Two years ago, a mountain slope on the outskirts of the Beitou district was transformed into a flower garden. At least 90 thousand red sage, begonia, and silver ragwort flowers are planted in the garden which is named Ki-Pataw Shan-Tseng-Chi Park. Since then, Beitou, located in Northern Taiwan, has attracted more and more tourists.
For Muslim tourists, having a vacation in Beitou to feel the atmosphere of the mountains of Taiwan, is not a difficult matter. Only less than one kilometer from MRT Xin Beitou Station is Hotel Chyuan Du Spring Resort. Muslim tourists who plan to only take advantage of public transportation will be very spoiled by the presence of this hotel.
Chyuan Du Spring Resort is only about one minute walk from the MRT station, and only about ten minutes walk to reach the nearest halal restaurant. As a hotel that dedicates itself to being a Halal hotel that is very friendly to Muslim tourists, Chyuan Du Spring Resort has a restaurant that provides Halal menus. In the morning, Muslim tourists no need to worry about finding halal food, because the hotel has provided a nutritious, healthy breakfast that is clean and most definitely halal.
This halal food guarantee is not just a claim. Chyuan Du Spring Resorts has a kitchen that is halal certified. To get this certification, hotel management must really make sure the kitchen is not contaminated by haram ingredients such as pork or alcohol. This means that the kitchen is specifically dedicated to processing halal food so that it will not be mixed with haram ingredients at all.
A kitchen that is halal-certified also means using all cooking utensils with care. Muslim tourists don't have to worry about haram contamination coming from cooking utensils. As previously explained, halal kitchens are specifically dedicated to cooking halal dishes. Thus, there will be no exchanging cooking utensils or using cooking utensils in turn with other kitchens, so there will be no problem of haram contamination from cooking utensils.
If you are bored with halal food that can be ordered at the hotel's restaurant, Muslim tourists can explore the area around the hotel to find various kinds of halal restaurants. Visitors can go on a halal culinary tour of Beitou. Chyuan Du Springs Resorts management has provided a guide containing lists of halal restaurants around the inn that visitors can request at the front desk.
One of the recommended halal restaurants is the restaurant at Atami Hotel-Ronghua Hall. This restaurant is located at 258th, Guangming Road, Beitou. Then there is Baba Crazy Kitchen, also known as Ali Baba's Indian Kitchen, which serves Indian specialties. There is also MOS Burger which is spread across three locations in Beitou District that also serves halal food. MOS Burger is even open till late at 02.00. From the name, you can guess that this restaurant serves fast food such as burgers, potatoes, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets.
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Image Credit: 桂男, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It's not complete if you haven't stopped at Yangmingshin National Park while on vacation in Beitou. There is a myriad of interesting activities that can be done here, from hiking, visiting flower gardens, bathing in the hot springs, even sitting around to fill your lungs with fresh air. Here tourists are treated to views of Qixing-shan, known as the seven-star mountain.
There is also another interesting amusement with a theme not far from a natural park, namely Geothermal Valley. Among foreign tourists, this park is often nicknamed Hell Valley because the heat comes directly from inside the volcano. The tourist dish here is in the form of a natural sulfur hot spring pool, which of course cannot be used as a bath because it is so hot. Hearsay, the water around this park has a temperature of around 90 'Celsius, hot enough to boil an egg!
Apart from various hot springs, in Beitou you can also visit the Ketagalan Cultural Center museum. The museum which has ten buildings holds many stories about the Aboriginal culture that once developed in the Beitou area.
The museum is easily accessible by taking the MRT, get off right at Xin Beitou Station then walk by keeping the park guidelines on the right, about fifteen minutes of leisurely walk you will arrive at the museum. Once satisfied touring the museum, tourists can sit around for a while enjoying the friendly atmosphere of Beitou in Qinshui Park.
Image Credit: Chyuan Du Spring Resort
If you are tired of walking around Beitou City, Chyuan Du Spring Resort Hotel provides a hot spring bath which of course separates between men and women. Beitou District has been known as a paradise for hot springs since the 1895 era. Its location in the mountains has a cold air that often pierces the skin. Therefore, there are many locations that offer hot spring bath entertainment in the open while enjoying the mountainous atmosphere of northern Taiwan.
