27 to 30 March 2024
The Alishan (阿里山) National Forest Recreation Area in Chiayi County, Central Taiwan is renowned for its misty forests, sunrises over a sea of clouds, views of mountain ranges, the historic Alishan Forest Railway, and cherry blossoms viewing. The area around Alishan, especially around the town of Shizhuo (石棹), is also known for the tea plantations. This is where Taiwan’s most famous oolong tea is grown. The area around Shizhuo is worth a visit for those who likes hiking. There are trails through tea plantations, bamboo and cedar forests.
Shizhuo is located along the Alishan Highway leading to the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. It is only 45 minutes by bus to Alishan and every public bus going to Alishan would pass by Shizhuo. It is also only 10 minutes by bus to Fenqihu. Hence, this is an ideal place to stay and explore the areas surrounding Alishan.
There are many small tea farms in the hills above Shizhuo. Many of them offer homestays. We stayed at the Siang Ting B&B (頂石桌湘庭民宿), located amongst the tea plantations in Shizhuo (石棹).
Location
The B&B is located about 30 minutes (1.6 km) walk from Shizhuo town centre and the route is all uphill. It would be quite tough to walk to the B&B with luggage or suitcases.
The host would gladly offer us a ride in his car to and from the B&B to the Shizhuo town center and bus-stops. We tried walking back from Shizhuo after dinner one evening and it is manageable without any luggage.
Address: No.13-1, Shizhuo in Chiayi City. Google Map location.
For us who planned to hike the Shizhuo Trails System, Siang Ting B&B is conveniently located next to the Mist Trail and near to the Sakura Trail.
Map showing the trails in the Shizhuo area.
Alishan is famous for their sunrise and sunsets. Unfortunately, the B&B is located on the slope of a hill facing south, which means that we do not have direct views of sunrise and sunsets. However, the Ding Shizhuo Observation Deck which is one of the recommended placed to watch sunset is located only a few minutes walk downhill.
Lobby area
Upon entry, there is a spacious lobby with a large wooden table and stools at the end. The family car is actually parked inside the building.
Nice solid wooden tables and stools made from local wood with are abundant in this area. The main industry in Alishan used to the logging.
Shelves at the side showcased samples of the tea produced at the tea farm.
Siang Ting is a tea farm and their main business is production of the oolong tea. Like most tea farms in the area, they offered homestays as a side business.
Like a typical Japanese ryokan or Asian home, we have to remove our shoes here and put on the house slippers before going up to the upper floors.
Rooms
All rooms are designed and decorated to make guests feel right at home. All rooms had a flat-screen TV, free and fast Wi-Fi internet access, attached toilet with shower, and complimentary coffee and tea of course.
Our room was located on the highest floor of the 3-storey building and had a balcony where I could snap photos of the surrounding scenery, especially at sunrise.
Looking out from the window of the pantry, we could see the rows of tea plants behind the homestead. We are actually staying in the midst of a tea plantation.
The tea fields behind our B&B.
Our mornings at Siang Ting
Since there is little to do at the tea farm at night, it was “early to bed and early t rise”. Sunrise is at 6 AM and I woke up about 10 minutes before that.
Our B&B is located on the side of the mountain that faces south, so we are unable to watch the sun rise above the mountains. On our first morning, it was cloudy to the east at dawn, so I think we would probably not be able to view the sunrise even if we were facing east.
Clouds in the sky at dawn. Our B&B faces south, so the sunrise was obstructed by the mountains to our left.
Weather changes rapidly in the high mountains. The clouds soon clear and we could enjoy the scenic view from our bedroom as the morning got brighter.
View from our bedroom.
A fun and relaxing thing to do in the morning is to explore the area around our B&B while our hosts prepare our breakfast.
Tea farms lit by the morning sun. This would be a common sight in our 3 days stay in Shizhuo.
Our host has a nice collection of succulents and tropical plants, including staghorn ferns hanging from the walls.
Fresh air, sunshine and greenery all round.
I really enjoyed the fresh air, warm rays of the sun, quiet and peaceful vibe in this homestay.
