One of the first books our baby, Juniper, received, was her passport book. We've been itching to get her some stamps in it! Taiwan was at the top of our list for a family-friendly retreat from our cold November, to the hot tropics. Compared to other hot-spot travel destinations it is comparatively untraveled by Westerners. Every other person we talked to about our trip at home would send us off with a, "Have a nice trip in Thailand!" Except for the rare Westerner we would spot in Taipei, almost all the tourists we met around the island were vacationing Chinese or Taiwanese. Even the tourism from China has been ebbing due to the nations' recent stare-down. That has meant we haven't needed to wait in lines at restaurants, book train tickets days in advance, or even share a hotel swimming pool with a stranger. Of course, this will all change once the secret about this little paradise gets out. For now, we are glad to luxuriate under the shadow of confusion that Thailand's reputation casts, and visit a country that feels like a cultural getaway in the tropics, but where it is not only safe, but one is encouraged to wander the streets at night jabbing a spoon at an icy slurry of sweet beans and soft tofu. Also, malaria vaccines are unneeded. And did we mention the beautiful sunshine and endless hot springs?
After landing in Taipei, we started our loop around the island with a stop at Sun Moon Lake.
Quiz: Sun Moon Lake's biggest draw is its: (a) stunning natural beauty, (b) traditional pagodas and temples, (c) famous boiled tea eggs, or (e) all of the above.
If you picked an answer with tea eggs, surprisingly, you would not be alone. Every time we've visited Sun Moon Lake, the first thing my family wants to do is to go buy some famous tea eggs made by an equally famous grandma. They are a wonderful travel snack -- boiled in spicy cauldrons of black tea, mushrooms, and secrets, creating a treat that is salty and creamy, with a beautiful marbled exterior. Juniper enjoyed sitting on the dock, munching away on her yummy morsel!
After a long afternoon exploring the lake, we checked into our hotel, Fuli Hot Spring Resort. (This brand new hotel invited us to stay with them, knowing we would broadcast our thoughts from a family travel point of view.) Taiwan is famous for their hot springs, in addition to pretty much every major destination around the island, you can now get a good soak at Sun Moon Lake, and it is highly recommended. They have gorgeous outdoor pools, with different temperatures and depths (great for baby exploration and play!). Our room also had a luxurious private hot spring bath, so you can soak and rest for as long as you please... and then roll straight into bed! Fuli also really looks out for guests with little ones -- there was a crib in our room, baby bath, and bottle warmer. Downstairs there's even a playroom, with structures to play on and endless Legos to build with. The dinner and breakfast buffet was endless, with Western and Taiwanese options. While definitely a splurge, Fuli makes traveling with a baby simple and luxurious.
Next up -- we continue our trip to the very southern tip of Taiwan to Kenting National Park! Stay tuned for photos and stories. A highlight? Wild monkeys!
我们的孩子，Juniper，收到的第一本书之一，是她的护照簿。我们一直在瘙痒得到她的一些邮票！台湾是我们名单的首要之一，为了从11月的寒冷到热带热带地区的家庭友好的撤退。与其他热点旅游目的地相比，西方人相对来说没有旅行。每一个我们谈论我们的旅行在家里的其他人会送我们一个，“在泰国有一个愉快的旅行！除了罕见的西方人，我们会在台北发现，几乎所有的游客，我们在岛上遇到的假期中国或台湾。即使来自中国的旅游业由于国家最近的盯着，一直在衰落。这意味着我们不需要在餐厅排队等候，提前几天预订火车票，甚至与陌生人共用一个酒店游泳池。当然，这一切都将改变，一旦这个小天堂的秘密出来了。现在，我们很高兴在泰国的名声所造成的混乱的影子之下，在热带地区参观一个感觉像一个文化遗迹的国家，但是它不仅是安全的，而且鼓励他们在晚上嘲笑街道勺子在甜豆和软的豆腐冰冷的浆糊。此外，疟疾疫苗是不需要的。我们提到了美丽的阳光和无尽的温泉游泳吗？
在台北登陆后，我们开始绕着岛上的日落，停在日月潭。
测验：日月潭最大的景点是：（a）惊人的自然美景，（b）传统的佛塔和寺庙，（c）着名的煮茶蛋，或（e）上述所有。
如果你选择茶蛋，令人惊讶的是，你不会孤独。每次我们访问日月潭，我家人要做的第一件事是去买一些着名的茶蛋由一个同样着名的奶奶。他们是一个美妙的旅行小吃 - 煮在辣的大锅的红茶，创造一个咸和奶油，美丽的大理石外观的治疗。瞻博网络真的很喜欢坐在码头上，嚼着她的美味小菜！
经过漫长的下午探索湖泊后，我们进入了我们的酒店福丽温泉度假村。 （这家全新的酒店邀请我们与他们在一起，知道我们将从家庭旅行的角度广播我们的想法。）台湾以其温泉而闻名，除了几乎每个主要目的地在岛上，你现在可以在日月潭很好的浸泡，强烈推荐。他们有华丽的室外游泳池，不同的温度和深度（伟大的婴儿探索和玩！）。我们的房间也有一个豪华的私人温泉浴，所以你可以浸泡和休息，只要你请...，然后直接滚进床！富利也真的看到小的客人 - 有一个在我们的房间，婴儿浴室和瓶暖和的婴儿床。楼下甚至有一个游戏室，结构上玩和无尽的乐高建立。晚餐和自助早餐是无止境的，与西方和台湾的选择。虽然绝对是一个爆炸，福利让与宝宝旅行简单和豪华。
接下来 - 我们继续我们的旅行到台湾的南端到垦丁国家公园！请关注照片和故事。一个亮点？野生猴子！
xoxo,
Ariel + Sam + Juniper