Escape to Paradise: Lakeside Luxury in Nantou, Taiwan
Escape to Paradise: Lakeside Luxury in Nantou - My Brain Dump Review (Prepare for a Rollercoaster!)
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because I've just clawed my way back from Escape to Paradise: Lakeside Luxury in Nantou and my brain is still buzzing like a hornet's nest. This isn't your typical, sanitized hotel review. This is the raw, unfiltered, "I need a nap and a strong drink" version. Let's dissect this lakeside dream, shall we?
First, the Nitty-Gritty (Because I'm a Practical Gal): Accessibility, Cleanliness, and Safety – Don't Let Me Down!
Right, so accessibility. This is important. The website claims they have facilities for disabled guests, but I’m not personally a wheelchair user, so I can't fully vouch. However, I saw elevators, which is a huge plus. Look, if you need it, call them and grill them. Seriously, don't be shy. Safety and security? Solid scores. From constant CCTV surveillance (outside and in common areas) to a 24-hour front desk and security, you feel pretty darn safe. Plus, the obsession with cleanliness is borderline neurotic (in the best way possible!). Individual sections:
- Accessibility: While I can't personally review wheelchair accessibility, the presence of elevators is a promising sign. Definitely contact the hotel directly for specifics.
- Cleanliness and Safety: The hotel is on a mission to make you feel safe. Daily disinfection of common areas, room sanitization between stays, and professional-grade cleaning are a definite plus. They've got hand sanitizer everywhere you turn, and staff are clearly trained in safety protocols. No complaints here.
- Anti-viral cleaning products: Good.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Excellent!
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Also excellent!
- First aid kit: Always a good thing.
- Hygiene certification: Excellent!
- Individually-wrapped food options: Okay…
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter: They seem to be trying.
- Professional-grade sanitizing services: Yes!
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Good to know!
- Safe dining setup: A must!
- Sanitized kitchen and tableware items: Wonderful!
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Crucial!
- Sterilizing equipment: Necessary.
The Rooms - Your Personal Lakeside Fortress (Mostly)
Alright, my room. Ah, the room. The actual experience of the room at Escape to Paradise was a mixed bag.
- Available in all rooms: Excellent!
- Additional toilet: I only had one, so…
- Air conditioning: YES! Crucial in Taiwan humidity.
- Alarm clock: Yep.
- Bathrobes: Plushy and comfy!
- Bathroom phone: Weird, but okay.
- Bathtub: Bliss! Perfect for soaking after a day of exploring.
- Blackout curtains: Bless them! Slept like a log.
- Carpeting: Sigh, okay.
- Closet: Plenty of space.
- Coffee/tea maker: Essential.
- Complimentary tea: A nice touch.
- Daily housekeeping: Absolutely spotless.
- Desk: Functional, although I spent most of my time on the sofa.
- Extra long bed: Awesome! This is a huge plus for taller people.
- Free bottled water: Always appreciated.
- Hair dryer: Standard, but worked.
- High floor: Felt like I was floating above the lake.
- In-room safe box: Useful for passports and valuables.
- Interconnecting room(s) available: Good for families.
- Internet access – LAN: Didn't use it, but it's there.
- Internet access – wireless: The Wi-Fi was decent, better in some areas than others, not everywhere.
- Ironing facilities: Meh, didn't need them.
- Laptop workspace: Okay, it was a bit of a stretch, but it worked in a pinch.
- Linens: Soft and clean.
- Mini bar: Could have been better stocked.
- Mirror: Good lighting and placement.
- Non-smoking: Thank god.
- On-demand movies: Didn't bother – too busy enjoying the view.
- Private bathroom: Yes!
- Reading light: Useful!
- Refrigerator: A must-have.
- Safety/security feature: Standard.
- Satellite/cable channels: Plenty to choose from, if you're into that sort of thing.
- Scale: (Sigh) Okay.
- Seating area: Comfy sofa.
- Separate shower/bathtub: Luxury!
- Shower: Good water pressure.
- Slippers: Excellent!
- Smoke detector: Good.
- Socket near the bed: Excellent!
- Sofa: So good I basically lived on it.
- Soundproofing: Pretty good, although I could occasionally hear kids running around (not a deal-breaker!).
- Telephone: Still exists!
- Toiletries: Decent quality.
- Towels: Fluffy and plentiful.
- Umbrella: Essential in Taiwan.
- Visual alarm: Good for accessibility.
- Wake-up service: Didn't use it.
- Wi-Fi [free]: Generally good, but spotty in certain areas.
- Window that opens: Fresh air is always welcome.
My main beef?
- It’s NOT Perfect. The view from my room? Breathtaking. Utterly, ridiculously stunning. I could have sworn I saw a rainbow every morning. But the internet, ugh. It went in and out like a moody pre-teen. I wanted to throw my laptop out the window a few times. BUT THE VIEW! It saved it. Totally.