Views of our semi-outdoor breakfast area and Shizhuo (in the top right corner of photo) from our room.
We woke up a little later on our second morning at Siang Ting since we were planning to do a hike around the Shizhuo area after breakfast.
On our last morning at the Siang Ting B&B in Shizhuo, we witnessed something special.
I could see one of the 5 wonders of Alishan - the Sea of Clouds! And we did not have to wake up early before dawn and trek to somewhere to experience it. It was right in front of the balcony of our bedroom.
Autumn and winter are the best times for watching the sea of clouds. The sea of clouds does not happen often. We were lucky to be able to view it on the last morning of our 3-day stay in Shizhuo. The conditions must be just right for it to happen, and the chances are higher after rainfall in the days before.
Sea of clouds covering the tea farms in the valley in front of our B&B.
As I was snapping the photos, I could hear the birds chirping happily. They are sharing my joy in witnessing the wonderful scene.
While my wife sat in the terrace in front of our B&B, waiting for our host to prepare our breakfast, I took a morning stroll around the misty tea farms in front of our B&B to snap some photos of the landscape.
View of tea farms near our B&B. Looking at the misty tea farms around me, I could understand how the Mist Trail got its name. The Mist Trail is one of the hiking trails in the Shizhuo Trail System and it passes right through this area.
Nice bonsai at a neighbouring homestead.
View of our B&B behind the tea farm. Our room is on the highest floor with the balcony.
As the sun rose, the air began to warm up and the clouds started to disperse.
The clouds dispersing as the sun rose higher.
We could see Shizhuo below us. It was shrouded by the sea of clouds earlier.
Meals
Like most B&B in this area, Siang Ting only provides breakfast. We had home cooked breakfast every day in the terrace in front of the main building. We usually have our breakfast between 7 AM and 8 AM before heading out for the day.
Breakfast is served in this terrace in front of the B&B overlooking the tea farms and views of the valley and mountains.
For lunch and dinner we have to eat out. This was not a problem for us.
If needed, the host would offer transport to and from Shizhuo town. There are several good restaurants in town but they close relatively early at 7 PM. Alternatively, packed dinner is available from the convenient stores (Opened 24 hours) like 7-11 and Hi-life.
On the last evening, our host told us the next door B&B is offering hotpot dinner for 300 TWD/person which we accepted.
Outdoor hotpot dinner at a B&B located next to Siang Ting B&B.
The ingredients were simple. Yet, eating hotpot outdoor at night in the cold misty mountain is quite an unusual and enjoyable experience.
We were not the only ones. 2 other groups from our B&B were enjoying their meals next to us.
The friendly and helpful host and his family
Jun Qi, the young man who is our main host, is a very friendly and likeable person. Every morning, he will enquire about our plans for the day, then provides us with useful information and offers us rides to and from Shizhuo town for meals or to take the bus if needed. The availability of pickups/drop offs to Shizhuo was a key consideration when I booked the accommodation.
The friendly resident cat.
As a person who likes animals, I enjoyed interacting with the friendly resident cat. My wife who dislikes furry animals kept her distance.
On one morning, the cat came to accompany us at breakfast. It is well behaved and did not bother us or our food.
Surrounding area
The best part of staying at Siang Ting B&B would be the overall environment in the high mountains of Alishan. Those who like nature and the outdoors will love the fresh mountain air, ever changing scenery of mist, clouds and sunshine over the tea farms and mountains beyond.
On our last morning at the B&B, we took a stroll to the Wufeng Temple to snap some photos of the beautiful surroundings.
Here are some of the photos.
There are many tea farms offering homestay in this area. We walked past several of them along the road to the temple.
Tea farmer tending to his vegetables. This vegetables are for own consumption. 
Overall, Shizhuo is a highly recommended destination to include in a Taiwan itinerary, especially if the itinerary includes Alishan. We enjoyed the morning breakfasts with the views. We also enjoyed hiking the Shizhuo Trails System and the day trips to Fenqihu and Alishan.
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