Family Trips
Family Fun at Water Parks – Enjoyable for All Ages
In summer, water activities are a must at amusement parks, but not all water rides are suitable for the whole family. Some are too scary or challenging, deterring many families from joining in. Vicki, an amusement park enthusiast who has explored various parks across Taiwan, says: “While water rides can be thrilling, Janfusun Fancyworld stands out as the most family-friendly water park. Compared to the heart-pounding G5 ride at Janfusun, the water attractions here are much more laid-back.”
Family Tree Planting: A Low-Carbon Tour by Train and Boat in Shuangxi
To promote a low-carbon lifestyle and encourage environmental and water conservation, the New Taipei City Government, the Yu Chi-chung Cultural and Educational Foundation, and the Shuangxi District Office launched the “Shuangxi Train & Boat Low-Carbon Tour” themed Forest Life Day. Participants included New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu, Yu Chi-chung Cultural and Educational Foundation Chairman Yu Fan-ying, Deputy Executive Director Lin Sheng-fen, Council of Agriculture Forestry Bureau Director-General Lee Tao-sheng, and Shuangxi District Chief Chen Shih-ming. Eric Chu said in his speech that Shuangxi boasts beautiful natural surroundings, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, with no industrial pollution and surrounded by green mountains and clear waters — making it an ideal destination for family leisure trips. He noted that visitors can definitely get more than their money’s worth by sightseeing in Shuangxi on holidays. Lin Sheng-fen added that Shuangxi not only has beautiful mountains, clean water, and fresh air, but also safe, pesticide-free agricultural products. Starting in March, the city government has been guiding 30 local farmers to plant crops on 17 hectares of land.
Explore Taiwan – A Family Trip to Sanying with Hands-On Fun
Located near the Yingge Ceramics Museum, the Sanying Art Village opened last month with a focus on children's art education. Covering an area of over 3 hectares, it features several large outdoor art landscapes that visitors can explore up close, as well as adorable animal-themed ceramic pieces to engage young children. The area also includes bike paths, allowing visitors to ride bicycles throughout the entire village. Inside, in addition to regular exhibitions, there are four workshops that have attracted dozens of artists. Through a variety of DIY activities, visitors can experience the joy of life and art through hands-on creation.
Nearby Attractions – Sunflower Lake Farm: Family Fun in Nature
As soon as the little lambs at Sunflower Lake Farm make an appearance, their adorable sounds fill the air. The farm is located on the hills of Jinshan, nestled against the mountains and overlooking the sea, covering an area of six hectares. It has two camping areas, is close to Yangmingshan National Park, offers fresh air and clean water, and grows a variety of vegetables. Visitors can enjoy barbecues and hot pot here. The owner, Qiu Hongpeng, used to work at a construction company in the city. After retiring, he moved to Jinshan with his wife and children to enjoy a rural lifestyle. Dad takes care of building the campsite, Mom warmly welcomes visitors, and their surfing-loving son, Ama, became an ecology teacher. He raises fireflies himself, leads kids on nighttime nature walks, searches for small fish and shrimp in streams, and keeps three little sheep. Father and son built a wooden sheep pen together to make it easy for children to feed the sheep. When you come to our farm for a barbecue, you don’t need to bring anything—the wooden tables come with built-in grills that are very convenient and won’t burn your hands. For camping, you only need to...
Summer Family Trip to Macau – Have FUN
As the scorching summer heat arrives and the school holidays draw near, why not head to Macau this year to experience the ICE FUN World Ice Sculpture Exhibition, where temperatures drop to minus 8 degrees Celsius to challenge your limits of cool. Meanwhile, the Macao Science Center has launched a brand-new animated dome show — Night on the Galactic Railroad, allowing children to learn about astronomy through a short animated story, making their summer homework anything but ordinary. Asia’s largest ice sculpture exhibition — ICE FUN World, which was successfully held last year, returns for its second edition at Hall F of the Venetian Macao’s Cotai Expo. This new ice attraction features over 10,000 blocks of ice carved by 50 ice sculptors, offering visitors an immersive journey through an 18,000-square-meter venue that brings the vibrant world of snow to life. ICE FUN World is open daily from noon to 8:00 p.m. from now until September 16. Tickets are priced at
Overseas Family Trips – Explore the Ice Palace & Marvel at the Galaxy
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Kickboxing, building blocks – hotels bring fun to summer
Exercise your limbs and your mind too. To embrace the summer sports season, hotel operators have launched parent-child taekwondo camps and aqua aerobics programs, while resort hotels have created creative block play zones for family fun—getting both the body and brain moving after physical activity. This summer, both the international brand Regent and the in-house brand Silks (both under the Regent Group) have designed various parent-child summer camp activities. This year, Regent is focusing on promoting new family values, planning exclusive summer accommodation packages and courses for local families, aiming to encourage parent-child trips, multi-generational fun, and creating lasting holiday memories together. Among them, in response to the London Olympics in mid-July, Taipei Regent has introduced Olympic-themed parent-child taekwondo and aqua aerobics classes. By booking the hotel’s “2012 Summer Promotion Stay Package,” each person (age 7 and above) can join both programs for just NT$200. The sessions start from July 14, and classes begin daily as long as there are at least four reservations. For non-guests, the fee is NT$1,000 per person, making it a premium summer camp experience.
