week 28_Silks Place Hotel (Taroko Gorge)

Along with the arrival of my husband, came a long awaited holiday weekend! We planned his visit to Taiwan strategically - knowing that I would have a few extra days off work to spend time together. Even though I especially want the hubby to see and explore Taipei (our new home), I have already been here for seven months now and I was ready to see some more of the island. For the most part, I have not ventured out of Taipei City/County during my stint here... and now I finally have someone to travel with me!

I had heard particularly good things about a large National Park on the Eastern side of the island: Taroko Gorge. It is - as advertised - a pristine area with two large gorges running for miles. So, we were intrigued... Due to the holiday weekend celebrating both TombSweeping Day (2011/04/05) & Children's Day (2011/04/06) the trains were packed and we had to rearrange our trip plans a little to find two train tickets still available. Regardless, it was worth the hassle as we drove into the gorge - Beautiful!!!

Taroko Gorge, Taiwan

We decided to stay at a fairly posh hotel called Silks Place Hotel. There are only (I believe) two hotels actually located within the gorge and the rest are located in the nearby town of Hualien. I wanted to take advantage of the time to hike and sight see as much as possible, so it seemed like staying in the gorge and not dealing with the hour long commute to and from was the best plan. Admittedly, the best thing about the hotel once it was all said and done was definitely the convenience.

Silks Place, Taroko Gorge, Taiwan

Our hotel sent a shuttle to drive us from the train station to the hotel and vice-versa. The hotel also had a few restaurants on the grounds since the remote location meant limited dining options (mostly a few nearby street vendors selling local food). Additionally, after a disappointing search for a private English tour guide to drive my husband & I around the gorge (they were all booked well in advance for the holiday weekend) - we discovered that we could sign up for a private tour guide from the hotel, who spoke English.

In regards to the physical hotel features - the grounds were pristine, the staff eager and helpful, the food delicious, and the location ideal. We lingered to the rooftop patio to enjoy a large open fire next to the poolside. We wandered stone pathways around the hotel grounds. We splurged on a bottle of wine with our dinner. It was a great place for a vacation. :) If we were to return, I would splurge on the (although pricey) riverfront suite so that we could enjoy the river view from our balcony in the morning...

Silks Place Hotel, Taroko Gorge, Taiwan