Chia Yuen Homestay

The family was friendly, informative, and helpful. They told us about their tea and coffee process and generally looked out for us to make sure we were taken care of - we didn’t expect that of them and it was very nice!

The owner's hospitality went above and beyond, treating us to a delightful tea and coffee tasting session featuring his plantation's tea leaves and coffee beans. Doubling as a knowledgeable tour guide, he assisted with our Alishan itinerary and even chauffeured us to village meals. Additionally, he brought us to a memorable firefly viewing experience. The room was impressively large and spacious. It would have been a perfect 10/10 experience if not for a single incident that marred it, the incident will be described in the :( area of this review

When choosing this accommodation, one of the key factors that influenced my decision was the assurance from reviews that the owner would provide transportation from the local bus station in ShiZhuo to the accommodation. I reached out to the owner in advance, informing them of our bus details and expected arrival time. The owner acknowledged my message and instructed me to notify them upon our arrival. Regrettably, upon reaching the bus station, I messaged the owner as instructed, but received no response even after waiting for 30 minutes. Despite trying to contact them via phone calls, we received no answer. With no other options available, my companion and I decided to have lunch first, hoping the owner would eventually reach out. Unfortunately, even after our meal, there was still no communication from the owner. Given the remote location nestled amidst the mountains, there were no public taxis available, prompting us to seek assistance from the local shop owner to arrange alternative transportation. While this ensured we reached the accommodation, it incurred unexpected expenses. Upon arrival at the accommodation, we were surprised to find the owner absent. Opting to make the most of our time, my companion and I embarked on a short hike lasting about an hour. However, upon returning, we discovered that the owner had already returned during our absence but failed to check if we had returned as well, causing us to wait another 30minutes before I was able to contact a worker to contact the owner. This series of events, characterized by the lack of communication and organization from the owner's end, significantly impacted our initial impression. Despite subsequent positive experiences during our stay, including engaging hikes and enjoyable amenities, the initial disappointment led me to reassess my overall rating, making it challenging to consider the experience flawless.

I stayed 2 nights at Chia Yuen in early Apr, as part of my visit to Alishan. Chose this place as I wanted to do the walking trails nearby. The room is exceptionally large and clean. Heater was provided for the cold nights and hot water is readily available. Communication was easy via whatsapp with the friendly and helpful property manager, Mr Huang. He provided free two-way pickup for us from Fengchihu. Breakfast for the 2 days were home-style sandwich, with a choice of beverage, which one could easily take out for their walks. The building was actually built as a home but was converted to a homestay, which gives it it's home feeling. It is one of few homestays located in a stretch, all belonging and managed by the same extended family. The only dining place is a small cafe 2 doors away, with limited selection of dumpling, rice, noodle and pastry/dessert items. We love the latter and enjoyed it daily, sipping tea/coffee while enjoying the nice view infront of us. For staying guests who prefer to dine out, do make advance request with Mr Huang so that he can schedule time to drop you off at nearby town at Fenchihu or Shizhuo. On one late evening, he even called to check on us when we didn't call him back for our after dinner pickup. Guests can also use the kitchen to do their cooking. In the evening, Mr Huang or his sister would brew tea for us, with different types of tea from their family's plantation. We are not obliged to buy any products from them but my friend and I end up buying a few cos the quality is good and it is definitely fresher and cheaper than to buy from shops outside. My only advice for non-driving guests is if you plan to visit Alishan recreation park for sunrise or early morning, do that first, before coming to stay here. It is pretty expensive to hire private car and Mr Huang is not able to offer this service due to the distance and time.

Environment and view

Sockets were at wrong places, no bed lamps, very basic rooms, minimal breakfast, bathroom dirty.

clean. service is good as staff is friendly. provided service from homestay to bus stop.

Not close to train station and does not serve dinner

Excellent and comfortable. Beds were firm, duvets were kind of weighted so made for a good nights sleep. Great breakfast provided. Landlady was kind to send us to shizhuo town om our first night to grab food since its a bit far to walk. Wonderful view out of the room with the tea plantations and forests.

Nothing at all.

Miss Ng gave her WhatsApp contact for fetching us at the train station. There wasn't any food outlet, so through out our 4 days stay she fetched us to nearby area to get food and bus stop to Alishan.The B&B is at the sakura trial, sunset trial, cloud trial. Thank you for the good service.

The host was very nice and friendly. :) We had stopped by Fenqihu in the morning and asked if they could pick us up from there to the accommodation and they were happy to do so. Subsequently, the host also offered to bring us to and fro the dinner place, and in the morning to the public bus stop. She also offered suggestions for what to eat, and how we could make our way to Alishan. The location is very near the start of the hike 云之道, and we really suggest anyone going there to visit it. The room is also very big and clean, and the environs very nice and peaceful.

The room is heated by a radiator though, and there is no electric bidet, so it can get a little cold at night and in the early morning. But we think it’s still acceptable as the location is more rural.