Travel Across Taiwan – What’s New in New Taipei City: Sightseeing Factories Like Amusement Parks
Sightseeing factories are popping up one after another. Since the beginning of this year, New Taipei City has welcomed three new ones, each with its own unique appeal. Wei Ge Biscuit Factory invited the design team behind the Expo Dream Pavilion to invest NT$300 million in creating the Pineapple Cake Dream Factory. A Little Sweet Bakery Workshop has built a happiness castle, with thoughtful designs tailored for children at every turn. Jade Beauty Maternity Wear Sightseeing Factory is dedicated to sharing pregnancy knowledge with first-time parents. All are perfect for couples and families to visit together. ★For more travel reports by Huang Jialin, visit http://blog.chinatimes.com/motr avel/
Twin boys serve tea as single mom fights back tears
Most families assisted by the Miaoli Family Service Center are single-parent or intergenerational households, where parents not only take on the role of the absent parent but also bear heavy financial burdens. On the eve of Mother’s Day, the center organized parent-child interactive games, allowing disadvantaged families to temporarily set aside their daily worries and enjoy warm, quality time together. The Miaoli Family Service Center currently supports 777 families, including 100 headed by single fathers and 440 by single mothers. This year, for the first time, it invited single parents and grandparents to join a “Parent-Child Day Trip,” with 78 households and over 240 people participating. Together, they folded paper carnations in a heartwarming scene. Chen Henghui, who has taken on both parental roles to raise her twin boys alone, doesn’t want her children to lack love and care from one side of the family. She began collecting information on parenting education lectures to learn how to better raise her kids. She said:
Evergreen Phoenix Hotel in Jiaosi: Family Fun with Kids Stay Free
Located in Jiaosi, the Evergreen Phoenix Hotel is launching the “Family Fun with Kids Stay Free” promotion in response to the Yilan County Green Expo. From now until May 20, every room booked comes with three free Green Expo tickets and accommodates one child under 115–150 cm (or under 12 years old) for free (child does not occupy a bed). The regular weekday rate is NT$9,288 per room. The Evergreen Phoenix Hotel (Jiaosi) has always embraced an eco-interaction philosophy. This year, it is preparing more immersive experiences to allow guests to enjoy the spring charm of Lanyang. For example, on March 5, which marks the Awakening of Insects — the third of the 24 solar terms signifying the start of spring thunder and the sprouting of all things — the hotel takes guests to Erlong Village in Jiaosi, famous for its dragon boat races. Here, they roll up their sleeves and experience real rural farm life. The hotel states that it offers dozens of free activities based on the solar terms, hoping guests will step outdoors, connect with nature, and enjoy travel that is both educational and full of life’s artistry.
Traveling Around Taiwan – A Fun-Filled Alpaca Encounter on a Family Trip to Hualien
Commonly known as "grass mud horse," alpacas have such goofy expressions that they’re simply adorable and super cute. In fact, alpacas aren’t only found in Taichung—three years ago, the Papaya Creek Farm in Hualien also introduced them, though the farm wasn’t open to the public, allowing only guests to view and feed them. Huang Wen-ren, the farm owner who suffers from a rare disease, laughed and said that looking at the alpacas’ silly faces puts him in a great mood, as they have a healing effect on people. Following Provincial Highway 9 to the 213k mark and turning under Papaya Creek Bridge, after looping around the farmland a few times, you’ll find the legendary alpaca farm. The hospitable owner, Huang Wen-ren, warmly welcomes guests, personally feeding the alpacas, introducing the ecological pond, and giving tours of the bird-watching garden. Despite his mobility challenges, he sometimes even takes visitors on tours around Hualien. Because he fell in love with the natural beauty of Hualien, Huang Wen-ren and his wife moved here from Taipei to open a homestay. But the introduction of alpacas was actually...