Things to Do (and Ways to Relax) - Spa Day, Anyone?
Okay, here's where it gets interesting. They've got a lot of options for relaxation, and I dove in headfirst.
- Body scrub: A must!
- Body wrap: Tempting.
- Fitness center: I skipped the gym. Shame.
- Foot bath: Bliss! Seriously, this was amazing after a day of walking.
- Gym/fitness: See above.
- Massage: Book it!
- Pool with view: Epic! Infinity pool overlooking the lake. Instagram gold.
- Sauna: Yes please.
- Spa: They know what they're doing.
- Spa/sauna: Great!
- Steamroom: Excellent!
- Swimming pool: The infinity pool is the main thing!
- Swimming pool [outdoor]: Yes!
- Pool with a view: Fantastic
My Experience: The spa was pure heaven. I splurged on a massage (worth every penny) and spent hours in the sauna and steam room. Everything was clean, luxurious, and utterly relaxing. Honestly, I'm still dreaming of that foot bath.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking - Food, Glorious Food!
Food! Let's talk food. The options are plentiful, but with caveats.
- A la carte in restaurant: Good.
- Alternative meal arrangement: Always useful.
- Asian breakfast: Excellent!
- Asian cuisine in restaurant: Good.
- Bar: Decent selection, I thought.
- Bottle of water: Necessary.
- Breakfast [buffet]: The breakfast was phenomenal!
- Breakfast service: Again, the breakfast was the highlight.
- Buffet in restaurant: Good!
- Coffee/tea in restaurant: Yes.
- Coffee shop: Yay.
- Desserts in restaurant: Delectable!
- Happy hour: Definitely happening.
- International cuisine in restaurant: Good!
- Poolside bar: Yes.
- Restaurants: Plenty.
- Room service [24-hour]: Excellent.
- Salad in restaurant: Good.
- Snack bar: Convenient.
- Soup in restaurant: Yum.
- Vegetarian restaurant: Always available.
- Western breakfast: Good.
- Western cuisine in restaurant: Good.
My Take on the Grub:
- Breakfast: This is where they REALLY shine. The Asian breakfast was outstanding - fresh noodles, dim sum, and so much more. The buffet was huge, well-stocked, and everything was fresh. I might have overeaten… a lot.
- Other meals: The other restaurants were okay. Not mind-blowing, but perfectly acceptable. Room service was a lifesaver when I was too lazy to leave my robe. The pool bar was good
Alright, buckle up buttercups, 'cause you're about to get the unvarnished truth about my Nantou adventure at the Lakeside Resort Hotel. Prepare for mess, opinions, and possibly a mild emotional breakdown. Let's go!
Day 1: Arrival, Jet Lag &…Well, Confusion.
6:00 AM (ish) - The Great Taipei Departure (aka, Why Did I Book This So Early?) - Ugh. The airport. The bane of my existence. My flight from Taipei wasn't even that early, but I swear every muscle in my body rebelled. I'm pretty sure I looked like a zombie shuffling towards the departure gate. Pre-flight snack? A stale croissant and a grim sense of foreboding.
8:00 AM - Onboard Debacle - The flight itself was…okay. I swear, no matter where I go, I always end up behind the kid who kicks my seat the entire flight. Karma, I guess?
9:30 AM - Arrival and the "Where Am I?" Panic: Landed at Sun Moon Lake. The air was thick with humidity and a faint scent of…pine? (Maybe I'm just hallucinating). Finding the driver was a whole other ordeal. Let's just say my Mandarin is rusty (okay, nonexistent) and gesturing wildly at people while yelling my hotel name in broken English is not a universal language.
11:00 AM - Hotel Check-in and the Initial "Wow": Finally at the Lakeside Resort Hotel! The lobby is…gorgeous. Like, seriously, Instagram-worthy. The view of Sun Moon Lake from the balcony? Killer. I swear, for a moment, the jet lag actually receded. I'm not gonna lie, I spent a good ten minutes just staring out at the water, feeling all zen and stuff. Maybe this trip won't be a complete disaster after all! Famous Last Words…
12:30 PM - Lunch Disaster: Let's call it that. The hotel restaurant had a lovely view, but the food? Okay, the fish was good! But, really, I should have ordered something else! I'm blaming the jet lag.
2:00 PM - Naptime Bliss: Okay, the jet lag was catching up with me. I crashed for three hours. Pure, unadulterated sleep.
5:00 PM - A Walk (That Turned Chaotic): Decided to venture out for a stroll along the lake. Seems simple enough, right? Wrong! First, I nearly tripped over a rogue puppy (adorable, but still). Then, I got hopelessly turned around, and ended up miles from the hotel, with the sun heading for the horizon and no battery left on my phone. Great. A kindly local (bless him) pointed me in the right direction.
