Lanyu Island blog — How to visit & What to do on Lanyu Island Taiwan (Orchid Island Taiwan)?

March 5, 2020

Taiwan is an island surrounded by the ocean together with countless large and small islands, which many people choose as the ideal resort for vacation. Here, you can really live in famous movies like “Long Time No Sea” or “Mermaid Whispering”. Let’s explore the culture and nature of Lanyu Island, also known as Orchid Island! So, what’s hot on Lanyu Island of Taiwan (Orchid Island Taiwan, Lanyu Taiwan, Lanyu Island Taiwan? Let’s check out our Lanyu Island blog with the fullest Lanyu Taiwan guide on how to get there, best places to visit, what to do and top things to do to find out the answer!

Lanyu Orchid Island — Orchid Island or Lanyu Island of Taiwan is the perfect destination for nature lovers.

Where is Orchid Island / Lanyu Island Taiwan located?

Lanyu Island – or Orchid Island – is located in Taitung County, Taiwan. This is a small island where the main residence is the Yami ethic group. With a low population density and the absence of tourists, Orchid Island is the ideal destination for nature lovers or those who do not like the hustle and bustle of modern urban life.

How to get to Orchid Island (Lanyu Island Taiwan)

Before “landing” on Orchid Island, you need to travel to Taitung County first. From Taipei or Kaohsiung, you can take the train to Taitung at the cost of NTD 400 and the travel time varying from 2 hours and 30 minutes to 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Ferry

There are two ferry routes to Orchid Island, namely the Fugang – Lanyu Line from Taitung and the Houbihu – Lanyu Line from Houbi Lake in Kenting. During the peak season, the Fugang – Lanyu route crosses Green Island to form a “triangle route”. Meanwhile, the route from Lake Houbi operates mainly from mid-October to March the following year. The reason for this time frame is the strong northeast monsoon, which causes the ferry route to be suspended seasonally.

Ferry pass to Orchid Island

Pass type	Price
Taitung – Lanyu round-trip pass	~ NTD 2.500
Kenting – Lanyu round-trip pass	~ NTD 2.500

Opening hours of the ferry route to Orchid Island

The ferry starts from Fugang Port of Taitung / Kenting (departure) to Lanyu – Taitung / Kenting (last stop). You can choose different departure and arrival points, for example: Departure at Taitung’s Fugang Port and arrival on the shores of Lake Houbi in Kenting.

Specific operating hours:

Taitung to Lanyu: 7:30 am, 1:00 pm
Kenting to Lanyu: 7:30 am, 1:00 pm
Lanyu to Taitung: 10:00 am, 3:30 pm
Lanyu to Kenting: 10:00 am, 3:30 pm

Where to purchase ferry pass to Orchid Island?

If you wish to board the ferry at the above time, please call 089-281477 or 089-280226, or go to the Lanyu ferry system website to book a pass.

Instructions for booking ferry pass to Orchid Island

It would be the best if you can complete your reservation a week in advance.
You will receive a confirmation within 2 business days after booking via email.
If you haven’t received an email within the above time frame, check your spam box.

A couple tips when traveling to Orchid Island by ferry

If you choose to depart from Houbi Lake, you should stay in Hengchun the night before and arrive at the ferry terminal by rental car because local public transport is very inconvenient. Otherwise, if you want to go by rental motorbike offered by the locals, you can pay a one-way fee of about NTD 200 – 500. In case you choose to depart from Taitung, take the Puyuma train when traveling in group. Carpool for 4 people to Fugang Wharf costs about NTD 250 – 400.

Airplane

Currently, Daily Air is the only airline carrier that offers round-trip flight to Orchid Island. The airline uses a nineteen-seater aircraft by DHC6 with the flight time lasting around 20 minutes. The journey, although short, is easily affected by weather factors and the number of flight tickets is limited to 4 tickets. You should book 1-2 months in advance to make sure there are seats available. And if there are many people in your group, you should take the ferry because it will be more settled and convenient.

Round-trip air fares to Orchid Island

Taitung - Lanyu (tax included)	Price	Lanyu - Taitung (tax-exempt on the island)	Price
Ticket package	NTD 1.428	Ticket package	NTD 1.360
Child fare	NTD 1.071	Child fare	NTD 1.020
Senior and humanitarian fare	NTD 714	Senior and humanitarian fare	NTD 680
Fare for resident of remote island	NTD 807	Fare for resident of remote island	NTD 769
Military fare	NTD 1.357	Military fare	NTD 1.292

Where to stay in Orchid Island Taiwan?

