After spending a night in Chin Shan Hotel (青山別館) at the bustling town centre of the Alishan, we made our way to the laid back Alishan 53.1 Homestay at Anding (鞍頂) to stay 1 night. The 53.1 Homestay (53.1 民宿) is a small, cozy home accommodation with only three guest rooms. Although this modest home is situated in the mountainous area, it has a remarkable contemporary design both in the interior and exterior. The unique feature of the 53.1 Homestay is they chose to use full height glass panels as their wall and window, this allows the beauty of the surrounding nature to be brought into the home while keeping the ever changing weather immovably outside.
Room With A View
We stayed in the 53.2 Double Room. The spacious room and the full height glass window wall were true to the images shown in the 53.1 Homestay's website. The room features a very comfortable king size bed and a sofa bed which is very ideal for hanging out a lazy afternoon. The other room facilities are television with cable, closet hairdryer, bathroom accessories, rain shower with toilet, bath and hair shampoo, bottled water, instant tea and coffee. The cons are the room doesn't have any soundproofing, and it can be quite noisy if there is a big group of hikers gathered at the pavilion right beside the house. No matter what, we still love our room a lot because we really enjoyed looking out of the panoramic window and stared at the scenery out there. On the ground floor, there is a common living room with a shelf of books, a dining room and a lovely garden with a mountain view.
Excellent Service
Their service was excellent. The owner was very friendly and extremely helpful; providing us all the information like what to do, where to eat and how to get to places and etc. I was really impressed by how thoughtful and caring the owner was when he saw K.K. slightly sprained her ankle while walking down the steps, he immediately rushed to get some ointment and applied for her. Other than that, they also provide breakfast for all the guests. The breakfast was healthy cooked and delectable; the vegetables and fruits were very crisp and fresh, and our favourite egg drop soup was very tasteful. (They can also cater for different dietary needs, you just have to ask them.)
Great Location
The 53.1 Homestay is located on the route to many beautiful places in the Alishan National Scenic Area; on top of that, there is a bus stop (Anding . 鞍頂) right outside the Homestay which you can use to travel around the Alishan conveniently.
These are the places of interest that you can easily reach when you stay at the 53.1 Homestay:
1. Eryanping Hiking Trail (二延平步道)
The hiking trail is right beside the 53.1 Homestay. Click here for Map
2. Tea Plantation
The Tea Plantation is right beside the 53.1 Homestay. Click here for Map
3. Xiding Observation Deck (隙頂觀景台)
The Xiding Observation Deck for the sunrise is just 5mins walk away. Click here for Map
4. Xiding Eryanping Hiking Trail Viewpoint (隙頂二延平步道觀雲平台)
The Xiding Eryanping Hiking Trail Viewpoint for the sunset and sea of clouds is around 45mins hike away. Click here for Map
5. Night View of Chiayi City Observation Platform
The Observation Platform is right beside the 53.1 Homestay. Click here for Map
6. Fenqihu (奮起湖)
The Fenqihu which is famous for the old street, train station and railway lunch box is around 30mins driving distance away. Click here for Map
7. Alishan (阿里山)
The Alishan which is famous for the sunrise, forest and the scenic railway is around 60mins driving distance away. Click here for Map
Where To Eat
The only drawback is the location doesn't have much choice for food, and your best bet should be the Old Times Taste Restaurant (古早味餐廳) which is around 5mins walk away. Surprisingly, this family run restaurant serves delicious home cooked dishes and the taste was really authentic. Click here for Map
We love how the 53.1 Homestay has a very clean, calm and conducive living environment in a great location where you can keep a distance away from the tourist crowds in Alishan. Also, their services are exceptionally good, and not forgetting the room with a superb view. The overall standard of the 53.1 Homestay was excellent, we will certainly be staying here again. Our plan is to come back again during winter to watch the sea of clouds!