7:00 PM - Dinner Redemption: Back at the hotel, starving. Dinner was a little better than lunch -- the beef noodles were a total comfort food win. Feeling human again.
9:00 PM - Early Night and Hopeful Tomorrow: Passed out in bed. Day one: a mixed bag of beauty, bewilderment, and near-disaster. Let's hope Day two doesn't involve any more puppy-related near-death experiences.
Day 2: Temples, Tea and Terrible Karaoke
8:00 AM - Breakfast of Champions (and regret): Decided to go all out with the breakfast buffet. Donuts are always a bad idea but I did it anyway! But I did enjoy the fresh fruit!
9:00 AM - Wenwu Temple - So. Many. Steps: Okay, this temple is stunning. Seriously, the architecture is phenomenal. But the steps are a killer. I'm pretty sure my glutes have never felt this much pain. The view from the top was worth it though, even if I had to be practically carried up by a particularly strong-looking monk.
11:00 AM - Tea Tasting & Zen Moments (Not!): Visited a local tea house. The tea was delicious, the atmosphere was peaceful… Until I spilled tea all over myself. (Clumsy, thy name is me.) I managed to salvage some serenity, but now my pants smell vaguely of oolong.
1:00 PM - Lunch and Lake Views: Found a cute little cafe overlooking the lake. The food was decent, but the view was the star. For a little while, I just watched the boats on the water and felt… happy.
3:00 PM - The Boat Ride That Almost Wasn't: I booked a boat ride, thinking it'd be a relaxing cruise. Turns out, I'm a terrible sailor. Seasick from the gentle rocking! (I blame the donuts).
6:00 PM - Karaoke Craziness: The hotel had karaoke night. (I thought, how bad can it be?) Turns out, very bad. I bravely volunteered to sing a song (the karaoke system did not, in fact, have the latest from my country) and proceeded to subject everyone to a caterwauling rendition of… well, let's just say it involved a lot of off-key notes. I earned some laughs, at least.
8:00 PM - Dinner and Contemplation: Dinner at the hotel again. Staring at the lake. The view is the only real saving grace today. I'm wondering if this whole "travel blogger" thing is really for me. Maybe I should just stick to eating donuts and watching Netflix.
10:00 PM - Reflection and a Promise: I need a massage. And maybe a vow to never, ever do karaoke again. Tomorrow, I'm going to embrace the relaxation… really, I will!
Day 3: Sunrises, Cycling, and Final Farewell Feels.
6:00 AM - Sunrise Serenade (and a Surprise): Woke up early to catch the sunrise. And it was… spectacular. Like, truly breathtaking. Seriously, worth the early wake-up. But as I was taking in the beauty, a monkey stole my croissant. I didn't expect that!
8:00 AM - Breakfast, Again…and a Decision: More buffet. Again. Decided I need to eat healthier when I get home. Maybe.
9:30 AM - Cycling (Almost Seamlessly): Rented a bike and cycled along the lake. So, so beautiful. Even I, the clumsy one, managed to stay upright! Great views, pure joy.
12:00 PM - Lunch and Lake Views (The Last Time): Had a final lunch overlooking the lake. Sad this is the end.
2:00 PM - Final Hotel Zen and Departure Prep: A final massage. Packing. Looking out at the lake one last time. I never wanted to leave.
4:00 PM - Goodbye, Sun Moon Lake: Saying goodbye, and feeling nostalgic. It's been a mess, but it's my mess.
6:00 PM - Journey Home - The bus to the airport, and the start of the long journey home. Sad to leave, but also looking forward to my bed.
9:00 PM - Arrival and Thoughts: I'll be back. I'll get better at traveling. And I'll find that monkey. And get my croissant back.
Escape to Paradise: Lakeside Luxury in Nantou - Or Did I Actually *Escape*? Let's Be Real...
Okay, so "Lakeside Luxury"... Is it *actually* luxurious? Because "luxury" can be a real crapshoot, you know?
Alright, let's be real. Did it have the *appearance* of luxury? Absolutely. Think gleaming wood, floor-to-ceiling windows framing that misty Sun Moon Lake view (which, by the way, is breathtaking... when the mist cooperates. More on that later.) The lobby? Like, so polished you could practically see your reflection in it… which, confession, I may or may not have spent a little too long doing. I mean, who doesn't love a good, guilt-free self-assessment, right?
However, "luxury" is a tricky beast. The fluffy robes? Divine. The complimentary fruit basket? Gone in, like, five minutes (and I swear, I *tried* to savor that pineapple). Here's where the cracks started to show. The toilet… well, it wasn't *fancy* fancy, you know? No heated seats, no bidet that probably could have washed my sins away. And the air conditioning in the room? A slight hum that could have been a gentle breeze or the prelude to a full-blown tropical storm. Still, complaining felt so ungrateful. I focused on the positive - the *view*.
