Orchid Island(Lanyu)
Orchid Island(Lanyu)
4.5
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  • Charlotte
    2 contributions
    Beautiful island
    The sea on Lanyu is really beautiful, it’s the beauty of the Pacific Ocean. It was actually a typhoon this time, and the boats stopped but we went without hesitation. We want to go to Green Island at first, but all the boats stopped and had to give up. We also stayed one more day because of the suspension As a result, the weather in Lanyu is pretty good, but occasionally it rains slightly~ Compared to Xiaoliuqiu, it is really much bigger. But both of their sea are charming. We still have to advocate again that trash does not fall, not to mention fall into the sea . In addition, because Lanyu is too far away from the island, the prices are a bit more expensive After all, it’s no joke that the boat takes three hours faster I was really dizzy all day when I went there. In addition to the road on Lanyu, you will see a bunch of goats🐐 There will also be boars🐗 oh ha ha ha ha ha
    Visited September 2020
    Traveled with friends
    Written June 2, 2021
  • Jeffry b
    Essendon, Australia13,427 contributions
    An intersting island to visit
    Orchid Island, known in Chinese as Lanyu, is a tropical island off the south-west coast of Taiwan. There are a number of recreations for visitors. The indigenous people, known as the Tao, are one of the most intact tribes in Taiwan. The indigenous handicrafts may be of interest. In all, Orchid Island is a very different society to mainland Taiwan, it's well worth a visit. THe people are friendly and things, like the coral reefs, are interesting.
    Visited April 2022
    Written June 25, 2022
  • Jeffry b
    Essendon, Australia13,427 contributions
    Feel free to wander around
    This genuinely fascinating island can be found off the south-east coast of Taiwan. Technically Orchid Island in Taitung County. The indigenous Tao people inhabit Orchid Island, also known as Lanyu in Mandarin. The Tao people are isolated from mainland Taiwan and have retained much of their traditional way of life, more so than other indigenous people in the Republic of China. Their traditional dances evoke the Tao people's spirit of harmony. Orchid Island is certainly worth a visit. Feel free to wander around.
    Visited December 2022
    Written December 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Shanaka2014
Kaohsiung, Taiwan1,096 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
With ambition to cover all the small islands around Taiwan, Visited Orchid Island. Do not be afraid to take Ferry the ride was smooth and 2 hours ride. Book tickets early, be there early to find a parking space if u are driving.
At arrival pick up a scooter, will help travel around the island easily. Site seing photo shoots and ride around could take 2 to 3.30 hours. If you ride around hole island without stopping will take around 1 to 2 hours. There is a cross road through mountain. Take it at day time, not at night (no road lights) Two days will cover everything except you want to dive many times in beautiful sea Coral sites.
All together a wonderful experience.
Written July 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jeffry b
Essendon, Australia13,427 contributions
Nov 2020
Orchid Island, also called Lanyu, is a tropical island off the south-east coast of Taiwan. We took a trip in a light plane, it is about half an hour from Taitung Airport. You can also take a ferry. The island is 45 km2 (17 miles2). It has many natural sights, including endemic species. Green turtles and humpback whales can also be found. The Tao, one of Taiwan's most intact, indigenous tribes, form the bulk of the population. The coral reefs are quite spectacular. The annual Flying Fish Festival is worth noting. By the way, part of the island forms a storage depot for Taipower's three nuclear power stations. There have been several protests by the native people, but the waste dump remains.
Written January 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RCL_TPE
Taipei, Taiwan402 contributions
Jun 2012 • Couples
The Orchid Island, also known as Lanyu, is the jewel of Taiwan. Unlike Green Island (another island in the Pacific and much closer to Taiwan) which is known for its hotels and well-furnished tourist attractions, Orchid Island is the place to go if you are a nature-lover and prefer things the “natural” way.

Getting to the island is a serious challenge for many people. There are two ways to get there – by sea or by air. Getting your hands on the small plane that flies to the local airport is tough, to say the least (each flight carries less than 20 passengers). Therefore, most tourists reach the island by ferry which leaves from either Taitung or Kenting twice a day. How travelers take the 2.5 hour ride depends on the whims of Mother Nature (don’t worry, there’s sick bags readily available on board).

Accommodation on the island is not really a problem, thanks to the presence of large numbers of B&B. However, it might be a hassle for international travelers because a lot of the websites for reservation is in Chinese. Prearrangement is a must, especially for trips during the summer seasons. There are six villages on the island, each with their B&B.

Transportation on the island can be any of the following: scooters, bicycles, or walking. It takes about 2 hours to ride around the island on scooter. Visitors can contact the owners of the B&B to help with scooter rental. However, be reminded the road conditions are less than ideal (especially after typhoons or storms). There are also public buses, but services are few and far between.

There are two supermarkets on the island – both located on the west side (though small stores do exist here and there). The only gas station is next to the port, so most likely you’ll see lines of scooters waiting to fuel up any time of the day. In case someone gets sick, there’s a small hospital (again, on the west side of the island – next to a post office with the island’s only ATM).

