In Search of B&Bs: Pada's Villa in Yilan

On my recent trip to Taiwan, I decided to steer clear of hotels. Instead, I hopped from one bed-and-breakfast (B&B) to another to experience the so-called B&B culture of Taiwan. I stayed in a Taipei B&B which was mostly utilitarian, then went on to a B&B in Yilan which had a nice European flair. And for the finale, a really, really wonderful and cozy villa in Cingjing, Nantou in Central Taiwan. 

Taiwanese people have turned B&Bs into a formidable force in the tourist accommodation industry. They have several websites dedicated to B&Bs. It's a pity that most of these websites are only in Chinese, limiting their audience to mostly the locals and tourists from China, Malaysia and Singapore. Each B&Bs is designed in its own theme to make it unique from the others. A popular style here is the old English or Victorian theme, with elegant furniture, English tea sets and colorful windowsills. Then there's the country or rustic theme, where they have large grounds with farm animals children can play with. Those seeking a respite from busy city life can opt for the Japanese or Zen style, with its clean minimalist design and quiet surroundings. The list goes on and on. 

In this post, I decided to write about the Yilan (宜蘭) B&B we went to. It's called Pada's Villa (佩達斯古典別墅). 

Like many houses in Yilan, Pada's Villa stands in the middle of small rice fields. The surroundings is so calm and serene that you can feel time slowing down in this place. Occasionally, a car or two would pass by the narrow streets in the area. But otherwise, children are free to run or ride bikes around the neighborhood. 

Catching the sunrise at Pada's Villa (view from my room balcony)

When we arrived, the owners -- an old gentleman (maybe between 55 to 60 years old) and his wife -- greeted us warmly. Shoes are left outside as you enter the house and slippers are provided. The interiors are elegantly designed in European theme, as their website promised. The living room was spacious with Victorian sala set. Beside it was the dining area with a big round table which could seat 10 people. On the ground floor were two bedrooms, each with its own private bath. On the second floor, there were four more rooms. Each room had queen beds, a large antique wooden cabinet and a dresser. 

The rooms for two persons were romantic with the four-poster beds that had dainty lace curtains. 

With lovely sunshine adding warmth to an already wonderful room

The family rooms (for 4 people) were bright, cheery and spacious.

No lace trimmings but still nice and comfy. 

Two of the second-floor rooms had space for a small lounge area which had one of those European-style lounge couch which you see in fashion magazines. The bathrooms in these two rooms had no doors, only a glass panel and heavy curtains. The tub was made of tiny pebbles, making you feel as if you're taking a bath in the midst of nature. Both rooms had french windows, opening out to a balcony where you can admire nature.

Very relaxing nook 

A B&B is supposed to make you feel at home and Pada's Villa is exactly that. Despite its opulent furniture, everything else felt like being inside your own house. It also helped that we booked the entire house for ourselves, leaving us free to roam around and do whatever we pleased.

We arrived in the evening after a whole day's travel. Pada's had a large kitchen where you can whip up something real quick, but we opted to buy dinner from the Luodong (羅東) night market. The kids spent time playing with board games while we prepared the table for a sumptuous dinner. After dinner, we sang karaoke deep into the night.

Sumptuous dinner: (Clockwise from right: deep-fried onion buns (蔥多餅),
two plates of the ubiquitous Lu Wei (滷味), bacon and onion "barbeque" and 龍鳳腿 in one plate, steamed dumplings) 

Breakfast the next day was served by the homely and rotund owner-wife. The food was just lovely and prepared with care. First, there was aromatic passion fruit tea served in dainty English tea cups. Then came the plated breakfast of waffles, ham, eggs, hash brown, baby corn and homemade yogurt.

There were bikes available and the kids rode them around the neighborhood. Walking through the rice paddies was also an experience.

As my friend aptly described it, it was a place and time for enjoying the company of family and friends and making memories together.

How to Get There: 

By car. There is no other way. (or at least none that I know of)

As much as I hate featuring places which are not accessible by public transport, most B&Bs in Yilan are scattered all over the county. They are mostly individual properties converted into B&Bs, hence explaining why a B&B can be found in the middle of rice fields. Attractions in Yilan are also not centrally located and it is more convenient to have a car to move from one site to another.