<< Alishan 53.1 Homestay . 阿里山53.1民宿 >>
Address: No 78-6, Siding, Fanlu Township, Chiayi County, Taiwan
Mobile: +886-937350191
Tel: +886-5-2586263
Related Posts:
- The Alishan Forest Railway
- 4 Must-Eat Food In Fenqihu
- 8 Places For The Soul-Satisfying Local Food In Taipei
Written by: Q.J.
Photography by: Q.J. & K.K.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog very helpful and informative. I am also planning a trip to Alishan and is also staying at the same place.
I just have a couple of questions that hopefully you can clarify:
1. Do you have any recommendations on how the route should be to take all the trails in 53.1 homestay? All seems interesting and we want to maximize our stay there.
2. Are there enough lights to guide us during the night time? Or is it too dark to go through the trails for the night view?
3. What are the activities or scenic spots in Fenqihu?
4. I saw that you traveled through train in visiting all the spots in Alishan. While there are some posts that says the Alisha Forest Train only stops at Fenqihu. Are you referring to a different train?
5. Does the Alishan Forest Train really only travel once a day at 9am?
6. Is walking the whole Alishan National Park doable (instead of riding the train)? What is the best route to take? How long did it take you to explore the whole national park?
Sorry for asking a lot of questions!
Thank you very much!
Hi traveler,
DeleteThanks for visiting our blog.
Here's the answer to your questions:
1. Do you have any recommendations on how the route should be to take all the trails in 53.1 homestay? All seems interesting and we want to maximize our stay there.
> You may take the route just right beside the 53.1 Homestay and go all the way up to the Xiding Eryanping Hiking Trail Viewpoint (refer to no.4 in this post). Along this route you will walk through the bamboo grove, tea plantation, and finally the viewpoint for sunset. Before it turns dark, you may quickly head back to 53.1 homestay.
2. Are there enough lights to guide us during the night time? Or is it too dark to go through the trails for the night view?
> I suggest you do the trails before sunset. If you like to catch the night view of the Chiayi City, you can go to the viewing platform (refer to no.5 in this post) also right beside 53.1 homestay.
3. What are the activities or scenic spots in Fenqihu?
> You can walk around the old street, try out some of the famous foods, 星空童話木屋 the filming location of a movie, Fenqihu Train Station and etc. Half a day should be enough to cover the interesting places.
4. I saw that you traveled through train in visiting all the spots in Alishan. While there are some posts that says the Alisha Forest Train only stops at Fenqihu. Are you referring to a different train?
> Yes, the Main Line run from Chiayi to Fenqihu, from there you need to take a bus to Alishan. After you reached Alishan, you can use the other 3 lines to explore around the Alishan National Park.
5. Does the Alishan Forest Train really only travel once a day at 9am?
> For the Main Line, there is only 1 train per day which depart at 9am (except on sat, sun and public holidays, there is another train which depart at 10am). But for the other 3 lines at the Alishan National Park, the trains run quite frequency throughout the day.
6. Is walking the whole Alishan National Park doable (instead of riding the train)? What is the best route to take? How long did it take you to explore the whole national park?
> You may consider explore the national park by foot and return by train ride or vice versa. For us, we took 1 afternoon to explore Shenmu area, then the next morning go for the sunrise and explore the rest of the national park. 1 or 1.5 days should be enough.
We hope the information provided is useful.
You're most welcome!
Enjoy your trip in Alishan! =)
This definitely helps us a lot! I have been fixing the itinerary for Alishan for some time now and this makes it so much easier!
DeleteThank you and cheers to endless traveling! :)
May I ask how you make reservation for this homestay, I was not able to find any information on the availability and the cost for a 2 night stay from the internet- none from tripadvisor, agoda, hotel.com or hotel.com.
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteI made my reservation with them via email.
You can visit their website to check on the pricing or drop them an email.
Hello! Will be going there on March. Would you know if there are nearby restaurants in the homestay so we could plan our lunch and dinner? Thank you for this blog entry! It helped a lot!
ReplyDeleteHi!
DeleteWelcome!