However, not all of these hot springs are suitable for Muslim tourists because of their open location and sometimes there are no separate male and female visitors. Therefore, the option of soaking in hot water at the Chyuan Du Spring Resort hotel by utilizing the existing facilities is the best choice. Muslim tourists don't need to be bothered about their genitals because this bath is designed to be safe and suitable for Muslim tourists.
Image Credit: Chyuan Du Spring Resort
As a hotel that is rewarded with a rating of six by CrescentRating, this hotel can be said to really pamper Muslim tourists. If you are confused about how to arrange a trip while on vacation in Beitou, the hotel management provides a travel corner located in the hotel business center area. Muslim guests also need not worry as there are many guides available in English to make it easier to schedule.
Still, confused? Muslim guests can consult with the hotel staff on duty to guide you in making a pleasant halal trip.
While on vacation to explore Beitou, guests can store their belongings at the reception. Not only that, the receptionist is always on guard 24 hours to help meet guests' needs while staying at the hotel. In fact, guests can contact the hotel reception to ask about halal restaurants during their walk-in Beitou. Chyuan Du Spring Resorts' reception staff are highly trained to cater to the needs of Muslim travelers.
The facilities for Muslim tourists provided by the hotel management are also very good. In the room, a prayer schedule is available according to local time. If this timetable happens to be missing in the room, Muslim guests can request it at the reception staff as this is a mandatory requirement that must be given to Muslim guests.
Muslim guests also don't need to be confused about the direction of the Qibla because there is already a marker in the room. In order for the worship to run smoothly, the hotel management lent us a clean prayer mat in the room. This prayer mat is guaranteed cleanliness and hygiene so that Muslim guests can worship solemnly. Muslim guests can also request this facility from the receptionist if by chance the room employee forgets to put a clean prayer mat in the room you ordered.
To add to the devotion of your prayer, the hotel management even lends a special Quran for Muslim guests. This Quran can also be ordered one day in advance if the guest wants to have two Quranic items in one room. But keep in mind that this Quran is part of the hotel property that is lent to add to the worship of Muslim guests, so it must be returned after finishing the stay.
The closest halal restaurant to the hotel is Masala Art which is located at 1st Yumen Steet (Taipei Expo Park - Ma Ji Square), Zhongshan District, Taipei City.
Muslim guests can request a list of nearby mosques at the reception. In fact, this list can be made according to the trip needs of Muslim guests by consulting the staff at the Travel Desk.
Image Credit: Chyuan Du Spring Resort
Not many halal hotels in Taiwan, especially in Beitou, get a rating of 6 (in the CrescentRating index, the higher the rating, the better the fulfillment of halal indicators), such as Chyuan Du Spring Resorts Hotel.
Muslim guests don't have to worry about inviting their children and families to stay at this hotel because by pocketing a rating of 6, this hotel is completely unrelated to illegal businesses such as gambling, casinos, and so on.
This hotel is also not associated with night business such as discotheques, pubs, night cafes, and so on.
Likewise, within the hotel, there is no discotheque, pub, or bar serving alcoholic beverages. It is important to note that this hotel does not serve alcoholic drinks at all for its visitors. There is also no adult-only channel on the television channel provided in each room.
Public facilities inside the hotel are also tailored to the needs of Muslim guests. For example, there is female staff to serve female guests. The toilet is separated between men and women and is equipped with a hand shower for rinsing. Spa center specially designed friendly for Muslim guests and special vegetarian breakfast which can be ordered the day before or at check-in.
Muslim guests who bring private vehicles do not need to worry about the safety of their vehicles because the hotel provides free parking facilities. In addition, free WiFi is provided for visitors, which makes staying at Chyuan Du Spring Resort Hotel very comfortable and enjoyable.
So what else do you waiting for? Turn off your laptop, book the airline ticket, and enjoy Chyuan Du Resort!
