Nantou Puli Introduction
Nantou, is well-known for tourist destinations such as Sun Moon Lake and Qing Jing Farm. In Puli Township, Nantou County, many people usually make a brief stop here while on their way to the mountains like He Huan Mountain and Sun Moon Lake. Although Puli suffered severe damage in the 1999 earthquake, it has since been rebuilt and developed into a tourist spot.
The pace in Puli is quite slow and not as exciting as the previous locations, Taoyuan and Miaoli, which I recommended earlier. Puli does have attractions suitable for kids, but if you don’t have kids or are more interested in eco-tourism, Puli is the place for you.
Where To Stay In Nantou Puli
埔里故事館
After doing some research, I chose Puli Story House. It’s situated away from the main tourist spots, has family-friendly rooms, and can accommodate up to 7 people in one room. What’s especially appealing is that the room is adorable!
I book the kids room, designed for 5 people, I paid extra for an additional bed, and my 2 young ones sleep together in 1 bed. The host was extremely helpful upon our arrival. As we arrived early, we simply left our luggage, and they kindly delivered it to our room when it was ready.
Furthermore, they even went the extra mile by getting the famous 18-degree toast bread for the kids.
For 4D3N, I paid about SGD805 (rates are based on 3A4C and the period I have booked)
Their breakfast is a mixed of homecooked and some famous local breakfast bought by the host.
Puli Story House Information:
Address: No. 180號, Zhongzheng Rd, Puli Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 545
Where to book: Booking.com
The Puli Story house doesn’t come with a washing machine, but if you need one, there’s a 24-hr DIY washing machine store just a 5-minute walk away. So, we take our dirty clothes in a bag and wash them there. While waiting for the clothes to be cleaned, we stroll over to a nearby convenience store to grab some snacks. We treat it as a short couple time during our trip.
埔里白帅帅自助洗衣店
Address: 545, Taiwan, Nantou County, Puli Township, Zhongzheng Rd, 185號之 4 號
Where To Explore In Nantou Puli
For my Puli trip, I found it challenging to plan because I wanted to synchronize with my family’s schedule. After reaching out to several tour agencies, I settled on PC Tour. I shared some attractions I wanted to visit, and they suggested a few more to add to my itinerary.
In my opinion, staying in Puli for a maximum of 3 days is sufficient. 4 days like mine, is actually too long.
I paid about SGD740 for 3 days, 8 hours tour, for 7 pax.
日月潭環湖 Sun Moon Lake
Recommended time spent: Half a day
Sun Moon Lake is a highly popular tourist destination. I’ve visited it before when I was young and recalled staying at a nearby hotel to catch the sunrise. This time, I brought my kids along to simply enjoy the scenery and food. I have no plans to wake them up at 4-5 am for the sunrise, but if you can manage it, it’s a great experience for a holiday.
We opted to take the ferry and tour around the lake. We disembarked at one of the stations to try the famous tea egg. No regrets – it was definitely more flavorful and enjoyable.
Our ferry right it’s quite a last min decision, so we bought the tickets on the spot. But I would recommend buying online because it’s a lot cheaper.
We also strolled over to the nearby Wenwu Temple, initially just for a restroom break. However, it turned out to be a good spot to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Sun Moon Lake. Many visitors come here to pray for success in marriage and studies.
日月潭環湖 Sun Moon Lake / Wen Wu Temple
Address: Yuchi Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 555
Ticket information: Sun Moon Lake Day Tour from Klook.
Ita Thao Old Street 伊達邵老街
Recommended time spent: 2-3 hours
Ita Thao Old street is near Sun Moon Lake, here there are a lot of Thao tribal food, Sun Moon Lake souvenir and gift shop. They are a lot of snacks but the popular and must try are red tea, wild boar meat, moochi, rice cake, beancurd and rice wine.
Ita Thao Old Street 伊達邵老街
Address: Yiyong St, Yuchi Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 555
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm
Cona’s Chocolate 妮娜巧克力城堡
Recommended time spent: 1-2 hours
Cona’s Chocolate, situated in Tainan, is another one of the popular chocolate-making tourist spots in Taiwan. Alongside its chocolate-making activities, Cona’s Chocolate offers interactive displays, costume changing experiences, and a café where visitors can indulge in delicious coffee and ice cream.
You can buy the entrance tickets online (0-6 years old is free entry) but for the chocolate DIY, you need to book the slot online and purchase the DIY kit on the sport.
