A Modernistic and cozy Guesthouse in Chenggong
TEXT / FRANCESCA CHANG
PHOTOS / ASKA CHI
When planning to stay in the coastal townships of Changbin and Chenggong, you have a wide range of unique homestay options where buildings seamlessly blend into the natural environment. One such place is the David SamStrong Villa in Chenggong. To get to the villa, tucked away behind trees in an area close to the coastal mountains, you have to take a small road that begins north of the 128km marker of the coastal highway. This is a very stylish and very warm place. Upon arrival you might well be greeted by the owner’s friendly dog on the villa’s gravel-filled driveway, and see one of his cats sauntering by.
The small gray-concrete semi-open building has two floors, and can be described as modern simplistic. The structure looks like several rectangular blocks stacked together, aligning imperfectly. Part of the first floor protrudes out into a decorative lawn area, while the second level has a large open space and an exterior staircase leading to the rooftop.
There are just two bedrooms, both on the first floor, with floors of red and orange tiles and private patios.
On the second floor is a spacious and well-equipped common room, with a large TV, surround-sound audio, a selection of books, and a fully-stacked kitchen complete with snacks and beverages.
A sumptuous, lovely-arranged Western-style breakfast is served here in the morning. Tall windows allow natural sunlight to permeate the room.
On the roof is a deck with unobstructed views of the ocean in the distance on one side and lush mountains, teeming with wildlife, on the other.
The villa’s owner is a man from Taipei who served his military service in Dulan, a coastal town just 30 minutes to the south. After deciding that he preferred Taitung’s simple and relaxing coastal lifestyle to Taipei’s busy, cosmopolitan living, he purchased the land here a while back and worked with an architect to custom-design this villa. Since opening he has received a number of tourism awards and other laurels for his excellent service and facilities.
The villa can only be rented by one party (maximum four persons) at a time – meaning you have to rent the whole building – to ensure maximum privacy. If you only need one of the two guestrooms, however, you can rent the villa, minus one of the rooms, to save some money.
Room rates (weekdays) are NT$6,800 (4 persons/2 bedrooms), NT$4,200 (2 persons/1 bedroom), and NT$3,800 (1 person/1 bedroom).
David SamStrong Villa (大尾山姆維拉)
Add: No. 134-7, Xiaoma Rd., Chenggong Township, Taitung County
(台東縣成功鎮小馬路134-7號)
Tel: 0920-572-179
Website: www.ds-villa.tw (Chinese)
Also read:
Scenic Route 9 in TAITUNG COUNTY
About the author
