A Charming Hot Spring Homestay
After
a day’s rendezvous in Hualien, we arrived at The Silence Manor in the late afternoon as the sun is almost down.
Nevertheless, The Silence Manor
looked peacefully beautiful. Set against a backdrop of scenic East Rift Valley
and mountains in the distance, the hot spring bed & breakfast is located in
the serene Ruisui township of Hualien.
Owned and managed by an architect, The Silence Manor is a gorgeous retreat that allow guests to connect with nature and enjoy the beauty of what Taiwan countryside has to offer. Named after a metaphor for pines, the modern homestay’s main highlight is the ‘Golden Hot Spring’ with chloride-containing carbonate hot spring water that is available in all the rooms in the homestay.
Set
on acres of surrounding land, undisturbed by other buildings except for Mother
Nature, The Silence Manor offers an unforgettable travel experience in Taiwan.
From the terrace deck, rattan lounge chairs along with umbrellas are set nearby
the swimming pool. In a short distance, another deck is built for leisure with
beautiful surrounding greens and shrubs as well as flowers.
The
evening scene is mesmerizing even though we didn’t manage to catch the sun set
due to the cloudy sky that day.
We
checked-in and was given a quick tour of the place. The Silence Manor is a certified hot spring as listed at the
entrance. We were also told that all the rooms were named after family members
of the owner and their design concept focus on ‘reunion’.
While
every room has its own hot spring, guests can also enjoy bigger hot spring
facility on the top level of the building. Designed with minimalist concept but
plenty of space, the gorgeous rooms use natural elements of stone and wood
which can also be seen throughout the entire homestay.
One can also enjoy the scenic view in the evening as the weather cools down and the sky turns dark.
The
hallway has gorgeous modern art pieces such as this one that is made by the
young owner himself.
The Silence Manor offers different rooms cater towards
your traveling requirements. All rooms have their own bathhouse with hot
springs and some even have their own patios. On a general note, the rooms here
are very spacious and design with much simplicity and comfort in mind. They all
do have the same theme of clean and natural concept.
The
Family Room with double beds and
outdoor patio.
I
stayed at ‘Ling’ which is named
after the owner’s family members. The Pine
Room comes with king bed and an indoor bathhouse on level 2. My room is
very spacious. Extra brownie points are well-deserved here as there aren’t many
accommodations that is design with such space, allowing guests to feel at ease
and relaxing with this luxurious element.
There
were also these pretty artistic 3D artworks that was seen not only in my room
but also at other places throughout the homestay.
There
is a lounging corner, basic open hanging rack, work desk with flat-screen tv,
mini fridge, mini safe-box and area for luggage.
Cotton
printed robes with bedroom slippers, mini bar of snacks and instant noodles
with coffee & tea facility as well as mineral water are included as well.
The
indoor bathhouse is cleverly designed, offering privacy as well as a sense of nature’s
pampering space. There is the hot spring bath as well as rain shower corner,
all designed with sheer simplicity and Zen appeal.
The Silence Manor provides Bvlgari shampoo, conditioner and lotion… how’s that for another
touch of luxury?
There
are other bathroom amenities that added to the comforts of staying at this
homestay.
We headed down to ‘Lan’ Restaurant in the evening for our dinner. A special menu crafted by private French chef, our dinner was priced at NTD2000 per person for a 5-course meal. Lunch and afternoon tea menu are also available for reservations too.
We headed down to ‘Lan’ Restaurant in the evening for our dinner. A special menu crafted by private French chef, our dinner was priced at NTD2000 per person for a 5-course meal. Lunch and afternoon tea menu are also available for reservations too.
Dining
in the evening at ‘Lan’ was lovely and serene. Spaciously designed, diners
enjoy the beautiful evening view from the glass enclosed restaurant. Modern and
contemporary, the restaurant was also elegant and warm from the soft lighting.
