Taiwan is one of my top family holiday destination, if only because there is no language barrier, the food is familiar, and it is very family friendly.
This is the second time I’m visiting Taiwan with the extended family which includes my parents, children, and also my sister’s family (but the nth time in visiting with the kids).
Since we were in a big group of 10, for convenience of travel, we engaged a driver to bring us around. It worked out excellently for us because our driver also doubled up as our tour guide and offered some great suggestions on food and places to visit.
台湾一直都是我的旅游地点首选，主要是应为没有语言沟通障碍，美食多，也很适合老人小孩游玩。
我带孩子去台湾玩好几遍了，但这是第二次扶老携幼，一家三代一起去台湾玩。
This time, we decided to visit Yilan, a serene town in northeastern Taiwan known for its natural beauty and hot springs.
Our first stop was a recommendation by our friendly and chatty driver and tour guide, 李大哥 (Brother Lee), and he brought us to Neipi Beach (內埤海灘), which is a 1 km stretch of black sand beach which leads into the Pacific Ocean.
The beach is also known as Lover’s Bay, or 情人湾, because it’s a romantic location popular with couples. Our driver and guide suggested we take a stroll along the beach to enjoy the cool sea breeze and the lovely morning weather, and we were glad for his recommendation.
It was a very beautiful scenic stroll, and we admired the expansive sea and the surrounding cliffs.
We also found out we’re 27 degrees north of the equator as there were signs along the beach that indicated our latitude.
It is a great place for old folks too, and my parents also enjoyed the stroll down the beach, and listened to our driver share about the history and key attributes of this place. We were really lucky to have engaged a driver who is very passionate about his job and ensuring that Taiwan leaves a good impression on its visitors.
Apart from the great weather, the beach was also very quiet with few visitors, which was really perfect for anyone who enjoys a quiet holiday away from the bustling city.
We thought it would be a short visit but we ended up spending more than 2 hours here, mainly because the children were enjoying themselves playing in the sand.
It never fails to amaze me how easily children can find joy in the simplest of things. The place was rather barren but they were able to seek out some twigs and began digging in the sand.
Before they left, they cheekily arranged some sticks that they had found in a ring, to make it look like some type of ritual had occurred there, to puzzle the next visitors.
A little walk up from the bridge, which includes some flights of steps, you will find the Nanfang’ao Observation Deck (南方奥观景台), which will give you a birds eye view of the town, the fishing harbours, and the beach.
There is a sign that helpfully labels your view for you.
The sight overlooks the vast expanse of the ocean, the surrounding cliffs, and also the quiet fishing harbours.
Of course, no family trip is complete without the periodic toddler meltdown. I was able to pacify her shortly after this by carrying her down the steps and wearing down some more of my knee caps.
⛔ WARNING! ⛔
The waters here look calm but are known to be dangerous with freak waves, and it is recommended NOT to go near the waters. Do NOT play in the waters.
You will see people strolling along the black sand but you most certainly will not see people playing in the waters because the locals are well aware of this fact.
I only found this fact out after I returned from my holiday and I was very alarmed that this fact was not pointed out to me by our guide. Our children were playing on the sand and could have easily run to the waters at any point, as kids are prone to do.
This is a fact I would have liked to know BEFORE we went anywhere near it, hence I’m placing this warning here for anyone who wishes to visit.
Location:
Suhua Highway
Su’ao Township
Yilan County
Taiwan 270
Singaporient 