By Liu Jiawen / Compiled and Reported
Wet and chilly weather is perfect for a hot spring soak! The Taitung Zhiben Hot Spring resort area is holding a nearly three-month-long Centennial Hot Spring Festival from November 9 to January 15 of next year. To coincide with the festival, various hot spring hotels are offering accommodation deals, including weekday stays in double rooms with breakfast and open-air hot springs, starting from just NT$1,688. Those who purchase the hot spring festival package can also add on the “Three Treasures Gift Bag” (featuring a premium set of turmeric, coffee, and heartleaf houttuynia extract) originally priced at NT$800 for just NT$400. There’s also a chance to receive a limited-edition Taitung mandarin orange gift box.
Chefs at the hot spring hotels have also incorporated ingredients like turmeric, coffee, and heartleaf houttuynia into their dishes, creating local-flavored health-conscious cuisine. (Photo / ScenicSpots.com Liu Jiawen)
To coincide with the hot spring festival, various hot spring hotel operators are offering great value packages. For example, Yixuan Grand Hotel and Chaoyang Grand Hotel are offering weekday stays in double hot spring suites for NT$1,688 per night, including Chinese and Western buffet breakfasts and open-air hot spring soaking. Options for two people starting from NT$2,688 (including breakfast and dinner) are available from Zhiben Hongquan, Zhiben Tongmao, and Dongyouji Hot Spring Resort, each with added benefits such as DIY hot spring cooking, hot spring face masks, unlimited access to outdoor spa areas, and complimentary bicycle use. Funo Hot Spring Leisure Club offers weekday double hot spring suites for NT$3,888 per night and four-person rooms for NT$5,888, including wellness hot spring SPA, hot spring face masks, and hot spring cooking.
To coincide with the Zhiben Hot Spring Festival, multiple hotel operators are offering weekday stays for two that include breakfast and open-air hot springs, starting from just NT$1,688. (Photo / ScenicSpots.com Liu Jiawen)
Besides hot spring soaking, another highlight of the Taitung Hot Spring Festival is the “gastronomy” experience. This year, chefs at the hot spring hotels have used Zhiben’s three treasures — “turmeric, coffee, and heartleaf houttuynia” — these locally unique ingredients to create innovative dishes such as galangal seafood risotto, coffee-braised pork ribs, and heartleaf houttuynia-infused drunken chicken. This allows visitors to enjoy not only the hot springs but also healthy, nourishing cuisine.
Event Website: tour.taitung.gov.tw