During my visit, there was a restaurant opened until night time around 7pm. It is just 5mins walk away; walk south along the main road in front of the homestay.
For lunch, I suggest you eat somewhere else like Shizhuo, Fenqihu, Alishan or Chiayi.
We hope you enjoy your trip in Alishan! ;)
Hi! Will be leaving for Taiwan next week and couldn't be more excited.
DeleteThank you so much for these tips! We will take not of it.
By the way, have you finished the Eryanping Trail? We were also planning to go there. But there are blogs saying it was so steep and they weren't able to reach the peak. Is it worth it to finish the trail?
Hi!
DeleteNice to hear from you again.
Yes, I have finished the Eryanping Trail. It is not very steep actually; I would say the first few km are slightly tough if you don't hike very often; once you get out of the bamboo grove, you will be rewarded with some spectacular views.
Sorry, I'm not sure whether your peak is it referring to the sunset view point? If yes, it is reachable and it is definitely worth going.
Please do your trail leisurely, do carry some water with you in case you need it. I'm sure you will enjoy the trail.
Looking forward to hear from your Taiwan trip! Do share with us your experience after your trip.
Travel safe and enjoy!!
Hi, could you help me with information? My husband & I will be going to Alishan in early July, but will be taking the train (hopefully) from Chiayi to Fenchihu (I read so much good things about this train), so how can we get to this 53.1 from Fenchihu? Also, how do we go to the Alishan national park from here? After Alishan, we had planned to take the Yuanlin bus directly to Sun Moon Lake.
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteHow's your planning?
From Fenchihu:
Option A - Take the direct bus number 7302 or 7322 to An Ding (Bus Stop for 53.1 Homestay). Make sure you take the direction toward Chiayi. Do check with the bus driver before boarding.
Option B (more frequency) - Take any bus numbers (including direction toward Alishan) to ShiZhuo, and change to bus number 7322, 7314, 7302 to An Ding (Bus Stop for 53.1 Homestay). Make sure you take the direction toward Chiayi when you are in ShiZhuo.
From An Ding (Bus Stop for 53.1 Homestay) to Alishan:
> Take bus number 7322 or 7329 to Alishan Bus Station. Make sure you take the direction toward Alishan.
I hope these information will be useful for you!
Ok i have another question now. Is there a way for me to check the frequency/ timetable of the buses? I saw your blog, such nice photos & details. Thank you.
DeleteI have also been unable to get a link to book the lodging. Is there a website I can go to?
DeleteHi,
DeleteThanks for checking out our photos.
For the timetable of the buses, you may check out the following website: http://www.cybus.gov.tw/home.aspx
Or you can check the timetable of the buses at Chiayi Bus Station (beside the Chiayi Railway Station) when you are there.
I think their website is currently down. Would you like to try sending them an email?
harchy.lily@msa.hinet.net
May I know do u have direct email for 53.1 homestay? And also care to advice how much per night stay at there?
ReplyDeleteThanks in advance
DeleteHi,
DeleteYou may try this email: harchy.lily@msa.hinet.net
The Room Rate per night is around NT3000.
Enjoy your trip in Alishan!
Hello :)
ReplyDeleteI'm planning to visit Taiwan in early September and this place looks like a cool place to stay at! If I want to visit Alishan (including catching the sunrise) and Fengqihu area, how many days should I stay here? Also, are there any other nearby places that are worth visiting?
Hello =)
DeleteFor this place, you can stay 1 or 2 days.
Shizhuo has many tea plantations with good scenery, which is very near to this place.
If you want to catch an Alishan sunrise, I would recommend you should stay around Alishan train station because you have to wake up very early to catch the first train to the sunrise viewing point.
How do I contact the homestay as the website is not available now.
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteYou can try to drop them an email: harchy.lily@msa.hinet.net
Enjoy your trip in Alishan!
Hi, We will be traveling to Alishan End Nov.
ReplyDeleteMay i know how many hours needed to hike 二延平步道 and Tea Plantation?
