Orchid Island (Lanyu)
A Pacific volcanic island of the Tao people, with plank boats, underground houses and the flying fish festival well preserved, and a 37-km coastal road lined with sea-eroded landforms.
Orchid Island (Lanyu) lies in the Pacific about 90 km southeast of Taitung County, Taiwan. It is a volcanic island of roughly 48 sq km and the homeland of the Tao people (formerly known as the Yami), who for generations have called it "Pongso no Tao" (the Island of the People). The island has six villages: Yeyou, Langdao, Dongqing, Yeyin, Hongtou and Yuren. A coastal road of about 37 km links all the sights. On the west coast are Kaiyuan Harbor, Mantou Rock, Yunü Rock, the Five-Hole Cave and Lanyu Lighthouse; the north coast has Langdao village and Twin Lions Rock; the east coast has Dongqing village, the sunrise at Dongqing Bay, Lovers' Cave, Warship Rock and the traditional underground houses of Yeyin village; the south has the Lanyu Weather Station, the Great Lake (Datianchi) trail, Qingqing Grassland and Badai Bay. The flying fish is central to Tao culture, and the flying fish season each year from February to June brings rituals such as the flying fish calling ceremony and plank-boat launchings. Best season: April–June, when flying fish season culture is at its richest and seas are settling; July–September has the clearest water and is good for snorkeling and diving, but watch for typhoons; from October to March the northeast monsoon is strong and boat services are often suspended. Getting there: the boat from Fugang Fishing Harbor in Taitung takes about 2–2.5 hours, with an additional summer route from Houbihu in Pingtung; Daily Air small planes take about 25 minutes from Taitung, with few seats, so book early. There is no convenient public transport on the island, so most visitors rent a scooter (a valid license is required) to go around it, which takes about 1.5 hours. Plan to stay 2–3 days. Notes: the Tao have many taboos. Always ask permission before photographing people, plank boats or underground houses, and do not touch the plank boats. Respect the sea taboos during flying fish season. Resources and medical care on the island are limited, so bring your own water bottle and take your trash with you. Boats and flights are heavily affected by weather, so leave flexibility in your itinerary.
Top sights
- Orchid Island (Lanyu) – A volcanic island home to the Tao (formerly Yami) people. Plank boats, underground houses, flying fish culture and an unspoiled coastline m…
- Iranmeylek Tribe & Dongqing Bay – The top spot on Orchid Island for watching the sunrise. Colorful plank boats line the sand, and in the evening the island’s liveliest small…
- Ivalino Traditional Underground Houses – The best-preserved traditional Tao settlement on Orchid Island. Its stone houses are half-buried underground, built to withstand typhoons.
- Lovers Cave – A sea cave on the north side of Dongqing village, framed by an arched rock wall with the deep blue Pacific beyond.
- Mantou Rock – A round boulder in the sea south of Kaiyuan Harbor, shaped like a steamed bun, and a landmark for sunsets on Lanyu's west coast.
- Da Tianchi Trail – A trail through tropical rainforest to a crater lake, peaceful and deep, and a water source regarded as sacred by the Tao people.
- Qingqing Grassland – A gently sloping grassland at the southeast tip of Lanyu, where goats graze lazily and you can look out toward Little Lanyu and the Pacific.
- Lanyu Weather Station – A weather station on a ridge above Hongtou at about 320 metres, with a 360-degree view of Lanyu's coast and the island's top choice for sun…
- Lanyu Lighthouse – A white lighthouse on high ground at Lanyu's northwest corner, overlooking the northwest coast and the sea-eroded terrain around Five-Hole…
- Twin Lion Rocks – Two volcanic rock columns standing across a bay on Lanyu's northeast coast, like a pair of lions guarding the shore.
- Yunu Rock – A towering rock column on Lanyu's northwest coast, shaped like a graceful young woman, forming part of the northwest coastal scenery.
- Five-Hole Cave – A row of five connected sea caves considered sacred by the Tao people, one of which houses a Catholic statue of the Virgin Mary.
- Warship Rock – An uninhabited reef islet offshore to the northeast that looks like a warship under way, once mistaken by US forces during WWII for a Japan…
- Iraraley Tribe – The largest village on Lanyu's north coast, preserving traditional work houses and plank-boat boathouses, with the strongest festival atmos…
- Yayo Tribe & Kaiyuan Harbor – Lanyu's gateway by sea and its administrative center, where ferries dock at Kaiyuan Harbor and Yayo village has the gas stations, shops and…
- Badai Bay – An open bay on Lanyu's southwest coast next to the Iratay and Hongtou (Imorod) villages, with a view of Little Lanyu, good for snorkeling a…
- Yeyin Cold Spring – A natural cold spring pool on the coast south of Yeyin village, where fresh and sea water meet, and cooling off here in summer is popular.
- Xiao Tianchi – A small volcanic crater lake in the hills of Lanyu's northwest, with a shorter trail than Da Tianchi, ideal for those with limited time.
Where to eat
- Driftwood Restaurant – The most recommended flying fish-themed restaurant on Orchid Island, famous for its creamy flying fish roe risotto and…
- Dongqing No. 33 – A popular ocean-view breakfast spot in the Dongqing Tribe, perfect for crispy egg crepes and French bacon rolls after w…
- Laoye Shitang – A local, long-standing diner along the ring road in the Yeyou Tribe, offering flying fish roe fried rice and reservable…
- Mermaid and Cats – A casual ocean-view diner in the Dongqing Tribe where you can dine with cats, famous for its red label rice wine milk t…
Itineraries
- Lanyu and Green Island Hopping – Set sail from Taitung, staying on Lanyu to see Tao settlements, then transferring to Green Island for snorkeling and sa…