The Lavender Cottage in Taichung

One of our afternoons in Taiwan was spent at The Lavender Cottage. The literal translation of its Chinese name, Lavender Forest, is a good way to describe this beautiful place in the mountains. If we had been tourists visiting on our own we probably would never have even known of The Lavender Forest, let alone visit it. The Lavender Cottage started as a dream of 2 Taiwanese city girls who wanted to have a romantic hideaway, where those in love could enjoy their own private moments without disturbance. Today, they have a haven for busy Taiwanese who want to retreat to the mountains, and enjoy the health and beauty benefits of the aromatic Lavender herb.

After following a scenic mountain road we arrived at our destination. Just like its name describes it is a place full of lavender. A short walk from the parking lot leads to a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and the valley below. The Lavender Forest is filled with acres of herb gardens and flowering plants. Paths lead you through these beautiful, aroma filled gardens. The garden includes not only lavender, but also many other herbs.

Following a short path we came upon a large patio area where guests were enjoying unusual flavors of ice cream. The specialty flavor is Lavender, some of the other flavors are rose and lemon grass. We had the Lavender ice cream and enjoyed the delicious taste. It is hard to describe the beauty of being in the high fresh mountain air, with the scent of lavender and the clouds all around you, enjoying a Lavender Ice Cream Cone.

Hanging a wish on the wish tree is popular and fun at the Lavender Cottage. We all wrote out a wish on a piece of paper that was supplied to us and then hung it on the wish tree. As you walk through the gardens you will see several of these wish trees with brown pieces of paper tied with string hanging from them.

We finished our visit at the Lavender Cottage by having a delicious lunch and my son asking for permission to marry our now daughter-in-law. It was a beautifully, romantic place for this request to take place.