Cona’s Chocolate 妮娜巧克力城堡
Address: No. 32號, Taomi Rd, Puli Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 545
Opening hours: 10am to 5pm
豐年靈芝菇類生態農場 Rich Year Farm
Recommended time spent: 2 hours
When Singapore had mushroom farms open for tours, I loved taking my kids to visit them. So, I definitely wouldn’t miss the opportunity to bring my kids to a mushroom farm in Nantou.
Rich Year Farm, operating for over 50 years, is the largest mushroom distributor in Taiwan. Besides mushroom farming, they also offer educational and leisure tours.
And outdoor has a lot of sculptures for photo taking, big field for the kids to run around and benches for you and your family to rest.
豐年靈芝菇類生態農場 Rich Year Farm Information
Address: No. 58號, Dongrun Rd, Puli Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 545
Opening Hours: 830am to 5pm
賴爺爺蜜蜂小森林 Grandpa Lai’s Honey
Recommended time spent: 1 hour.
Unlike Honey Home Apiculture, Grandpa Lai’s Honey Bee Farm offers more of a bee museum concept. So, if you’re apprehensive about handling real bees, this would be a great alternative.
Entry is free and includes a complimentary guided tour for below 10 pax, with fixed timings. You need to inform the staff 10 minutes before the tour starts if you wish to join. Although we didn’t participate in the tour due to scheduling conflicts, my kids had already learned a lot at Honey Home Apiculture. Instead, I went through the exhibits with them using the provided resources and even tested their knowledge. This way, I knew my money was well spent.
賴爺爺蜜蜂小森林 Grandpa Lai’s Honey
Address: No. 99號, Ci’en St, Puli Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 54557
Opening hours: 8am to 5pm
木生昆蟲博物館 Musheng Insect Museum
Recommended time spent: 2-3 hours
I would argue that this is the most captivating destination in Nantou that you simply can’t afford to miss. With a guided tour included in the tickets, my kids had the opportunity to learn extensively about insects, including holding and touching them. The entire tour lasts about an hour or more, depending on the enthusiasm of the kids. Since my children wanted to touch and hold nearly every insect, the tour naturally extended. I must commend the tour guide for their patience and professionalism!
We began with the caterpillar and butterfly tour, conveniently located beside the ticketing booth. While I was comfortable with the caterpillars, I must admit I’m not particularly fond of butterflies. Nonetheless, I’m delighted that my kids thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Afterwards, we proceeded indoors, where a variety of insects were showcased in cages. The tour guide would introduce the insects, explaining their diets and habitats before allowing the kids to handle them.
After the tour on the first level, we proceeded to the second level, which is the insect museum. Here, they showcase numerous rare insect specimens. Photography and video recording are not permitted, so the best way to experience it is by visiting in person!
After the tour, we opted to have lunch at the cafe located inside the insect museum. I found the pricing to be quite reasonable, considering that it’s an attraction area. The average price for a main meal is NT$200, which is approximately SGD$8.60. Additionally, there are outdoor and indoor play areas for the kids to enjoy while we adults can peacefully enjoy our meal!
More information on the insect museum.
木生昆蟲博物館 Musheng Insect Museum
Address: No. 6-2號, Nancun Rd, Puli Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 54551
Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm, Closed on Wednesday
Ticketing information here.
果寶歡 Guo Bao Huan Fruit Tourist Factory
Recommended time spent: 1 hour
Guo Bao Huan Fruit tourist factory is a place that specialize in Jabuticaba. Visitors can explore the Happy Fermentation Story Hall, filled with knowledge about Jabuticaba and learn about the fermentation process through adorable exhibitions.
You can take your child to experience Jabuticaba fruit picking at their plantation. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to do it due to timing constraints. So we just tour around the factory, had some tasting and bought some Jabuticaba snacks. However, if you have the opportunity, you can pre-book the fruit picking activity with them. They also have DIY Jabuticaba Jam activity.
果寶歡 Guo Bao Huan Fruit Tourist Factory
Address: 545, Taiwan, Nantou County, Puli Township, 珠格里下湳巷15號
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm
酒鄉埔里 Puli Winery
Recommended time spent: 1hour
Puli is renowned for its spring water, which is used in the production of fine wine. The winery museum is open to visitors free of charge, and when you visit, you should definitely try their Shaoxing delicacies, such as Shaoxing sausages, Shaoxing wine eggs, Polo milk choux, and Shaoxing rice cake ice cream.
酒鄉埔里 Puli Winery
Address: No. 219號, Section 3, Zhongshan Rd, Puli Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 54
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm, Weekend closed on 530pm
鳳凰谷鳥園生態園區 FengHuangGu Bird and Ecological Park
Recommended time spent: 2hours or more.
