客中心 and from there, you will receive the instructions from the host to get to the homestay.
Our lovely hosts
We were welcomed by the friendliest grandpa and grandma with their homegrown fruits and homemade muah chee (glutinous rice balls). They seemed to be the most comfortable in speaking Taiwanese (Hokkien) but also speak excellent Mandarin. We got close extremely fast since we were able to converse in both.
Common space and bedrooms
The entire house is decorated with furniture from the 80s – almost like a museum for the below 30-year-olds and for travellers from different cultures. Everything is unfamiliar and sparked our curiosity! My favourite one is the traditional light switch – never seen it in my life before.
They also have beautiful teacups that reminded us of our grandparents’ house. Familiar cutlery cabinets that almost no longer exist in Singapore. Floors with mosaic tiles and steps divider that separates the house into different sections. Just the little things that make me feel like I am back to two decades ago.
The main hall for the guests consists of a big dining area, a small kitchen in the middle, a living room where the hosts hang out and one bedroom at each end. They also extended the house by building more halls surrounding the main hall for their families.
The two bedrooms are for 4 or 3 people with a shared toilet. As the temperature can get chilly in Sun Moon Lake, they also have gas heated water readily available for shower.
Food
Apart from the little welcome snacks we were offered, we had the chance to taste grandma’s breakfast spread which beats any hotel’s breakfast buffet. Plain porridge served with two different vegetables, pickled lettuce, preserved sausage, pork floss, over-easy eggs, fermented tofu and very pungent spring onions.
You can check with her the prices and inform her the day before so she can prepare extra portions.
Surroundings and tour tickets
Beautiful and perfect for a taste of countryside tranquillity. The 10-min walk to the nearest bus stop is so relaxing and the air is so fresh. We didn’t bump into any travellers but met a few guard dogs who are not aggressive.
The one-day ferry ticket can be purchased anywhere near the lake with the standard price promoted at 300 TWD per person. Well, no one actually buys it for that price unless you get it online beforehand. We got ours at 200 TWD after alighting the bus. However, I suggest to ask from the hosts as well – they have much better deals and they earn a little from it. The best thing is you know they are credible.
How to book your stay?
We found the lovely stay through Airbnb, and you can click here to book! If you don’t have an account yet, sign up with my link and get an USD$45 worth of Airbnb credits: https://abnb.me/e/j2fTm9eXfY
Save to Pinterest!