Dinner
commenced with Black Truffle with Tomato
& Cheese. Ravishingly gorgeous at sight with a halo of sundried tomato
perched on cheese cubes, fresh and soft tomato flesh, truffle sauce and
finished with drizzled of balsamic vinegar and rocket leave as well as edible
flowers, the dish is sublime. Such fine and finesse of incredible ingredients
that truly harmonizes in flavours…
Pour
tableside, the Crab, Celery &
Mushroom Soup is delicious as a second course. The soup is relatively
light, with bold earthy mushroom notes. Poured over sweet crab meat and tiny brunoised
of celery for textures, this course really warmed up the appetite for more to
come.
A
simple and warm Wild Mushroom &
Vegetable Salad features the fresh ingredients at its best. It’s not a wow
dish but sufficiently light with a tangy dressing to go with the earthy
sweetness of mushrooms and crispy greens.
A
palate cleanser of Roselle & Plum
Tea perked up our palate with its vibrant tangy flavour…
For
mains, we had two options of either beef or prawn. I had the Rossini Foie Gras with Fillet Mignon,
an excellent pairing of scrumptious tenderloin with seared goose liver. The
fillet was cooked medium with a lush juicy pink center, perfect for my taste. A
rich and lightly peppery sauce tied all the elements together well. The seared
foie gras was divine and goes exceptionally well with the fillet and all the
side condiments.
The
King Pawn with Caviar in Butter Cream
Sauce was a second option that looked equally enticing. Two large
crustaceans, grilled to smoky and tender yumminess, are sauced up with a
luscious creamed sauce stuffed with briny black caviar. A dish that rejoices
the element of the sea at its best!
Dinner
ended with a pretty Banana Chocolate
Parfait. A composition of ripen sweet banana enveloped in light chocolate
mousse parfait and meringue, the dessert also has marshmallow, French macaron
and a tiny wedge of citrus fruit with berry coulis. A very sweet and attractive
ending to our dinner…
The
evening ended as we all couldn’t wait to retire to our room and enjoy a good
soak in the hot spring. After the hot spring, I could feel the silky smoothness
of my skin from the water. The hot spring also calms and soothes the body and
mind, making me sleepy and relax as I dozed off to wonderland…
The
next morning, it was another day of early rise and shine. With the enticing
cool and beautiful morning weather, I woke up fresh and excited. I couldn’t
resist tucking into their local instant noodle while enjoying the lovely view
from my room through my balcony.
Breathtaking
morning view and the air smells amazingly fresh…
After
a quick shower, I headed outside to check out the area with one of the
available bicycles.
From stretches of wild greens and flowers to uneven side roads, the morning stroll was amazingly satisfying.
From stretches of wild greens and flowers to uneven side roads, the morning stroll was amazingly satisfying.
Breakfast
at Lan Restaurant was more than my
expectation. Besides a main order of Western or Oriental breakfast, there was
also a buffet counter laden with fresh baked bread and pastries, fruit, cold
cuts, cereals, yogurt and even desserts.
Opting
for the local breakfast of Sweet Potato Congee
with house-cured salted egg kimchi, fried fish, three color steamed egg and
seasoned greens, breakfast was perfection in my book. The salted egg kimchi is
superb.
The
Western breakfast option…
We
left The Silence Manor, waving with
heavy heart to leave such a beautiful place. The homestay has truly etched a
wonderful fondness in my heart for its beautiful homestay experience. I will return
one day with my family to this amazing place in Hualien.
THE
SILENCE MANOR
No.37, Ln. 2, Sec. 3,
Wenquan Road,
Ruisui Township,
Hualien County 978,
Taiwan
Tel: +886 3-8873318
Fax: +886 3-8870389
Email: silencemanor@gmail.com
Website: www.thesilencemanor.com.tw/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheSilenceManor/
*This trip was made
possible by Taiwan Tourism together
with First Class Magazine and Eva Air. However, all stories and
comments in my posts are purely derived from my own experiences through the
trip.
Taiwan
Travel Series
The Silence ManorShangPalace, Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel
Wow wow wow, it's too amazing that I need to wow 3 times to express it!
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