The Easy Space

Vacation space in a villa

Travelling along the seaside, only an hour by car from Taipei city, you come to an old forgotten fishing village in Gongliao bay. A faded red brick European style villa overlooks the ocean and reminds you of the former magnificence of the area.

You pull the heavy glass doors open and step instantly into a different world. A lazy bossanova jazz tune resounds in your ears as you take in the extraordinary style of the living room with its high ceiling and crystal chandeliers. Seven-meter tall floor-to-ceiling windows allow you to take in the blue sky, the ocean, and the mountain ranges outside. The Easy Space was in fact originally a gift from the father of the hostess, Amber, to her grandfather on his 60th birthday 12 years earlier. Amber’s grandfather had left his hometown in the struggle to make a living and, despite achieving professional success, had always longed to return. With grandpa’s dream of returning to the countryside in his mind, Amber’s father went home and built the most fashionable European-style villa of the time.

For the current hostess, Amber, The Easy Space brings back memories of beautiful vacations with friends. After leaving a pleasant life in the USA and returning to Taiwan for her family, Amber helped to revamp their old family villa, with the goal of allowing those fond childhood memories to live on. Upon her return, Amber also met her love, Michael. Now, through the everyday happiness of The Easy Space, the two of them share their mutual love and appreciation with every traveler who stays with them.

Five secret oceanside bays for five different rooms

Yet the biggest surprise in this space measuring 250 ping isn’t the 100-inch Blu-ray home theater; there’s also KTV equipment, a sauna and steam room, a cocktail bar, and a fully equipped gym! There’s even a small reading room filled with Amber’s beloved collection of Japanese manga. Furthermore, plans are in the works to build an outdoor cafe with an ocean view for the enjoyment of The Easy Space guests.

All five rooms here at The Easy Space were renovated by Amber and Michael’s own skillful hands to create a fresh aesthetic environment. If you love a big room, with a grand view of the ocean and sky, then your first choice will certainly be the Oceanside and Sky Suite on the second floor, which puts you closest to the vast ocean and sky. The Fisherman's Bay Suite on the first floor is equally large and gives you the same generous front row seat to beautiful scenery. Around to the side, you find the Garden Scenery Suite in the color of violets, a space situated just right to give you a view of both mountains and sea from the balcony.

Though it doesn’t directly face the ocean, the Mountain and Seascape Suite on the second floor is painted an enchanting Tiffany blue, and presents an irresistible choice for travelers. If you love the simplicity of the mountains and long to hide away in comfort and security, then the Hilltop Cloud Suite was designed precisely for you. With large windows facing majestic mountains and one entire wall painted with a tunnel motif, you’re left wondering where that road into the distance may lead. Tonight, you may take a train ride in your dreams, setting off for a paradise where friendships are eternal.

The forgotten, yet most beautiful, fishing village in the northeast

After finishing Amber’s delicious homemade breakfast, take a walk into the village under a clear, azure sky. Maoao Fishing Village, the most beautiful fishing village in the whole northeast, lies between Taipei and Yilan and is extremely close to the villa. Once bustling and lively, it now lies tranquil and serene. Old houses are preserved and exude a generous and friendly ambiance. You greet an elderly neighbor resting in the shade of a doorway, and play with the kittens rolling around in the sunshine. You snap a few photographs as you reluctantly prepare to leave, taking beautiful memories back with you.

The ocean breeze gently blows as you look back up the hillside to The Easy Space, and images of the flourishing and decline of the fishing village play in your mind. The faded red brick building before you holds aloft the resplendent colors of youth, inviting you and your friends to make plans to return soon to this quaint fishing village in the northeast.