Guide for 3-day-trip: A cultural paradise【Lanyu Orchid Island】
PHOTO_Irene Hung / TEXT_Irene Hung
People who’ve been to Orchid Island & Green Island mostly think the former is more beautiful, not only because the scenery is amazing, but also the culture and customs are preserved there, which the locals are proud of. Listening to their tribal stories and childhood memories was just like those happen in front of us vividly.☺️
Lanyu is divided into 5 tribes: Yeyin, Dongqing, Langdao, Yeyou, and Hongtou Tribe.
Day1 -Lanyu Orchid Island :
• Take a bus from Taitung Railway Station to Fugang Fishing Port (30min) → take a cruise🚢 to Lanyu (2.5hr)
• Rent a motorcycle (Riding a motorcycle around the island couldn’t be more suitable! Even if this was my first try to ride a motorcycle on the road.💦)
• Langdao Fishing Port (There are many manmade boats on the shore, which are built by local men of Lanyu. They would get to the sea during the Flying Fish Festival from April to June every year. Notice that females can not touch the boats, whether they are locals or tourists.)
• Wenwen Taro Ice (A special shop for buying souvenirs, postcards & eating fried flying fish, shaved ice)
• Lanyu Renren Specialty Shop (An unmanned stall where I bought flip-flops with tradition marks on them, putting 100 yuan in the cash bucket without a cash register)
• HidingWorld B&B check-in (It’s a very lovely and clean B&B in Yeyin Tribe, the owner of which has prepared hand-painted food maps and must-visit attractions. So you won’t be lost if following his guide.)
• There is a barbecue (A barbecue buffet outdoors restaurant which is good value for price, sitting on the small rocks dining was really atmospheric)
Day2 -Lanyu Orchid Island :
• Dongqing No.33 (Breakfast restaurant with spectacular views, directly facing the sea. Egg pancake roll was in my most recommended list!
• SUP (Totally fall in love with this water activity!😍 The instructor took us to practice in the inner sea area first, and then after we could stand up to paddle with balance, he would take us to the open sea for another challenge🤩)
• ElevenLin (Restaurant+bar for lunch)
• Lover Hole
• Shell Sand 🐚
• Two Lions Rock
• Five Holes
• Bayang Bar (Afternoon tea shop, enjoying the invincible sunset view🌇. There’s a popular spot here, which can take photos of the endless seascape and romantic scenery of the sunset)
• Dongqing Night Market (Having dinner)
• The owner of the B&B led a night tour (Exploring the forest & farming fields & stargazing & looking for evil spirits 😂. Lanyu people call many species “Evil Spirits”, like the unique species of owl named “Horned Owl” 🦉 are considered to be evil spirits😈)
Day3 -Lanyu Orchid Island :
• Flying fish rice ball breakfast (Should book a reservation by phone the day before)
• The owner of the B&B took a tour of traditional underground house, where you can only sit or lie down inside. One floor is about 1 meter high and there are 3 floors.
• Yeyin Cold Spring (Very suitable for swimming in such scorching-hot weather, feeling relaxing and comfortable 😌)
• Liangliang BBQ Seafood (Menu-free seafood dishes, which the boss is mysterious but very nice. As soon as the restaurant opens at 11:00 noon, only 3 groups of guests will be served for lunch, the others will have to come back in the later afternoon or evening; however, it’s also possible if the ingredients for cooking have been sold out earlier on the day, the boss won’t take any more orders, so some customers missed out 5 times before eating 😅)
• There is an icecream shop on the third floor of 711 (A newly opened ice shop has no name yet, so I took it for it first. In short, there are only TWO 711 convenience stores in Lanyu, one of which has an icecream shop on third floor)
This trip to Lanyu was memorable! The scenery is the most beautiful one of Taiwan’s outlying islands that I have visited so far, and there are not many tourists who come to visit here, which turns out to be more secluded and localized. In addition, for the cultural and historical part, you can sign up for a package tour when booking a B&B (package includes cruise tickets, motorcycle rental, water sports activities, night tour, visiting underground houses). Many stories could be heard from local Lanyu people during the tour, such as traditional culture, customs, etc. You can also learn that how Lanyu people appreciate the identity and spirit of their hometown!
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