Can we book mini van from Taichung and drive directly to 53.1 Minsu?
Can we drive mini van to Alishan instead of Bus ride?
Looking forward to hear from you :)
Hi There!
DeleteGive yourself at least 2 to 3 hours for 二延平步道 and Tea Plantation.
Minivan services in Taiwan are quite plentiful, I believe you can book one in Taichung easily.
Yes, you can use a minivan to Alishan instead of bus ride, especially if you are traveling in a big group then minivan will be ideal. Do consider taking the train ride from Chiayi to Fenqihu or vice versa, since Alishan train ride is one of the main highlights.
Enjoy your trip! =)
Read up more:
http://endlesstravelingmap.blogspot.sg/2016/07/travel-alishan-forest-railway-taiwan.html
http://endlesstravelingmap.blogspot.sg/2016/08/food-4-must-eat-food-in-fenqihu-taiwan.html
Hi there! Thanks for this helpful recommendation for Alishan and Chiayi. I will be visiting with my family this December and staying in Alishan for a night. We would love to watch the sea of clouds and sunrise, visit a tea farm, and do some hiking. We will be there for 1.5 days (arriving early morning on day 1, and leaving evening day 2). Would you recommend staying in 531, or staying at Alishan Hotel instead? I'd appreciate your input! :)
ReplyDeleteHi!
DeleteSince you planning to watch a sunrise, it's better for you to stay at a hotel near Alishan Railway Station. And you don't have to worry about the transport arrange early in the morning.
If you have one more night to spare, then maybe you can consider 53.1 :)
Have a great trip!
Hi!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the wonderful write-up!
May I know for the return journey from 53.1 Minsu to Chiayi - what bus do we take, and how long would the journey be?
Thanks!
Hi,
DeleteAll buses from Anding (53.1 Minsu) go to Chiayi bus station (right beside Chiayi Train station). The ride should take around 2.5hrs.
Hi! Me and family will be in Taiwan this May and although, I usually prefer DIY travels, Alishan was far too confusing and complicated for me that I have almoat thought I have no choice but to book the more pricey tour packages. Good thing I found this blog. Thank you for the very informative post.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you could comment/suggest on my planned itinerary: Chiayi - Fenqihu via train then an 8hour private hire to see Alishan(sacred tree, sister pond, waterfalls and eternity brdige then sea of clouds with sunset then be dropped off at 53.1 homestay. Next day, see sunrise from Xiding viewing point. Check-out around 11 since the whole afternoon shall be dedicated to touring National Chung Cheng University. Please advise if my 8hr hire will be too cramped if I planned to see all the above sites and still checkin at 53.1.
Also, is there a nearby hot springs nearby the homestay or even in Chiayi center?
Thank you in advance.
Hi,
DeleteThanks for reading our post. =)
> Chiayi - Fenqihu via train (If you buying the ticket on the spot, there is a chance that the tickets might be sold out). Also, do check on the train timetable and see what time the train will reach Fenqihu, this is to ensure you have enough time for the 8 hours private hire.
> Since you are going to alight at Fenqihu Train Station, do give yourself at least 1 hour to explore the small town and enjoy some local eats. Read up more: http://endlesstravelingmap.blogspot.sg/2016/08/food-4-must-eat-food-in-fenqihu-taiwan.html
> I believe 8 hours private hire to see all the things that you have mentioned can be done, though its kind of rush.
> For sunset, you can consider doing it at Xiding Eryanping Hiking Trail Viewpoint
> For hot springs, you can try Guanziling Hot Springs, but it a bit off your route.
Hope you and your family enjoy the Taiwan Trip!
Travel Safe!
Hi
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post. If you dodnt mind helping to answer few of our questions, we d very appreciate for your inputs. We re planning our trip in this up comimg december in alishan.
