CHU Resort FLOW Retreat is a combined style of spa resort and retreat center rarely seen in Taiwan. Located at the foot of the Central Mountains on the east coast in Hualien County, the resort is around a three-hour train ride south of Taipei.
Guests are drawn there for the onsen (hot spring bathhouse), a swimming pool, a restaurant, workshops, yoga, and wooded trails for hiking or cycling.
CHU Resort offers a straightforward overnight option with added activities such as yoga, and hot springs facility visits for an extra fee. FLOW Retreat offers multi-day wellness package programs that include accommodation, vegetarian meals, meditation, Ayurveda treatments, hot springs bathing, workshops, and time in nature.
CHU Resort and FLOW Retreat Guest Room Options
You’ll find CHU accommodations in a forested area called Small Island, with 52 units. The 28 FLOW units can be found close to the meditation pavilion and sprawling grassland area.
Light and airy, the décor in all units features pale wood, natural textiles, neutral colors, and woven hangings.
The FLOW rooms are divided into three configurations; Mist, Wood, and Valley.
Mist has a Queen bed, porch, raised ceiling, and meditation area. Wood has two single beds, a porch, a high ceiling, a Japanese-style tatami, and a meditation area. Valley is the most spacious. It is a two-story unit with a Queen bed in a loft-style bedroom, lounge, balcony, and meditation area.
CHU Resort rooms have five options; Mist, Mountain, River, Valley, and Sunrise. Mist and Valley offer the same configurations as the FLOW guest rooms while Mountain has two Queen beds, high ceilings, and a balcony. The generous-sized River is loft style with two floors and two Queen beds. Sunrise has two Queen beds on the same floor.
The Amenities and Sustainability
Healthy amenities reflect the CHU Resort FLOW Retreat’s wellness focus. Each guest unit is stocked with cinnamon tea, kombucha, plant-based snacks, and toiletries made with essential oils.
Rooms have mini-fridges, electric kettles, 110V outlets, and wireless Internet. Note that only the CHU Resort rooms have TVs and broadband cable.
Child Friendly Activities at CHU Resort and FLOW Retreat
Children are welcome at the resort and delight in the indoor Hill Playground with filled with toys, stuffed animals, games, and other activities. There’s an indoor reading room and a semi-outdoor play space so kids can burn off some energy.
Adults can relax and stretch out in the Inspiration Library which offers books, magazines, and comfortable seating.
What to Eat
You can treat yourself to a locally sourced meal at CHU Resort’s restaurant Knsuyan. The dishes are labeled and laid out as a buffet, with meats, fish, and poultry, as well as vegetables, soups, and desserts. If you hanker for a glass of wine or a cocktail, Idas Bar can serve your needs. The small 26-seater is located in front of the restaurant and offers views of the resort’s grassland area.
At FLOW retreats the restaurant provides strictly vegetarian dishes and also serves meals buffet style. Ingredients are fresh, seasonal, and organic. The breakfast spread includes locally grown fruits such as watermelon, passion fruit, and guava. Filtered drinking water and herbal teas are available.
CHU Resort and FLOW Retreat for Spa and Hot Spring Relaxation
If you are looking for some pampering while at CHU Resort and FLOW Retreat, head to the resort’s Prana Spa. Specializing in Ayurveda treatments, you can get Indian head massages, warm oil body massages, and scrubs.
If soaking in mineral hot springs waters is more to your liking, CHU Resort FLOW Retreat offers Onsen Futagoyama. The private rooms have tubs that you can book for 50 minutes. The springs originate from nearby Erzishan Mountain and are filled with sodium bicarbonate which softens the skin.
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The tubs are made of local Hualien serpentine marble. In addition, you can steep your body in the outdoor, co-ed hot springs pool. Bathing suits are worn in the outdoor areas.
CHU Resort FLOW Retreat Packages and Rates
FLOW’s packages to choose from such as a six-night Nature and Culture Immersion Retreat, an Ayurveda Gentle Renewal Retreat, and FLOW Wellness Retreats.
You can also choose your own start and end date. The programs are offered year-round in English and Chinese and meals are included.
Rates for CHU Resort FLOW Retreat range from $50-150 USD per night depending on the number of people and size of the unit. Additional fees might apply for activities and meals. You can also make reservations through Booking.com or Expedia.
Hotel feature by Toronto-based travel writer Maureen Littlejohn. Photos © Maureen Littlejohn. The Taiwan Tourism Bureau arranged for her stay as she researched a larger piece. As always, her thoughts and opinions are her own.
