Trip to YiLan – Instagram Worthy Attractions
On this two-day tour, I visited many popular sites in Yilan with my friend and invested in the embrace of Yilan's natural charm.
Listed above is a big picture of the attractions visited on this trip to Yilan. During this trip, my friend and I applied for a chartered service for two days. We do recommend those who will not be driving do the same.
Trip to Yilan Day One
*蒔花咖啡 DailyBlossom Cafe & More
Address: 26249 No. 23-17, Sixteen Junction Road, Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County
Telephone: 03-9887228
Open Hours: 9:00 am ~ 17:00 pm (Closed on Wednesday)
Daily Blossom Cafe & More is among one of the most popular cafes in Yilan. My friend and I arrived at 12:30 pm and waited for more than one and a half-hour for our seats. However, that one and a half-hour were well spent. The cafe is surrounded by rice fields all around, and there are rocking chairs and pond set for a picturesque photograph. By the time we got tired taking photos, our seats were ready for us.
For those who are into photo-taking will definitely fall for this place. For those who are not, however, don’t worry. The view around you will win your heart.
If you have ever heard of the well-known Mr.Brown Avenue in Taitung (a scenic route running through golden rice fields), then good news for you. Because this cafe is located in between rice fields and along the road, it resembles the Mr.Brown Avenue! There is no need to take another four and a half hour road trip to Taitung, you’ve got it all here in Yilan!
The only drawback was the timing we got to the cafe—the rice field on the right was being harvested. However, it’s just a matter of the angle you hold your camera for a photo that hides this secret~
*永鎮海邊 Yongzhen Seaside
We left the cafe at 15:00 heading to our next attraction—Yongzhen Seaside, which is only 20 minutes away by car from the cafe.
The sun was really doing its duty that day. As we walked down to the ocean, every step we took on the beach was burning hot. But the wave cooled us down in the end and we had a great time.
The beach at Yongzhen Seaside is not polluted in any way. You can barely see any plastic or trash lying around. The sand here is so soft that every step you take you get your feet devoured by those little rock particles. If not with the burning sensation, I’d love to bury myself in there. The sand near the ocean gives, yet, a different sense. The feeling I cannot give in words, but it’s like stepping on a sponge soaked with water.
There is no place for you to wash away the sand off yourself at the beach, but there is one at a temple with only a 3 minutes walk from the beach.
*小國生活-夜光森林 民宿 Xiaoguo Shenghuo-Yeguang Senlin
Address: 263, Lane 1, Lane 168, Section 1, Xinnan Road, Zhuangwei Township, Yilan County
There are four parks within this homestay, each has its name and is located in a different area.
-Duli Senlin (Independent Forest)
-18 Ke Dashu (18 Big Trees)
-Guang Zhi Shu (Tree of Light)
-Yeguang Senlin (Night Forest)
Among the four, we picked Night Forest as our homestay on 6/19.
When we first stepped into the Night Forest, we were amazed by the amount of enormous tropical plants there. It was as if we walked into the Amazons. What’s more, there is even a swimming pool next to the outdoor Check-in table. Night Forest really lets you forget, for a split second, that you are in Taiwan.
Although the homestay does not provide breakfast or dinner, it does have a Mini Bar next to the Check-in counter that sells instant noodles and simple snacks. For breakfast, the homestay is kindly enough to provide a middleman purchase service. All you need to do is tell them what you want for breakfast, from a menu they will provide, before 9 pm.
***Night Forest is also surrounded by rice fields all around. I highly recommend that you take a stroll just outside the homestay during sunset. (You can also rent bicycles from the homestay)
***Night Forest provides free alcoholic beverages from 8 pm to 9 pm.
All first floors of each villa in Night Forest is an open area for all guests (Private rooms are on the second floor). There are dining tables and refrigerators open to everyone.
We had our dinner at the well-known night market of Yilan: Luodong Night Market. The market was crowded with people and street vendors. My friend and I struggled with what to get for dinner because there were just too many choices to choose from. In the end, we got ourselves the famous lamp soup and shallot barbecue.
