Travel: 2012 to 2013 Stay at Hualien11, Hualien, Taiwan

Taiwan is one of my favourite countries to visit. Hence, I became the official planner whenever we plan to visit Taiwan. In 2012, Hualien was on my list because I was attracted by the beautiful sceneries of Taroko Gorge and Pacific Ocean along its highway after watching Welcome To Taiwan on Channel News Asia (CNA).

When it comes to hunting for accommodation, I look for a hostel that is in close proximity to the train station, within our budget, provides good range of facilities (in particular en-suite bathroom and free WiFi) and of a good rating.

Of all the hostels I searched using HostelWorld.com, Hualien11 caught my attention with its 95% ratings. In comparison with a few others of similar ratings, it seems nearest to Hualien train station. Less than 10 minutes walk from the Back Station exit! By the way, this is not a sponsored post (in case you are wondering).

From their Info tab in HostelWorld.com, the list of tours Hualien11 could help to arrange made it even more attractive (save all our time and effort from planning). Its uniquely designed rooms (all rooms come with en-suite bathroom) caught my attention too! Yes, every room is REALLY designed differently.

The room we stayed in 2012 was a family suite (Sorry, forgot to take a picture of the room! But, you can see it from their website[1]. It is the Plato themed room 柏拉圖四人套房). The room we stayed in 2013 is a probably a White Cloud/Blue Sky themed:

Managed to take a picture of another Double Bed room which was probably waiting for its hosteller to arrive:

I must share that we were delighted to find out that Hualien11 is very close to supermarket, 7-11, fruit stalls and vegetarian eateries. So being hungry at Hualien11 might be the last thing you will experience. FYI, Hualien11 is run by Lisa and her son (I call him Little Boss). Though breakfast is not provided for, hang out in the lobby space with Lisa and she might surprise you by sharing a dish or two which she had just cooked or seasonal fruits.

Dining area in the Lobby

I fondly remembered that we arrived after midnight in 2013. Guessing that we were probably famish, she fried us some noodle so that we did not have to sleep on an empty stomach! I have also tasted her dishes when I was not hungry of course. Hence, I can vouch that her culinary skill is pretty good.

Any down side? Probably just that it does not provide you with any scenic view. Also, if you are not a dog person, you should probably inform Lisa beforehand as she has one by the name of Lucky. By the way, they do not have a swimming pool within the building which they listed as one of their facilities under the Facilities tab in HostelWorld.com.

When in Hualien, stay with Lisa and Little Boss at Hualien11. That was how I felt ever since I stayed with them since 2012. Till this date, we still keep in touch with one another. Lisa is indeed a very hospitable person and staying at Hualien11 really makes you feel at home while being overseas.

References:

1. Hualien11
2. Facebook - Hualien11
3. Tripadvisor - RYWsg review of Hualien11