Penghu Travel: Traveling to Penghu

Travel Date: 27/03/2021 ~ 01/04/2021

It's our first time visiting Penghu, and I'll describe the process, prices, our accommodation, and the places we visited in separate posts as I have a lot planned.

We started by visiting the historical Ash Kilns and the famous attraction known as "Moses Parted the Sea," where we witnessed the low tide creating a pathway to a nearby small island. We also explored Nanliao Village, renowned for its traditional fishing settlement, with many interesting buildings to see.

In addition to the main island, we ventured to the smaller islands connected by sea-crossing bridge. On Yuwengdao Island in Xiyu Township, the furthest island, we visited the Yuwengdao Lighthouse, the Sanxian Pagodas with their breathtaking views of the sea, and observed the fake cannon. We also enjoyed the natural beauty of Daguoye Columnar Basalt, Niuxin Mountain and Paradise Road. In Xiyu, there are several forts worth exploring, such as the Western Fort, Eastern Fort, and the Five-hole bunker.

Zhuwan Temple left me with mixed feelings as I enjoyed seeing the turtles but felt sorry for them living in captivity underground.

Chen Erkan Historical House, along with the entire village of unique old buildings, is a famous place to visit in Penghu.

Going south on Magong Island, we explored the remains of a Dutch castle (actually a memorial), as well as the South and North Pagodas, which have unique and intriguing designs, though their exact story remains unknown.

Magong City is also filled with historical architecture. We explored Zhongyang Old Street, old wells, Mazu Temple, and the sole remaining city gate.

We discovered a place in Penghu where you can interact with starfish and sea urchins, which was particularly interesting for kids as they could learn more about the underwater world.

Another fort we visited, Jinguitou Fort, was once used to defend the island of Penghu.

For those interested in temples and religions, the Confucius Temple is worth a visit.

In just four days, we experienced an incredible amount. Penghu is truly beautiful, and I hope to revisit someday in the future.

Budai -> Penghu

It's our first time going to Penghu, and I feel excited. We have already found plenty of places to visit there. We are also reading some history before going. The Dutch fort in Penghu was built around the same time as the fort in Shanhua, Tainan (our current place of residence). Although there is nothing left to see in Shanhua (but we do have a Dutch well in town).

We woke up at 7 am and drove for a little less than 1 hour from Shanhua, Tainan to Budai, Chiayi to catch the boat. When we arrived, it was still quite early, a little after 8 am, so we had to wait nearly 2 hours for the boat. It was scheduled to arrive an hour earlier due to the possibility of a crowd. Since it's still winter season, there weren't many people waiting to board the boat.

There are several car parks in the town and around the port. During busy times (April-September), it's better to arrive earlier. There is a car park right next to the port, which costs 160NT per day. More distant places (about 1km away) could be cheaper, around 100NT per day.

Before entering the port, your ID card or ARC card (no need for a passport) will be checked, and your temperature will be taken (you will receive a stamp afterward). After that, we went to get our tickets and waited for the boat. There are only a few seats available around the ticket booth. Boat tickets cost 1000NT for a one-way trip, and for kids under 3 years old, it's 100NT. Kids of this age don't have a seat, but even during the winter season when we traveled, there were plenty of empty seats on the boat.

Before entering the port, your luggage will be scanned, so make sure not to bring any dangerous items with you. Phones and any metal items need to be put in a bag for scanning. There were more seats available outside while waiting to board.

The boat ride to Penghu takes about 90 minutes. There are some cookies and drinks available for purchase on the boat (there were no food stalls at the port, so it's better to prepare something in advance or buy on the way). There is no signal during the trip.

After arriving at noon, we contacted our accommodation. They helped us rent a scooter, so the owner drove to the port, left the scooter for us to use, and brought our luggage to the accommodation.

We stayed at Penghu ING Home Stay 澎湖愛恩居SPA海景民宿. It's a nice place to stay, not far from Magong City. It's close to Xiwei Harbour, and there is a convenience store less than 10 minutes away by walking. It's very quiet here, making it comfortable to sleep. The room looks new and clean (we stayed on the top floor). There is plenty of space in the room and a large bathroom. There is also a balcony where you can see the nearby harbor. There are no unpleasant smells anywhere.

The first and second floors have water machines. The dining area has large windows, allowing you to enjoy the small front yard with flowers. The second floor has a small area with a sofa and a table, and there is also a balcony on the top floor. The owner is a lovely woman, very nice and helpful. She assisted us in renting the scooter and picked us up from the harbor. Being a local Penghu resident, you can ask her for recommendations on what to eat or visit around. She even offered to lend us toys for the kids to play with in the sand. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

On the first night, we lost the key to our room, but the owner wasn't there at the moment. However, she soon helped us find a spare key and didn't charge us for making a new card. It feels comfortable, just like staying at home. There are no negative reviews. It's the best place to stay in Penghu!! Highly recommended!!!

At noon, not many food places were open. Most restaurants start business in the morning, some in the afternoon. We found some special foods like cactus fruit-flavored pancakes or Taiwanese hamburgers (guabao) with purple seaweed.