Taking it Easy in Taichung

On 17 October 2015, we found ourselves in a bit of a predicament. Originally, my girlfriend and I had planned to head away for the night to see a famous traditional town in northern Taiwan called Jiufen. However, on the day, we struggled with long lines for buses and trains, and eventually decided not to go. So then, we began trying to book some accommodation very last minute for the night in Taichung. The problem was it was Taichung Bicycle Week (which seems to go for, like, 17 months), and so the masses of foreign bicycle industry companies had descended on Taichung and booked out all the decent accommodation well in advance. It took a bit of scrounging on TripAdvisor and CTrip, among other websites, but we eventually found a place to crash for the night in Taichung Ease Motel.

A bit skeptical at first about our choice of lodgings, because some of the rooms are available for rent by the hour, if you catch my drift. However, as it turns out, they have normal hotel rooms as well.

First impressions were quite pleasant. The room was very spacious, with two large beds and table-and-chairs. The lighting in the room was configurable in many different ways, all controlled through a small keypad on the bedside table. There was also the option to play some soft background music, but I suppose this was mostly tailored to other uses of the motel!

The decor throughout was very modern, which plays right into my wheelhouse, so I was quite impressed. The bathroom amenities, seen here, were plentiful and neatly arranged. Two sinks, one with filtered drinking water available, and plenty of towels. At the other end of the bathroom was a ridiculously spacious shower; not enclosed completely, but rather just the back section of the room, separated by a glass pane about halfway across. An interesting addition, which I haven't seen too often in my travels, was the installation of a TV in the shower area. I suppose there are some times when you desperately need to get clean, but also can't miss your stories.

The next morning, we headed to the breakfast area to refuel before checking out. This was probably the only real let-down of the stay. Don't get me wrong - there was nothing particularly wrong with breakfast, but the range of choices was a bit slim. Having said that, the food on offer there was decent quality. Accompanied by some real filter coffee (espresso machine style), it did do the trick to get us going for the new day. And if you don't feel quite full from your breakfast, there is also the offer of a free apple in the hallway. Though, I'm not sure if the Snow White and the Witch images help the cause to get people to partake - her apple knocked her out cold!

Overall, I have to say that Taichung Ease Motel was actually a pretty nice place to stay. Initial misconceptions were quickly eased, and the quality was overall pretty good for the price: 3480 NTD (about AU$150 at the current exchange rate). It's probably not great for an extended stay, as the location is a bit removed from anywhere you might want to go - apart from Daken scenic area.

I, personally, haven't spent too much time in Daken, but it is very popular for hiking and mountain trails. I hope to visit there more thoroughly in the future. If you are heading there, this hotel is a good option for a place to stay. A lot of the other options in Daken are Hot Springs and Resorts, and they come with the associated price tag.

There is plenty of information available about Daken at the following links; get away from it all and breathe the fresh, mountain air!

http://www.tripadvisor.com.tw/Attraction_Review-g297910-d6554597-Reviews-Daken_Hiking_Trail-Taichung.html

http://eng.taichung.gov.tw/ct.aspx?xItem=5472&ctNode=814&mp=1