HualienPlay Recommendations

Hou-Dian-Tian Café hides in an alley between Cheng-Gong and Fu-Jian streets in Hualien City. The plain white façade opens into a wood-and-warm-light interior with a literary, laid-back feel. The concise menu covers pour-over coffee, tea and a rotating dessert case (canelés are the signature), and a small seat count means reservations are wise for an unhurried afternoon. As a pet-friendly café that keeps two dachshunds and a resident cat, it welcomes visitors with their own pets and is a favourite among the city's animal lovers.

Chong-De Ying Farm in Xiu-Lin Township sits where the Central Range meets the Pacific, with grasslands, lakes and salt breeze all in one frame. Activities run from alpaca and pony feeding to horseback riding, canoeing, all-terrain-vehicle rides and even paragliding, so there is plenty for every age. Visitors buy their own hay and carrots to feed alpacas, cows and horses, and supervised photo sessions let children hold lambs or sample goat milk. The site also offers RV sites and glamping at Chong-Lin Mi-Jing for an overnight under the stars. Admission is about NT$100 (children under 15 free) and is deductible against in-park spending.