Beach Castle — Hotel in Magong City

觀海別墅||||First time back to Penghu island after 30 years. Had difficulty finding accommodation initially. I travelled at least once a week for work and leisure and tend to stay at established hotel with facilities. When I decided to visit Penghu I was shocked at the lack of quality hotels. ||||I flew to Makung Airport (friendly service and reliable domestic airlines). When I stepped out of the arrival hall, the owner of the villas was already waiting for us. It was a short ride (10-15 mins) to Shan Shuei, where the villas located. ||||||Location:||The villas/hotel are located in Shan Shuei, the south tip of the main island, by Shan-Shuei beach. From the ground of the hotel you won’t be able to see the beach although it was only steps away. Shan Shuei is probably the best beach on the main island – relatively quiet (in May) and the water was warm and crystal clear. The only downside is the lack of beach facilities – there were changing room and shower, but no sun lounge or bar as most other Asian resorts/beaches. Seems to be common in Penghu. ||||||Transport:||I rent a motorbike during my stay. Traffic in Penghu is pretty good and as long as you ride carefully it shouldn’t be an issue. However if you want to avoid the bike, you can get local bus (once an hour or so) to Makung City. Alternatively you can hire a taxi that costs around USD 12-15 one way to the airport or to Makung. ||||||Rooms:||The first night we stay at an Economy room due to availability. The room was not particular big but pretty airy. Bathroom is on the basic side but it didn’t bother me since that is the local standard and I was looking for an authentic holiday. The next two nights we moved to Seaview Deluxe room, which was larger than the Economy and has its own balcony that overlook the beach. All room has individual air-con, wifi (worked very well) and a fridge. Bathrooms seem to be all the same. All the rooms are bright and very clean… The only complain I have is that sometimes the hotel could be a bit noisy when the families go pass the corridor. Not a fault of the hotel and it doesn’t happen after 10 pm.||||||Service:||Service was really good at the property. All the staff worked extremely hard and there is nothing too much trouble for them. I relied on them on my trip booking, motorbike renting, etc. They knew everything about the island. ||||||Food and drink:||The hotel provides free breakfast. You get a plate of toast/egg or whatever is available plus some food. It was sufficient for me but if you require more food they will be happy to offer more. Apart from that there is no food and beverage outlet within the hotel. Locally there is a pizza place next to the hotel, a very local restaurant (that does fried rice and noodle) in front of the hotel and a bar that is one hundred meter away (and the food and service is great). There is another bar ran by an South African but it was closed in May while I was there. ||||If you rent a bike, there is a 7-11 at the edge of the village (5 minute ride). It opens 24 hours a day and you can even get hot food there if you don’t fancy local food nor a seafood banquet in Makung. You can also stock up beer/drinks from there. ||||Overall:||A very good place to stay in Penghu especially if you want to get away from it all....

觀海別墅||||First time back to Penghu island after 30 years. Had difficulty finding accommodation initially. I travelled at least once a week for work and leisure and tend to stay at established hotel with facilities. When I decided to visit Penghu I was shocked at the lack of quality hotels. ||||I flew to Makung Airport (friendly service and reliable domestic airlines). When I stepped out of the arrival hall, the owner of the villas was already waiting for us. It was a short ride (10-15 mins) to Shan Shuei, where the villas located. ||||||Location:||The villas/hotel are located in Shan Shuei, the south tip of the main island, by Shan-Shuei beach. From the ground of the hotel you won’t be able to see the beach although it was only steps away. Shan Shuei is probably the best beach on the main island – relatively quiet (in May) and the water was warm and crystal clear. The only downside is the lack of beach facilities – there were changing room and shower, but no sun lounge or bar as most other Asian resorts/beaches. Seems to be common in Penghu. ||||||Transport:||I rent a motorbike during my stay. Traffic in Penghu is pretty good and as long as you ride carefully it shouldn’t be an issue. However if you want to avoid the bike, you can get local bus (once an hour or so) to Makung City. Alternatively you can hire a taxi that costs around USD 12-15 one way to the airport or to Makung. ||||||Rooms:||The first night we stay at an Economy room due to availability. The room was not particular big but pretty airy. Bathroom is on the basic side but it didn’t bother me since that is the local standard and I was looking for an authentic holiday. The next two nights we moved to Seaview Deluxe room, which was larger than the Economy and has its own balcony that overlook the beach. All room has individual air-con, wifi (worked very well) and a fridge. Bathrooms seem to be all the same. All the rooms are bright and very clean… The only complain I have is that sometimes the hotel could be a bit noisy when the families go pass the corridor. Not a fault of the hotel and it doesn’t happen after 10 pm.||||||Service:||Service was really good at the property. All the staff worked extremely hard and there is nothing too much trouble for them. I relied on them on my trip booking, motorbike renting, etc. They knew everything about the island. ||||||Food and drink:||The hotel provides free breakfast. You get a plate of toast/egg or whatever is available plus some food. It was sufficient for me but if you require more food they will be happy to offer more. Apart from that there is no food and beverage outlet within the hotel. Locally there is a pizza place next to the hotel, a very local restaurant (that does fried rice and noodle) in front of the hotel and a bar that is one hundred meter away (and the food and service is great). There is another bar ran by an South African but it was closed in May while I was there. ||||If you rent a bike, there is a 7-11 at the edge of the village (5 minute ride). It opens 24 hours a day and you can even get hot food there if you don’t fancy local food nor a seafood banquet in Makung. You can also stock up beer/drinks from there. ||||Overall:||A very good place to stay in Penghu especially if you want to get away from it all....

We stayed 2 nights and wished we could stay longer. The rooms are just nice in terms of size and I like the deco, just like the pictures on its website. The interior is very spacious so it let you feel so relaxed and comfortable unlike some properties there. ||||As we like 2 single beds, the owner took the trouble to check with another guest and exchange for us when we first booked with him. He also recommended us where to stay in other parts of Taiwan and sent us useful links. ||||The owner was very hospitable, everyday he offered us food to taste; oyster, corn and even rose apple which was air-flown by his previous guest to him. We were also given complimentary shaved-ice desert which you can select your toppings such as red bean, yam, sweet potato, etc. Most important is I can't find any other desert tastier than this shop in my 15-days Taiwan tour. We especially liked the garlic bread so we asked for 2nd helping but actually we regretted that we stopped there. ||||We booked our day trips with the resort and it's cheaper! ||||Oh... I cannot forget the cool breeze and...