We decided to head back to Night Forest with our dinner just so we can enjoy the Happy Hour with the alcoholic beverages. The homestay provided four different cocktails with four different alcoholic levels. Each had its unique taste and we really enjoyed them.
Trip to Yilan Day Two
*巴黎塔早午餐 Paris Brunch
Because we forgot to apply the middleman purchase service for breakfast the previous night, we googled our breakfast in the morning. Surprisingly, this brunch that we found was far out of our expectation. It provides an abundant choice, with both Chinese-style and Western-style.
*北關海潮公園 Beiguan Haichao Park
Our first stop after brunch was a national scenic tourist attraction on the northeast coast. There is a coastal trail in the park with rocks lining around its path. If you wish to take photos that make you look as if you are sitting on a very rocky cliff, this is the place for it!
Beiguan Haichao Park has a very rich geography. Not only are there coastal trails, but the rockiness of the area also stands out a lot. You can definitely experience the bonding between both the mountains and the ocean when you are here.
You can also take a photo in between two big rocks if you find them! (Just walk along the coastal trail and you will find it. It’s no biggie~)
My friend and I spent almost two hours just exploring and taking photos at this park. This is really a place to start an adventure!
*蘭陽博物館 Lanyang Museum
Address: 261 No.750, Section 3, Qingyun Road, Toucheng Town, Yilan County
Opening hour: Thursday to Tuesday 9:00 am~17:00 pm
(Tickets will be closed from 16:30 pm; admission will be closed after 16:50 pm)
Our next stop was the Lanyang Museum, which is only nine minutes by car from the Beiguan Haichao Park. We were supposed to take a tour there, but we missed its opening hours.
However, since the museum was also known for its unique architecture, we spent a long time taking photographs. Not to brag about the architect, but whoever designed it really gave it a thought for those who love taking photos! The enormous windows makes the perfect backdrop for photo-shooting because it cast the reflection of the big blue sky on to its glasses.
*影子市集火鍋 Shadow Hotpot
Address: 268 No. 12 Sanji Middle Road, Wujie Township, Yilan County
Telephone: 0975 277 565
Our last meal at Yilan was a Hotpot restaurant located, again, in the middle of rice fields. This Hotpot Restaurant was unlike the others in many ways. For starters, all vegetables require customers to fetch for them themselves. After picking your desired vegetable, the waiters will immediately wash them and deliver them to your table.
Second, all vegetables and general hotpot dishes are provided without limit! (Adults 380NTD, Childcare 180NTD, 110cm below Free)
***Meat dishes or seafood dishes require additional charge.
*小國生活-18棵大樹 Xiaoguo Shenghuo-18 Ke Dashu
Address: 269 No.1, Lane 45, Sanshun Road, Dongshan Township, Yilan County
For our homestay that night, we chose the other park from Xiaoguo Shenghuo: 18 Big Trees. This park is very suitable for families with kids because the park provides many toys that will suit the heart of children~
I also strongly recommend those who have a great number of people book the entire villa! The day I arrived at 18 Big Trees, there were three families with kids that did the same. They even rented barbecue utensils from the homestay and had them set up in front of their villa.
This park’s biggest advantage is its connection with the rice fields. Each villa literally sits on top of the rice field! Comparing to Night Forest, the drawback here is its check out time. 18 Big Trees requires you to check out at 10 am, whereas it’s 12 noon for Night Forest.
***No middleman purchase service for breakfast here. Foodpanda will do.
***The homestay also have a Mini Bar next to the Check-in counter that sells instant noodles and simple snacks.
Waking up to a big rice field is something that I have always dreamed to experience. And now I can finally cross it off my bucket list because 18 Big Trees made it come true~ The view that you see first thing in the morning when you slide open the curtains will really make your day.
This trip to Yilan is rather relaxing due to the planning of our schedule. My friend and I were not over-exhausted nor feeling any boredom. Within these two days, we have experienced the “Green Yilan” and the “Blue Yilan”. More, we created a lot of memories for life.
I hope this trip can be stored in here for my future retrieve to relive the happy moments I experienced in Yilan~