Dining is not a problem, as there are restaurants and shops offering things from beef noodles to local delicacies. However, prices of goods can be a bit high because most supplies come from Taiwan. Two Orchid Island delicacies that visitors can try are flying fish and local-grown taro (example: taro ice cream).

Some of the more popular activities on the island include diving and night tours. Again, most B&B on the island either have their own contacts or offer these services themselves.

One thing to keep in mind is to bring sun screens or other gears to reduce the blazing effects of the tropical sun. It is possible to get sunburned at the end of the day if you don’t have any protection.
Written September 27, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Angela W
Brisbane, Australia45 contributions
Dec 2016 • Couples
I don't doubt that this island is beautiful and remote, a little road less travelled - that's why my husband and I visited. We love adventure and don't mind "roughing it". Just don't go in the off season unless you are willing to stay longer than expected and make sure you have lots of cash if you have a bank that's not Taiwanese, as the only ATM on the island at the post office doesn't red international card chips. 7 11 can take cards, but again only Taiwanese. Therefore we were in a bit of a predicament.

We went with $5000 NTD. We couldn't find accommodation anywhere on any website other than 1 on Airbnb which didn't respond so we thought we would just arrive as other travellers seem to have done and find a room when we get there. We couldn't get a boat so we somehow booked flights there and back even though Trip Advisor said flights were booked out way in advance. The kind Daily Air staff at Lanyu airport who had limited English (as most of all islanders do, if any) called around and found a lady who came and picked us up. As it was off season, most BnB's are not operating and doing maintenance. In fact most of the restaurants, pub, dive shops are all closed. Our host told us that the ATM wouldn't work for our cards so we had limited funds for 2 days so opted for the cheapest option of sleeping on the floor on thin Tatami mats for $1000 per night.

We tried the next day to get money out of the ATM but it didn't work. We started to panic as the wind had picked up and our hosts said flights and boats were being cancelled. Some people get stuck on the island for a week before being able to get a plane or a boat back! We certainly didn't have enough cash to stay much longer and started to panic. We had a flight booking the next day but as we had seen, flights were being cancelled and they have a weird system that even if you are booked on a flight and it gets cancelled you have to go to the airport and put your name on a waiting list which includes people that didn't even have a booking. The waiting list was 9 pages long!!

Unfortunately we didn't get to see much of the island as the only day we had free was pelting down with rain, we did negotiate to rent a scooter using charades with a village family as the scooter hire place wasn't open. we bought rain poncho's from 7 11 determined to see some of it but only got half way before it was really bad. The next day the weather was great but we had to spend it in the airport on the waiting list for a flight. As it's only a 19 seater plane anything over 20 knots of wind (40kms) gets cancelled. You have to be there if they call your name off otherwise you lose your spot in the waitlist and have to put it on again. Our host told us that some people get stuck there for a week! I can't express how helpful our host was she even offered to loan us money until we got to the mainland and could post it back.

Basically, go there in the summer. There will be more places open and the weather will be more reliable to get in and out with no problem.
Written December 15, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

calvin
Taipei104 contributions
May 2016 • Solo
This is a good island if you want to just chill out. It's a little over two hours ferry ride from Fugang Harbor 富岡漁港 in Taitung 台東.

Round trip is about $2400nt (one way $1200nt). To bring your own scooter is $300nt each way.

It's a nice island but wasn't for me, at least not for this trip. I was thinking they had a nice little developed strip with some places to chill out and relax. There are a few spots here and there but nothing to get excited about.

Green Island 綠島 on the other hand is a shorter ferry ride and has a selection of restaurants and sights.

If you are choosing between Green Island and Orchid Island (2x the shoreline of Green Island) then it would dependent on what you want to do.

Both islands are beautiful but Green Island is a bit more developed and "comfortable" where you have a good mix of off the beaten track and some nice selection of comfort amenities.
Written June 1, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stuart M
Surrey, UK26 contributions
Sep 2014 • Couples
Beautiful and remote Orchid Island (Lanyu), fly or ferry from Taitung. Many homestay options, I would recommend strongly Mrs Snow @ New Guluhoemstay, fantastic home-cooked food and lots of great advise.
Written September 18, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

M H
Darlington1,302 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
We spent two nights on Lanyu Island which was right for us allowing one day for birdwatching and one day a touristy tour of the island. We opted for the ferry from Taitung - note the ferry companies don't accept creditcards, only cash. It's also possible to fly to Lanyu (though we understand there's a greater risk of a cancelled flight than the ferries not running).

On our first day it was cloudy and temperatures pleasant. On the day we were leaving it was extremely hot. The best way to get around the island is by hiring a scooter - inexpensive and naturally air-conditioned!