You can find more, check rates, availability & book for Taipei hotels on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Lanyu Island Taiwan: Discover famous attractions on Orchid Island Taiwan

Dongqing Village

In addition to being a food distribution center, Dongqing is also the place on the island where the only 24/7 convenience store is located. Coming to Dongqing, you cannot miss the Dongqing Village hidden on the trail. The water level here is not deep, however, the water is gradually darkening from hazel to blue and especially clear when the sun shines. Around the location, there are three other scenic sites that you should plan to visit, namely the Lover Cave, Mount nipple and Dongqing Bay.

Cing Cing Grass

Located in the southwest is the Cing Cing Grass, a great place to view sunset. Walking along the trail, the surrounding landscape eventually becomes sharper with the meadow extending to the edge of the cliff, and the hills stretching across the space to the horizon. It only takes about ten minutes to walk to the nearest sunset viewing spot. The sunset on Orchid Island dyes the sky gold, spreading the warmth that you cannot find anywhere else.

Yayu Elementary School

It is known as the most beautiful elementary school on the island. Can you imagine looking out of the classroom window and seeing the blue ocean? Just thinking about it, the children here grow up under the protection of the ocean. How awesome, right?

Scuba Diving to observe the underwater world

Orchid Island is an ancient volcanic island with the famous Fei Cui Rock, Wukong Cave, Mantou Rock, Lion Couple Rock and Warship Rock located around the island. In addition to the landscape on the shore, the island’s marine ecosystem is also very rich, especially around the lava rocks. If you love diving, you should definitely explore the underwater world of Orchid Island!

When coming to Orchid Island, you cannot miss the snorkeling experience here. Whether it’s shallow diving or deep diving, visitors can still see the vast underwater world. It can be various vibrant coral reefs or colorful and friendly fish colonies. Don’t forget the Lanyu Taitung Discovery Diving Tour on sale at Klook!

BOOKING DIVING TOURS ON ORCHID ISLAND, TAITUNG

Lanyu Taiwan: Must-try foods on Orchid Island Taiwan

Millet donuts at Xiaomi Donuts

Dongqing Night Market is a busy and quite … strange marketplace. Although the items here are not really diverse or outstanding, the unique trading style of the locals is totally remarkable. A couple stalls even put the sign “No money needed,” which completely impresses visitors.

Donut is a familiar treat for many people, but millet donut tastes very particular. The donuts at Xiaomi is delicious, served with a cup of homemade spring black tea, which makes a memorable experience when travelling to Orchid Island.

Opening hours: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Price: NTD 35 for donut / NTD 30 for spring black tea
Address: Dongqing Night Market

Tofu pudding (douhua) at Mr. Bean Huabo’s cart

Visiting Orchid Island in the summer, the heat can make you anorexia at noon. At such time, you need to immediately look for a bowl of traditional douhua. Mr. Bean Huabo, owner of the douhua cart, previously worked at the Lanyu Nuclear Storage Plant. Upon retirement, he began to focus on sharing his love of douhua to everyone. Douhua here is really dense with plain but savory taste, which will definitely make an unforgettable memory for many visitors.

Opening hours: Noon
Address: Opposite to 7-11 of Yayu

Egg pastry at Dongqing 33 Chocolate Quiche

Although the name of the shop has the “Chocolate” word, the famous serve at Dongqing 33 Chocolate Quiche is actually egg pastry. It is really a pity to visit Orchid Island without trying this! Dongqing 33 egg pastry’s crust is not like those at any other places. With a deliciously rich flavor, you cannot help but take a bite, then the second, and the third. Finally, you will say goodbye to your weight-loss plan. Well, no one comes to Taiwan to lose weight after all, right?

Orchid Island itinerary, worry-free trip with Klook

Orchid Island not only has beautiful scenery, but also possesses a distinctive charm when it comes to food and culture. The people are really generous and have a good sense of humor. If you come here in late spring or early summer, you can spend 2 or 3 days to explore the Green Island, Little Ryukyu and much more. Don’t forget to preorder a super convenient 4G WiFi router in Taiwan or a 4G SIM card to easily find your way around, keep in contact and show your photos to friends.

In addition to Orchid Island, Taitung also has many interesting tourist activities for backpackers. Find out more about Taitung travel suggestions and Taiwan backpacking travel experience on this blog!

(*) The costs listed in this post may vary depending on when you travel to Orchid Island.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Taipei you can refer to

Are you finding more top things to do in Taipei: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Taipei travel blog — The fullest Taipei city guide for a wonderful trip to Taipei for the first-timers.