Skip to content 
In December 2022 I travelled with my cousin from Taichung to Kenting. Kenting is located in the Southern tip of Taiwan and the drive from Taichung was just over three hours. With a lengthy drive ahead of us while travelling with my 3-year old niece, we made sure to stop Dongshan Service Area in Tainan on the way to Kenting as well as on the way back. It is just over an hour south of Taichung and two hours north of Kenting.
Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Dongshan Service Area is one of Taiwan’s largest highway rest stops with a variety of restaurants and shops. I was told that thousands of people stop here every day. When my cousins said that we were stopping at a rest area, I was not expecting something so nice. Dongshan Service Area far exceeded my expectations and was miles above any other rest stop I’ve experienced. It was clean, modern and the food court offerings were delicious. I was more than happy to stop there for a bathroom break, stretch our legs and grab lunch.
My favourite part of Dongshan Service Area was the food court where we feasted on a variety of Taiwanese dishes including traditional Taiwanese beef noodles, pork ragu on rice, dumplings and beef rolls. We were surprised how delicious the food was, and everything was very affordable as well! My boyfriend said the dumplings and beef rolls were among the favourite foods he had eaten throughout our entire trip.
There was also a great selection of sweets at Dongshan Service Area, including bubble tea and traditional Taiwanese wheel cakes. After feasting at the food court, we explored the stores and vendors where we grabbed some snacks for the road, including dried fruits, seaweed and mochis. There is even a large 7/11 store within the Dongshan Service Area.
If you’re driving around Taiwan, I would highly recommend this as a rest stop! To read more about my recommendations for Kenting, click here.