We did the following touristy things:

- walked the boardwalk trail in the south-west part of the island which takes you to a lovely secluded lake (known locally as Datian Pond) surrounded by forest. Its a steep walk uphill and there's some scrambling aided by ropes. Don't let the decaying boardwalk put you off - it turns into a forest path after the second rest lookout

- spent some time in the grasslands also in the extreme south-west of the island where a well maintained trail takes you to a lookout over the sea good for sunsets

- snorkelled at Shuangshih Bay in the north-east part of the island where there still exists extensive and intact coral formations that would rival the best sites in The Seychells. We saw about 30 different species of fish too

- visited the lighthouse near Siaotian Pond in the north-west of the island though neither are recommended except for views

- visited Lanyu weather station in the centre of the island for fabulous 360 degree views

Lanyu is also noted for a number of key birds and we saw Japanese Paradise-flycatcher, Northern Boobook, Ryukyu Scops-owl, Philippine Cuckoo-dove and Lowland White-eye with comparative ease in the forested valleys in the south-east of the island.

There is one 7-11 shop on the island located near the harbour which was extremely popular - prices exactly as we found on the mainland. There are also a number of restaurants along the west coast and in the village of Yetin on the east coast.

We did not see a single orchid though did see plenty of beautiful butterflies. As well as being a place to chill there is also plenty to do on Lanyu Island if you like the outdoors - recommended.
Written May 2, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shu Y
Singapore, Singapore206 contributions
If you like the outdoors and experiencing a new culture, this is the place to go! And you'd better go soon before all the aboriginal traditions and cultures are replaced by modern technology and tacky tourist attractions.
The older generations of the Yami people still engage in their traditional livelihood of fishing and farming. If you truly want to experience the Yami culture, DON'T go in summer when the island is flocked by tourists! (I went in late Apr which is just before the peak season). Also, choose to stay in Yeyin village where most of the traditional underground houses are preserved.
Sightseeing-wise, there is not much to see other than the rock formations along the beautiful coastline. It is also possible to dive or snorkel there. The best way to see the island is to rent a scooter (TWD400/day) and go along the coastal road.
That said, the best way to enjoy your stay is to be open minded and mingle with the Yami people. Although some of the older folks may seem defensive and wary against tourists, I have met many friendly and hospitable locals on my trip. You just need to be mindful of some of their social norms and taboos (eg. Don't take photos of the people or of them fishing etc).
Written May 12, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

cherry.c
Hong Kong, China83 contributions
Aug 2017 • Friends
Lanyu is undoubtedly a lovely little island, beautiful and unspoilt. I spent 3 nights there and it was amazing. We snorkelled everyday at different spots based on locals' advice. We didn't join any snorkelling tour as they are pricey and the water in Lanyu is so clear we could already see a lot of corals and fishes just off shore. We have our own snorkelling equipment. If you haven't, you can easily rent it from diving shops (the price is much higher in Yuren and Hongtou Village though). And do ask locals where the best snorkelling spot is for the day as they know the current better. The sea was quite choppy during my stay so we didn't swim far from shore and the visibility was affected. But I still got to see LOTS of coral fishes and I believe the view would be even better if the sea was calm! In my opinion it's more beautiful and well-protected than the Great Barrier Reef (I scuba dived there last year).
Apart from marine life, there are lots to see on land too. We went hiking in a morning and went on an eco-tour at night with a local friend, during which he introduced different plants, insects and animals (exclusive to Lanyu) to us. We got to see the owl when we were about to head back!
But as I said in the title, things may not go as expected, especially during typhoon season (I heard the wind is even worse in winter but no one is travelling there in winter). To get to Lanyu, you only have two choices, by plane or by ferry. A small plane which carries fewer than 20 people takes 20 minutes to fly from Taitung to Lanyu, but it is easily delayed or cancelled if the wind speed exceeds the limit. Ferries take more than 2 hours to travel between Taitung and Lanyu, but it may still run when the flights are cancelled. You may feel seasick when the sea is rough. For us, we flew in and took ferry out as we thought there was a great chance our flight would be cancelled (and it did) due to the weather. There are also chances that you are trapped on the island so allow some flexibility in your schedule (and bring more cash with you as shops don't take cards and there is only 1 ATM on the island)!
Last thing I would like to mention is, the food is really expensive, everything is so expensive...but we expected it on islands...
Written August 8, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chian-Heng Lee
Seattle, WA80 contributions
Jun 2016 • Couples
Growing up in Taiwan, I've heard about Lanyu since I was very little. But it wasn't until last year when I started studying in the States did I start to think about visiting this island.
Lucky enough, I got an opportunity to come back to Taiwan during summer vacation and I visited this paradise in June. This is definitely the highlight of my summer.

The island is about 4 times bigger than the green island but way less populated and less commercial. We stayed at 巴拉冠民宿 in 野銀 (eastern side of the island) and the host is super friendly and informative. He grew up there and we really enjoyed listening to stories he shared with us.
Renting a scooter is the most convenient way to move around on the island. The western side of the island is more crowded and the eastern side is more traditional, with a lot of local people in 東清 and 野銀. I highly recommend staying on the east side to enjoy the scenery of the pacific ocean, the relaxing atmosphere and the slow pace of living.
Also, the 野銀 cold spring is awesome. It is right at the beach!
Written June 24, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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