Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
A DAY OF HIKING & HOT SPRINGS
Both Beitou and Yangmingshan National Park can be visited together in one su-
perb day trip. Frequent buses connect the two via scenic mountain roads in 30
minutes. Visit YMS first for a morning hike, lunch at Grass Mountain Chateau (
Click
here
), and then bus down to Beitou. From the Chateau, bus 9 (this is the Taiwan
Tourism Shuttle Bus;
www.taiwantrip.com.tw
) takes you to Beiotu Park. Or from
the main bus station at YMS, catch bus 230 down to the Beitou Museum (Folk Arts
Museum). After exploring this, and having tea in the Japanese-era teahouses, head
down the hill to Beitou Park.
Sleeping & Eating
Most of Beitou's hot-spring resorts have rooms for overnight stays. Rates start at
NT$6000. For midrange accommodation you can also head up to Yangmingshan for the
International Hotel, but for budget options you're better off returning to the city.
In addition to the restaurants at Marshal Zhang and the Folk Arts Museum, the area
around Thermal Valley has a row of small eateries. Resorts such as SweetMe and Spring
City also have their own restaurants that offer a few of Beitou's tavern dishes: try the red
skin chicken, deep fried pork ribs or the fried taro balls.
Solo Singer Inn
BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$$
( 2891 4171;
www.thesolosinger.com
;
7 Lane 21, Wenquan Rd, 21 7; r from NT$3850; )
During the early post-WWII boom decades, dozens of small family-run inns dotted the
winding alleys of Beitou. Solo Singer, the love project of a group of young Taiwanese
artists, historians and hotel professionals, is a charming restoration (the owners would
say rebirth) of one of these. There's only a handful of rooms here so book ahead.
Man Ke Wu Hot Spring Noodles
RAMEN $
(Mǎn Kè Wū Wēnquán Lāmiàn; 110 Wenquan Rd; noodles NT$120-200; 11am-2pm & 5-9pm Tue-
Sun)
This popular restaurant serves fantastic ramen noodles in a miso base prepared with
hot-spring water. Try the standard ramen with pork, ramen with kimchee or the ramen
and side of fried pork ribs. The soft boiled hot-spring egg with dried seaweed (NT$25) is
the simplest of dishes but so tasty.
