HeFong Villa at LALASHAN

On our recent trip along the Northern Cross-Island Highway we stayed in Lalashan at HeFong Villa. This is a great place to stay with friendly owners and marvelous mountain scenery.

HeFong Villa is a B&B perched high on the Lalashan ridge above Upper Baling, Lalashan’s largest settlement, with an unobstructed view over the mountains to the west. The sunsets here are spectacular. The villa’s exterior reminds me of the big, rambling clapboard-siding farmhouses back in my home area, eastern North America. The high-ceilinged, spacious, simply furnished rooms are done in wood, chalet-style. Each has a small private fenced-in porch out front with a picnic table that has a barbecue grill fitted in the center; all needed equipment/utensils are supplied. Across the courtyard garden, stretched out along a slope with the owner-couple’s honey-peach orchard below, is a lovely wood-built viewing deck with picnic tables – a grand choice for enjoying your complimentary breakfast and a fresh-brewed coffee (NT$100) from the cute coffee/juice bar.

(Rooms start at NT$2,500; Chinese breakfast included; bring your own towels.)

Note: The guesthouse is quite high up the mountain from Lower Baling (near the main highway). If you don’t have your own means of transportation, call the owners in advance and arrange pick-up.