Travelers on Self-Guided Trips — Spring Flavors of Coffee and Cuisine in Yunlin
The mango green tunnel in Douliu, Yunlin County, is currently in bloom, while the aroma of Gukeng coffee and Huashan tea gardens fills the air. Such beautiful scenery and delicious treats make it worthwhile to exit the freeway when passing by National Freeway No. 2, embarking on a fresh spring adventure. Regular travelers on National Freeway No. 2 will notice, as they approach the Douliu and Gukeng interchanges, a smiling Maitreya Buddha seated atop the mountain in the distance, giving drivers an instinctive sense of being watched over and safe. Take advantage of your weekend break to explore the traffic-free Douliu, enjoy its natural beauty, and treat your taste buds. The Maitreya Buddha is located at Hushan Rock, a solemn and bustling place of worship. The Hushan Temple beneath it was built in the 3rd year of Emperor Yongzheng’s reign during the Qing Dynasty. The temple features a two-story palatial structure, exuding grandeur. The main hall downstairs enshrines Guanyin Bodhisattva, while the upper floor’s Mahavira Hall houses a Thai jade Buddha, solemn and majestic. It usually attracts many worshippers who come to pray.
Big Break with Triple Gifts: Let’s Have Fun Together
The Taipei Children’s Month kicked off on the 19th, unveiling three major gifts: the joyful Big Break, free rides on the Maokong Gondola during Children’s Day, and the “Let’s Have Fun Together” arts event. In addition, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin joined the kids in a basketball dance, while the Principals’ Band performed the song “Happy Sailing” to celebrate the festival. Hau added an extra gift by extending regular class breaks from 10 minutes to 20 minutes on every break day leading up to Children’s Day on April 3rd—dubbed the “Big Break.” Additionally, the “Free Rides on the Maokong Gondola During Children’s Day” offers 17 social education institutions and cultural organizations’ discount programs, allowing families to enjoy fun activities in Taipei throughout April. The Maokong Gondola has launched a special promotion for Children’s Month: children under elementary school age can get their gondola ride ticket stamped at the station during April and exchange it for a “Free Child Ride Coupon,” which allows unlimited free rides on the day of issue. The third major gift is the “Let’s Have Fun Together” event on Children’s Day, April 4th.
Family Fun – The Sicao Green Tunnel, a Pocket-sized Amazon
Birdwatching doesn’t have to mean waiting in one spot. Take a bamboo raft along the waterways of Tainan’s Sicao Green Tunnel and effortlessly enjoy the mangroves and wild birds in this wildlife reserve – it’s like an exciting ecological classroom, perfect for family trips. The Sicao Green Tunnel is made up of species such as nipa palm, Kandelia obovata, Lumnitzera racemosa, and Avicennia marina. It’s the only place in Taiwan where you can see all four types of mangrove in one spot. The dense greenery forms a tunnel-like canopy, earning it the nickname “pocket-sized Amazon.” Herons and kingfishers occasionally make appearances, while many migratory birds visit for the winter. Mudskippers, fiddler crabs, and beach fleas are the permanent residents. According to tour guide Weng Ming-jiao, these days public infrastructure projects often rely on BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) models, but actually, the Sicao Green Tunnel is the earliest example of one. In the Qing Dynasty, merchants from the provincial capital invested in building an artificial canal to facilitate cargo transport. At that time, the canal was as wide as 1 kilometer, until...
Consumer News – Odor Children’s Painting Competition: Grand Prize is a Disney Family Trip
The Odor Children’s Art Award “I Paint for the Earth” National Painting Competition kicks off today, April 1st, and will award over 500 prizes including a Hong Kong Disneyland family trip, Loku Farm Eco Lodge, E-DA World, Joy English, and Kingstone Bookstore. Odor stated that elementary school students interested in participating can pick up entry forms at any Odor Furniture or Youwo Solid Wood store across Taiwan starting today, and submit their completed artwork to the store by the 30th. The preliminary round will select the top 100 entries via Facebook voting, followed by expert judging. The final results, combining online and on-site voting scores, will be announced on June 7th.
