Go camping at Hsinchu’s Buddy's Den Campsite — featuring high-end six-star bathrooms, sand pits, and green spaces

Text & Photos /Mike Peng

About two months ago, I was incredibly lucky to secure a campsite spot at Buddy's Den through an online group. In this era of camping craze where spots are hard to come by, it felt especially precious. And because of that, I wanted to enjoy even more happy moments, so I decided to head out early.

On Friday, we set off right after my kid finished school. The traffic was smooth for the most part.

This time, we entered from Zhudong. Not being familiar with the area, our navigation took us through some small alleys (there’ll be a note about this later), and to make things worse, there were barely any signs for Buddy's Den. We arrived just as it was getting dark.

It was drizzling outside, but luckily we had our own living tent, so we didn’t have to dine and sleep in the open on the mountain.

It’s been over a year since we started camping, and the kids now know they have to cook their own food. So this time, it was their turn to shine (inner monologue: finally, the moms can retire in peace XD)!

Tonight, we’re having high-end eel sushi. First, we filled the mold with rice.

Then we transferred it to the plate.

Next, we placed slices of eel on top... ding ding, done and done!

Eat as much as you want — no need to be shy. Tonight, it’s all-you-can-eat sushi!

Paired with a pot of sukiyaki.

That’s one hearty meal!

Early the next morning, seeing such a blue sky, how could we bear to sleep? We quickly went to check out the campsite.

The entrance is more vivid than the blue sky and bluer than the ocean — it’s hard not to notice it.

From the outside, you’d hardly believe this is a steel-sheet structure.

The dreamy Mediterranean color scheme makes you feel like you’re wandering in the sea.

It almost blends into the blue sky.

This definitely deserves a close-up shot, because… this is the fanciest campground bathroom I’ve ever seen — it could easily be called six-star. There’s a thoughtful mesh door at the entrance, mainly to prevent bugs from flying in. The ceiling of the bathroom is also enclosed, so you don’t have to worry about catching a cold in winter. Totally worth it. After asking the owner, she said she knew firsthand how frightening it is when bugs and moths swarm the bathroom while you’re showering.

Early Saturday morning, zones B (about 8 tents) and C (around 10 tents) had only a few scattered tents — just like us, campers who arrived the night before.

Going further down, you’ll find zone D (2–3 tents) and the zone E where we set up our tents (3 tents).

While checking traffic on National Highway 3 via phone... hehe, while everyone else was stuck in traffic, we were already enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery.

Back at our spot in zone E, which is actually just separated from the shared area (the sand pit) by a fence.

This is a great location — just hop over the fence and you can play in the sand.

From this angle, you can see the entire public area behind us — perfect for games or large activities. It’s amazing that the campsite owners reserved such a large space for public use rather than cramming in more campsites. In an era of overbooked campsites and land scarcity, this kind of planning is a very thoughtful added bonus.

After playing for the whole morning, we got a bit hungry.

Today’s lunch will be homemade again — those two kids are clever, knowing how to go for the good stuff.

Delicious Kinmedai shrimp.

First, mix the seasoned dried bonito flakes into the white rice.

Then, place the white rice into the mold, add the shrimp on top, and press down to shape it.

The sisters work together in division of labor.

The whole family pitches in together, strengthening their bonds.

Not bad, dear, we can really retire now—our daughter can cook for us. Look, look, it’s so touching.

In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony then.

Next, let mom demonstrate how to make shrimp hand rolls. Just follow these 9 simple steps, and you can easily make delicious and refreshing shrimp hand rolls.

One outside roll costs NT$30, but today it’s all-you-can-eat.

While we were preparing lunch, we suddenly noticed a heavy rainstorm outside. The rain came down hard and fast, so we quickly pulled up the side tarp to block it. At that time, campers on the upper level, most of whom had set up canopies, had no choice but to use ground tarps or side tarps to reinforce against the rain.

The little ones happily walked around holding umbrellas, and for them, the rain only made playtime more fun.

After the heavy rain, because the campsite has a gravel surface, drainage was good. Other areas were probably similar.

After the afternoon shower, the mountain became much cooler, so let’s do some exercise.

After a while, most of the campers had arrived, and once the C area was fully pitched, the central activity space was also very spacious, suitable for small groups to reserve for private use.

The A area was also fully set up with tents—Up！

Please note that vehicles should not drive down the central pathway between the A and B areas, as the slope is very steep. Regular sedans might not be able to climb it, and there are currently no campsites downhill. Area A is on the left side of the picture, and Areas B–E should enter from the right.

The slope leading down from here actually leads to the still-unopened F area, which will be a water play zone in the future. Once completed, it may have about 10 tents, so stay tuned.

You can tell it’s going to be very popular in the future.

All we have to do is cross the fence, and we’re at the sandpit.

Just one sandpit is enough to keep the kids entertained for two full days.

Wandering around the campsite, time seems to pass especially quickly.

Accompanied by moonlight, lighting a camping lantern adds a special charm.

On the second night at the campsite, mom brought out her signature dish—braised beef. Look at this pot of tender beef ribs shining with a smooth, glossy glaze. After being pressure-cooked, it melts in your mouth.

Served with noodles, it becomes a rich and aromatic bowl of beef noodle soup.

Paired with a plate of sweet and fresh scallops stir-fried with baby bok choy, it’s truly mouthwatering.

Finally, she also used the leftover ingredients to cook a pot of beef rice.

With such a hearty dinner, we finished one bowl right away. So delicious, I want another bowl.

I had wanted to photograph the Milky Way sky...........but the weather didn’t cooperate. For two nights in a row, the clouds were extremely thick, and we only occasionally caught a glimpse of stars.

In the end, we had to use this photo to sum things up, hoping for better results on our next camping trip—Up！

Note....... As previously mentioned, due to navigation, we almost took a wrong turn, so we’re specially marking it here as a reminder. We don’t want others to make the same silly mistake we did. Because the navigation calculates the shortest distance, it takes shortcuts, and after turning right, there’s a very steep and narrow alley that cars struggle to climb. So if you’re coming from Zhudong, just go around by Garden Elementary School.

Also, when arriving at Huahu Meidi, please enter from the right-hand road, then follow the signs for Yunding Fir Forest to get there.

Hsinchu Wufeng B&B. Doghouse Camping Area
Address: No. 196-5, Lane 9, Tianhu, Huayuan Village, Wufeng Township, Hsinchu County (Youluo Mountain Industrial Road)
Elevation: Approximately 850m
Date: 2015/08/14-2015/08/16

Mike Pong
Not at home today, running away with the kids for an adventure~ A Parent-Child Outdoor Adventure Diary

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