FengHuangGu Bird and Ecological Park is the largest government-funded bird and ecology park in Taiwan. It’s so vast that we couldn’t explore the entire park in just two hours. For hiking enthusiasts, especially those planning to bring their children along, this park will be a great choice.
Located over an hour’s ride from Puli central, I would suggest adding this itinerary to your last day in Puli and proceeding directly to the next location from the bird park.
The entrance ticket is quite cheap, about less than SGD$3 per pax. Most the birds here are rescued birds and you may even spot some rare species.
Tips: Mosquito repellent is a must even during winter time.
鳳凰谷鳥園生態園區 FengHuangGu Bird and Ecological Park
Address: No. 1-9號, Renyi Rd, Lugu Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 55841
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm, Closed on Monday
大黑松小倆口 King Garden
Recommended time spent: 1 hour
If you love nougat, or planning to buy snacks to gift, you can visit King Garden. They sell lots of nougat snacks in different variety and instagrammable spots for you to take photos.
Recommendation on what to buy:
Spring onion nougat wasabi
Mixed nougat
大黑松小倆口 King Garden
Address: No. 219, Section 4, Zhongshan Rd, Puli Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 545
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm, weekend close on 530pm.
南投埔里城觀光夜市 Puli Weekend Night Market
Puli Night Market only open on Friday and Saturday. We visited when the town is having a big event (you can read below), so most of the stalls are not open. But if you are at Puli during Friday or Saturday, it’s worth visiting.
They have more than 100 food stores and lots of kids activities and games stores.
南投埔里城觀光夜市 Puli Weekend Night Market
Address: No. 890號, Xinyi Rd, Puli Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 545
Opening Hours: Friday & Saturday: 6pm – 12am
阿東窯烤雞
Address: No. 63號, Section 3, Zhongzheng Rd, Lugu Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 558
After visiting the bird park, you can enjoy a meal at 阿東窯烤雞, conveniently located along the way, whether you’re heading towards or leaving the park.
The chicken skin is incredibly crispy, while the meat remains tender and juicy. They uses a special brick oven method, utilizing lychee and longan tree wood to roast the chicken.
蘇媽媽湯圓
Even though there are a few 蘇媽媽湯圓 shops in Taiwan, they actually started in Puli. They’re known for their salty tang yuan. We tried a lot and they were good overall, but the sweet tang yuan soup was a bit too sweet for me.
Feeling 18 Degree
If you’re in Puli and love sweets and baked goods, you should visit Feeling 18 degree. It’s a popular place known for its delicious handmade chocolates, homemade gelato, and various baked treats. Their bread is highly sought after and often sells out by the afternoon. We were lucky that our guesthouse host bought some for our kids. The chocolate bread is definitely a must-buy!
Feeling 18 Degree
Address: No. 20號, Ci’en St, Puli Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 545
Opening hours: 10am to 830pm
Puli Traditional Festival
We happened to encounter Puli biggest traditional event – 三獻清醮
三獻清醮, it’s a traditional that they will celebrate every 3 years and a big celebration on the 12th year.
The entire town observes a vegetarian diet, and households contribute “丁口錢.” Even to this day, the local community continues to uphold this tradition. Not only do the majority of residents eat vegetarian, but most of the shops also do not sell meat products. So we had most of our meals settled at the convenience store which my kids totally love it anyway. Only the last day we get to enjoy a lot more food.
On the last day of the event, there will be a big celebration, everyone will gather at the temple for activities and there will be stalls outside selling lots of local snacks! They even have fireworks!
My Itinerary for Nantou Puli, for reference
Day 1
1130hrs 伊達邵老街 Ita Thao Old Street
1330hrs 日月潭環湖 Sun Moon Lake
1530hrs 妮娜巧克力城堡 Cona’s Chocolate
1800hrs 南投埔里城觀光夜市 Puli Weekend Night Market
Day 2
0930hrs 豐年靈芝菇類生態農場 Rich Year Farm
1030hrs 賴爺爺蜜蜂小森林 Grandpa Lai’s Honey
1130hrs 木生昆蟲博物館 Musheng Insect Museum
1430hrs 果寶歡 Guo Bao Huan Fruit Tourist Factory
1530hrs 酒鄉埔里 Puli Winery
Day 3
1030hrs 鳳凰谷鳥園生態園區 FengHuangGu Bird and Ecological Park
1400hrs 大黑松小倆口元首館 King Garden
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