Celebrate Children's Day: National Museum of Taiwan History Invites Families for a Fun Day Out
The National Museum of Taiwan History is hosting a series of Children's Day family activities from April 4 to 6. In addition to free admission for children under 12, the museum is offering half-price rental for personal audio guides (originally NT$100, now NT$50), a complimentary Children's Day–exclusive jelly with every combo meal ordered in the snack area, and 20% off on limited-edition items in the museum shop. The Children's Day family activities planned by the museum include a popular timed puppet show, hands-on DIY workshops such as making windmills, bamboo chopstick guns, paper frisbees, as well as an eco-guided tour paired with natural material collage art. All Children's Day family activities are free of charge, though some have limited spots and require early on-site registration. For more details, please visit the official website at http://www.nmth.gov.
Xizhou Fizzlow Park Family Cycling Adventure
Ride through flower fields and breathe in the forest breeze together! The Changhua County Government has scheduled a family cycling event at Xizhou Fizzlow Park on April 13, combining the bicycle and floral industries to promote a new highlight of Changhua’s tourism. Changhua Deputy Magistrate Ko Cheng-fang stated that Changhua is the leading bicycle manufacturing county in Taiwan, home to over half of the island’s upstream, midstream, and downstream bicycle industry businesses, as well as an extensive network of cycling routes. Following Taipei City, Changhua is now planning the first YouBike public bicycle rental system in central Taiwan, which is expected to be completed by July. The existing Xizhou Park has been developed into a Changhua version of Fizzlow Park by integrating a forest area and a nursery zone. The surrounding routes offer distinct seasonal scenery and smooth, comfortable roads, making it a new favorite among cyclists. This event invites families to join in the fun—registration is free, and the first 1,000 participants will receive souvenirs. For more details, please visit (http://163.23.111.222/yes/2014bike/).
Free registration for the Fizzlow Park Family Bike Ride
To promote Changhua County as the "Kingdom of Bicycles" and the "Kingdom of Flower Production and Sales," the Changhua County Government will hold the Xizhou Fizzlow Park Family Bike Ride on April 13. The public is invited to cycle at Fizzlow Park. Registration is free and runs from today until April 3. Changhua County Deputy Magistrate Ko Cheng-fang stated that Changhua is a major hub for the bicycle industry, with over half of the island’s upstream, midstream, and downstream bicycle-related businesses located in the county. The area also boasts an extensive network of cycling leisure routes. In addition, following in Taipei’s footsteps, Changhua is planning the first YouBike public bicycle rental system in central Taiwan, which is expected to be completed by July this year. To help more people discover this new cycling route, the Xizhou Fizzlow Park Family Bike Ride will be held on April 13, inviting the public to enjoy world-class recreational experiences together at Fizzlow Park.
Snoopy Museum and Exploration Hall – A Great Choice for Family Trips
United Airlines will resume flights to Taiwan in late March. Among the many attractions recommended by the San Francisco Tourism Board, the Snoopy Museum and Exploration Hall are excellent choices for family trips. Snoopy is a daydreaming dog from the famous American comic strip "Peanuts." Its creator, Charles M. Schulz, passed away in 2000. The place where he lived and worked for many years has been turned into a memorial, commonly known as the Snoopy Museum. The Snoopy Museum is located in Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco. The entire museum is filled with childlike charm—every wall, corner, and even the restrooms feature scenes from the Snoopy comics. The characters from the comics, such as Snoopy, his owner Charlie Brown, and Charlie’s friend Lucy, seem to come alive before your eyes. Inside the Snoopy Museum, there is a full-wall tile mural,
Farm Fun: Parent-Child Pickled Veggie & Radish-Pulling Experience
The Hakka people traditionally sun-dry radishes or pickle vegetables in winter. To let visitors experience these frugal virtues, a leisure farm in Miaoli today hosted an event where parents and children pulled radishes in the fields and made pickled veggies DIY-style. Miaoli County’s Dahu Township Jiangmaya Cloud Also Residence leisure farm held an “Outdoor Lohas Tour” experience activity today, offering visitors the chance to pull radishes and harvest cabbages in the farm fields, along with DIY vegetable processing. The event attracted many parent-child families, who not only experienced the rustic charm of the fields but also learned about Hakka pickling techniques. Operator Peng Lizhen said winter is the peak season for radishes and cabbages, and the Hakka often use the winter sun to dry and pickle surplus cabbages and radishes. “A sunny day like today is perfect for drying radishes.” The operator noted that to promote the Hakka virtues of thrift, gratitude, and valuing resources, they specially organized a holiday parent-child event. In addition to introducing the farm’s seasonal industries and ecology, they also led visitors to experience the unique joys of winter field life.