That view you keep mentioning... Was it *always* magical? Because I've seen marketing photos, and, let's be honest, those things can be as trustworthy as a politician's promise.
Ugh, okay, the view. Prepare for a rollercoaster. The first morning? Absolutely *stunning*. Sun rising over the lake, painting the sky these ridiculous shades of pink and orange… Honestly, I teared up. Yes, I, a grown adult, shed a tiny tear for the natural beauty of Nantou. It was Instagram-worthy, Facebook-worthy, "I'm never leaving this room"-worthy.
The second day? Fog. So thick, you could barely see the balcony. I mean, you could *feel* the humidity, you knew the lake was *there*, but it was like being trapped in a giant, damp cotton ball. Mildly depressing, truth be told. I was so looking forward to more views.
Then came the third day... rain. Buckets. I’d packed a book and a notepad to work on my writing, but even the room felt cold and unfriendly. I started getting the "cabin fever" in my own spacious room. So, the view? It's spectacular. But Mother Nature is a fickle mistress. Plan accordingly.
What about the food? Because a gorgeous view can only get you so far when your stomach's grumbling.
Oh, the food. This is where things get… interesting. The breakfast buffet? A battlefield of choices! Noodles, congee, some sort of mystery meat that tasted vaguely of… something. There was also fresh fruit... which was delightful. The coffee, however, was the kind that makes you question all your life choices. I should have went to the hotel nearby, not going to lie...
Dinner at the hotel restaurant? *Expensive*. I spent a fortune on a meal that was… fine. Perfectly edible. Not a culinary masterpiece that would have me writing home. I think a bowl of instant noodles would have satisfied me more, it was the company. Oh hey, at least there was a dessert bar, I guess. One upside is that it was actually rather delicious, with things like cakes and puddings. I had to remind myself I was on vacation anyway; "treat yourself!"
Okay, the pool… always a deal breaker. Is it a legit pool or a glorified oversized bathtub?
The pool. This was a point of tension, honestly. In the pictures, it's this gorgeous infinity pool overlooking the lake, you know, the whole Instagram fantasy. Reality? Well… the pool was lovely, I'll give it that. But the sun loungers were packed closer together than sardines in a can. Finding a spot felt like winning the lottery. And the noise! Kids splashing, people chatting… it was less “serene oasis” and more “watery playground.”
And, oh, *the sun*. I'd forgotten my sunscreen, and let's just say my shoulders ended up the color of a certain crustacean. Lesson learned: always pack sunscreen. And maybe earplugs. For the kids... and the chatter. Still, the water was nice. Refreshing, even. I ended up spending most of my time at the side of the pool, avoiding the sun. Not precisely what I had in mind when imagining "lakeside luxury".
What about the service? Because even the fanciest room can be ruined by rude staff.
The service was… variable. Some staff members were absolute gems. Smiling, helpful, going above and beyond. These were the people who made you believe this "Escape to Paradise" thing might actually be happening. Other times, well… let's just say there were moments when communication felt like a Herculean effort. It was hard, or I was the problem. I was ready for a proper conversation with staff, yet it just couldn't happen - the language barrier perhaps...
One particular incident stands out. Trying to order room service at 3 AM after a sleepless night (jet lag, you know…). The poor person on the other end of the phone clearly didn't understand a word I was saying. Eventually, after a lot of pointing, gesturing, and a desperate plea in Google Translate, I got… a fruit platter. Not what I wanted, but at that point, I'd have eaten practically anything. So, service? Mostly good, sometimes a bit… challenging. Expect some bumps along the way.
Any tips for getting the most out of the experience? What should I *definitely* do (or *definitely* avoid)?
Okay, here's my brutally honest advice.
Do:
- Embrace the view. Even if it's misty. Even if it's raining. Just… be present.
- Explore the surrounding area. Sun Moon Lake is beautiful, but there's more to Nantou than meets the eye. Hiking, boat trips, and if you're brave, try the local tea. It will make you feel fresh.
- Pack sunscreen! Seriously, I'm still paying the price...
- Try to chillax and lower your expectations. It is what it is.
Don't:
- Expect perfection. It's not going to happen.
- Get too hung up on the "luxury" label. It's a marketing thing.
- Stay in your room all day. Get out and, you know, *do* something.
- Overthink it. Just enjoy.
Ultimately, did I "escape to paradise"? Well, maybe not literally. But did I have a decent, mostly relaxing vacation? Absolutely. Would I recommend it? Yes, with the caveats I've laid out. And maybe, just maybe, plan another vacation.
Nomadic Stays
