I’m feeling so relaxed and happy about my first trip to explore Taiwan. My recent trip to The Lalu Hotel in Sun Moon Lake was an absolute dream.
It’s been more than 20 years since I visited Taiwan and I will be here for a while so hope you are ready for lots of Taiwan travel guides and content.
I have to admit that I’ve saved this part of Taiwan for years and it has been on top of my bucket list for a while. And finally, I can’t even believe I got to see this beauty with my own eyes. It is so calming and relaxing and exactly what I needed.
During our visit, we stayed at The Lalu Hotel and I LOVEEEEDDDDD IT! It’s by far the best hotel that I stayed in terms of design, location, food and customer service. The staff is unbelievable. Anything you need or want, they make it happen—they even move your pool chair for you. Talk about top-notch service!
About Sun Moon Lake
The Lalu is located on a hill along Sun Moon Lake, one of Taiwan’s most popular and picturesque tourist sites. Thanks to its position right across the hilltop Xuanguang temple, it boasts one of the best views in the area. If you visit Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake is definitely one of the places you need to explore!
Sun Moon Lake, also known as “Solian”, is the largest natural lake in Taiwan, as well as home to generations of Thao, an aborigine tribe.
In the middle of the lake lays The Lalu Island, where the Thao believe to be home of the ancestral deity of their tribe. This is the origin of the name “The Lalu” hotel.
How to Get There?
As efficient as Taiwan’s rail system is, no trains go directly to Sun Moon Lake, so your best option is to go by train or plane to Taichung and then rent a car to drive to The Lalu which will take about an hour. The exact address of the property is No.142, Zhongxing Rd., Yuchi Township, Nantou County 555, Taiwan.
Contact the concierge at The Lalu Hotel to arrange a transfer from the train station or airport for you
About the Property
The Lalu Sun Moon Lake is a 5-star luxury hotel as part of The Lalu Hotels and Resorts group. Designed by the world-renowned Australian architect Kerry Hill, it delivers simplicity and timeless beauty. The architecture works in harmony with the panoramic views over the mystical waters of Sun Moon Lake to guarantee a tranquil getaway.
This is probably one of the most luxurious resorts in Taiwan that delivers tranquility and calmness while providing the best of Taiwanese hospitality. The design concept of yielding to nature and maintaining traditional Chinese elements uses 4 main materials: wood, stone, steel and glass.
No matter where you turn, The Lalu Sun Moon Lake offers stunning views of the lake. You will find an environment that expertly blends nature and architecture while giving you the opportunity to unplug from the busy city world in the most beautiful scenery.
The Lalu Sun Moon Lake used to be the retreat of the former president Chiang Kai-Shek. The property is well known for its lush scenery, history, indigenous culture and beautiful mountain lake views.
The Rooms / Villas
The Lalu Sun Moon Lake offers 96 rooms and 7 villas, some with partial views of the lake.
I had the opportunity to stay in the most booked villa which is the corner villa with more than 300 square meters offering the best views of the lake. The villas were designed with walls of 3 mts high to allow privacy and relaxation.
Our villa was probably one of the best villas that I have ever stayed at. I absolutely love the concept design of the indoor to outdoor transition space. The major highlights of the villa is the private pool. We personally enjoyed the comfortable sitting area that have floor to ceiling sliding windows which you could open to overlook the pool. The villa also have a huge bathroom with a beautiful bathtub, an outdoor shower, a spacious living room, and a stunning yard!
Dining
This is probably another highlight of our stay at the Lalu: THE FOOD!!
Since I become vegan 4 months ago, I was really worried about the food options but it actually turned out to be amazing because every meal we had was customized to be completely vegan.
The Lalu offers 3 different restaurant options: The Oriental Brasseries, The Lake View Chinese Restaurant and The Japanese Restaurant.
The staff arranged for us to try all 3 restaurants and made an entire 9-course vegan menu for us in each of the restaurants. Honestly all 3 restaurants were amazing. The dishes were so beautiful and tasty. We didn’t even know vegan food could taste that good!
The breakfast is included in your stay, which is served in the Oriental Brasseries and the spread buffet is absolutely amazing. They also offer a great variety of options for vegans too.
I was particularly in love with The Japanese restaurant just because I love Japanese food and once every 2 weeks we get to do a cheat meal. And when we do, we always choose sushi because we love it too much. The sushi here was fantastic!
Activities
If you plan to stay in the Lalu and also want to explore Sun Moon Lake, you will need to have two trips because you will not want to leave The Lalu J
It’s like a wellness Disneyland for adults and there’s so much to do in the hotel:
- The Lalu Memorial Hall: It is the only old architecture left from the original property called Han-Bi Paninsula. The wall of fame in the front collects the handprints of the celebrities and the visitors of the property. Some of them you may recognize like Cate Blanchett and Rob Schneider.
- Yoga Class: This place inspires tranquility in every corner but if you still want to reconnect with your spirit, try out a yoga class in the morning. It felt amazing to me, you don’t want to miss out on this!
- The Spa: I mean this entire trip has been about wellness so a spa day wouldn’t hurt anyone right? The spa offers some of the most breathtaking lake and mountains views. I got to experience a 90 minutes massage and a floral foot bath massage which were amazing. Definitely something Gokhan and I needed.
- The Tea House: If you ever thought about what else this place is missing? Well yeah, they read your mind: a tea house. It is surrounded by the mother nature in a very relaxing atmosphere near the infinity pool and it offers a great variety of Chinese and western tea, dim sum, afternoon and desserts.
- The Library: I told you this place was like a wellness Disneyland. If you are craving for a reading day, take a few minutes of your day to head to the library. A quiet room that offers an great collection of books and magazines.
- Han Bi Passage: If you are craving for a hike, then you must do the 1.5 km long Han-bi Passage which is formerly called “Chiang Kai- Shek Passage”.
- Chiang Kai Shek Pier: This is probably one of the most photogenic spots of the property and it was where former president Chiang Kai- Shek used to look at the sunrise on a canoe. You can also go to other side of the lake to visit Cien Guang Temple and climb up Tze-En tower.
- The Boutique: They even have their own shop in case you want a shopping day. Offering a wide range of artwork collections of local artists which could be a great souvenir from this place.
In my opinion
Overall, I absolutely loved staying at The Lalu Sun Moon Lake- in my mind, it was the definition of an ideal luxury hotel in Taiwan. I would 1000% stay here again…and again.
I was blown away by the views, the villas, the food and top-notch customer service. I would absolutely recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Taiwan.
Even if you don’t stay here, try to at least visit and have lunch/dinner there. Be prepared to fall in love…
Thank you to The Lalu Hotel for hosting me during my stay. As always, thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Love
Marcy
Outfit Details:
Hat: Revolve
White beach kimono: Zara
Pink one piece swimsuit: Revolve
Red swimsuit: Le Shadi
Leaf dress: H&M
White shirt: Revolve
Sandals: Zara
White dress: Revolve
White blouse: Revolve
Red top: Revolve
Leaf short sleeve dress: H&M
un comentario