1) We d love to see the sunset view with cloud sea (hopefully we ll be able to see that),but we kinda confuse if "Xiding Eryanping Hiking Trail" and "Eryanping Trail" are the same route trail or different routes. And what time should we start our trail (we re not experiemce hiker, so guess we kindly slow) to catch sun set on time? And What time we need to leave back? Will it be too dangerous when coming down while the sun already set?
2) Is the bus frequent within this areas? We ll be stayimg at B&B which is around 30m away from this place from bus, But we re not sure if we can catch bus at any time or need to be cautious of bus infrequemt time. Where can we find information on bus timetable, and will it available im english?
Thanks in advanced for helping to answer these queries.
Cheers
Hi,
DeleteYou're most welcome!
1) As long as you are talking about Eryanping Trail, both are the same. From this homestay, give yourself 2 hours to hike to the sunset viewing point. Considering you might take some break or take pictures along the way. For going back, if you using the same route, non stop hiking back should take less than an hour. Regards on the time, you have to estimate based on the sunset timing on that day itself. I would suggest you can slowly walk back once the sun is set.
2) There are a few buses running from Chiayi to Shizhuo, Fenqihu and Alishan, all these buses will go pass Anding (Alishan 53.1 Homestay). For the bus frequency, maybe 30mins to 1hr from my experience during my visit? For the timetable, you can try their official website: http://www.cybus.gov.tw/
Enjoy your trip around Alishan! It's a beautiful destination.
Wow, your advices help us alot. Many thanks :)
ReplyDeleteWelcome! Have Fun! =)
Deletehi...sorry to bother you. i am planning for a short stop and do eryanping trail when coming down from alishan by bus. notstaying overnight. is 3-4 hours sufficient? when we want to return to chiayi from anding by bus, where do we buy the ticket? on the spot? hope you can help. found this trail last minute and it is so irresistable.
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteNo worries =)
3-4 hours is sufficient, if you planning to catch a sunset, then you have to time yourself.
For the ticket, you can pay on spot, anyway I strongly recommend you to get the EasyCard, it will be very convenient when you move around using the public transport.
Enjoy the scenic trail!
Have fun!
Hi. A few quick questions... How much is this place? I have to ask, as I am a backpacker and budget is an issue. Two, is there any transport from the railway at Fenqihu to 53.1?
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing on the place. It makes me eager to try out the place.
Wonderful pic of the city at night. Beautiful.
Hi,
DeleteAround 2500NT to 3500NT per night, that was in 2016.
From Fenchihu:
Option A - Take a direct bus number 7302 or 7322 to An Ding (Bus Stop for 53.1 Homestay). Make sure you take the direction toward Chiayi. Do check with the bus driver before boarding.
Option B (more frequency) - Take any other bus numbers (including direction toward Alishan) to ShiZhuo, and change to bus number 7322, 7314, 7302 to An Ding (Bus Stop for 53.1 Homestay). Make sure you take the direction toward Chiayi when you are in ShiZhuo.
Enjoy your travel in Alishan!
Hi,
ReplyDeletemay I check with you if public bus is possible from Chiayi to the homestay with a check in luggage with me? As I will be heading to Kaoshiung thereafter so I got to have my luggage with me.
Thank you!
Hi,
DeleteThe public bus that we took is a big bus, so I believe traveling with your luggage should be fine.
Enjoy your Taiwan trip!
Hi, may l know does Yuan Lin bus no.6739 from Sun Moon Lake reach 53.1 homestay？
DeleteIs there a train ride from FenQiHu to ChiaYi daily. What is the time schedule like and can we still get ticket before the train departs or advance booking is needed.。
How to get to Kaosiung from the train station arrive in Chiayi.
Thank you for ur response
Hi Unknown,
DeleteI dont think there is direct public buses from Sun Moon Lake to 53.1 Homestay. You have to go to Chiayi first.
For the train timetable, you can try this website: https://afrts.forest.gov.tw/TP01_1.aspx
From Chiayi to Kaohsiung, you can take the HSR.
Hope this helps.
Have a nice trip!