Thanks to my friend Sarah, Kuah and I decided to plan a trip to Taiwan. We were looking forward to meeting Sarah and her family in Taipei but also wanted to explore some of the countryside in Taiwan. So we arrived a bit early and went to Wanli District. We chose it because it had hot springs but found that there were even better things to see there.
We stayed at the Dapu Hotel. The feature of this hotel was private tubs in the room which were fed by the hot springs. They even had a TV you could watch while bathing.
Private Tub 
Mirror with TV
I thought we’d spend all day relaxing but we decided to explore the town as well. The first thing we came across was a great old fashioned street market, Jinbaoli Old Street. They had plenty of sweets and snacks to see while meandering down the streets. Although, I’m sure it was designed more for tourists than locals but I love a well done tourist site. It was clean, organized and just plain fun to walk around.
We also went for a wonderful walk at Shitoushan Park. Here we found some nature trails that were not too busy. There were also some great views out to the ocean. It was especially nice to get some walking in after eating the street food.
I believe what Kuah remembers most about this town is the roast chicken. We have been to a lot of restaurants for roast chicken. We even splurged on a place with famous roast chicken in Paris. But it was in this small town in Taiwan that we ate the best roast chicken ever! The skin was so crispy and the meat juicy and flavorful. They bring it out hot and give you gloves to break it down with your hands. It may be that one day we return here just for the roast chicken.
Another specialty here is bamboo shoots. I’m normally not a huge fan of bamboo shoots as I feel they have a bit of an odd flavor. However, the fresh bamboo here not only didn’t have a strange flavor but was a great soft texture with a refreshingly mild flavor.
After our few days in Wanli were over we went on to meet up with our friends in Taipei. Unfortunately, I was so busy talking and catching up I didn’t take any pictures. I guess this means I’ll just have to go back!
Comments are closed.