Lanyu travel guide: How to explore Taiwan’s remote Orchid Island 蘭嶼 solo

Last updated June 4th, 2026

Of all of Taiwan‘s offshore islands that I’ve visited, Lanyu 蘭嶼 (also known as Orchid Island or Ponso no Tao) off the southeast coast of Taiwan has long been one of my favourites. The eastern Taitung region is not the easiest to get to, but it’s that remoteness that has allowed Lanyu to preserve a lot of its original culture and beautiful pristine greenery. Even many Taiwanese haven’t visited this offshore island, so I put together this guide to Lanyu and things to do.

Very little information was available in English when I first visited Lanyu back in 2016 on my career break, which also meant a lot of issues with accommodation and transport right from the outset that I was sure I was going to regret, but I ended up having an amazing time after sorting it all out.

10 years later in 2026 and with a lot more preparation and experience, I returned to Lanyu just to see how things have changed and to update this guide. It still remains relatively rural but there are quite a lot more buildings and changes which I have updated here accordingly. I love how some things haven’t changed at all amidst the more noticeable upgrades.

Note: This post is in the midst of being updated! Sorry if info is a bit messy as I’m doing this on the go~

Before we talk about things to do on Lanyu itself, let’s get into 3 essential things you need to address for your Lanyu trip:

• How to get to Lanyu
• Where to stay on Lanyu
• Getting around Lanyu

How to get to Lanyu / Orchid Island

The main reason Lanyu is not so well-visited is because it’s not the easiest place to get to. The main jump off points are in Taitung and Pingtung, which basically means international visitors coming in from Taipei’s Taoyuan Airport or Kaohsiung Airport have to factor in some additional transfers to get to where you need to go.

If you’re planning a trip to Lanyu, I suggest giving yourself a whole day to make that transit each way and not planning anything too tightly around your schedule in the event of delays. I’ll walk you through the different ways to get to Lanyu as well as the pros and cons of each method as well as my own experience.

You can read more on the official Taitung tourism website.

For international visitors – Getting to Taitung or Pingtung

Getting to Taitung by plane

Take Kuokuang Bus 1840 from Taoyuan International Airport to Songshan Domestic Airport (50 minutes, 131 NTD, tickets can be bought on site). Then it’s a 1 hour domestic plane ride from Songshan Airport to Taitung airport.

Based on the flight times from Singapore, I flew out of Singapore at 7am and arrived at Taoyuan at about 1130am. By the time I got through customs, hopped on a bus and reached Songshan Airport, the next available flight to Taitung was at 430pm, so I reached Taitung around 6pm. There are no flights to Lanyu that late, so I opted to stay overnight at a guesthouse near the airport and take my morning flight to Lanyu the next day.

Getting to Taitung by train

Take the Airport Express from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei Main Train Station. From there, transfer to an express Tzechiang train that takes you from Taipei Main Station to Taitung Train Station in about 4 hours total. From Taitung Train Station, take a 15-20min taxi to either the ferry terminal or airport, or if you have a lot of time to spare you could consider taking the bus as well.

I was debating between flying or taking the train to Taitung and ultimately picked flying because both my options had me arriving in Taitung around 6pm anyway, so I’d have to stay overnight regardless. The train is more comfortable but it does take a long time.

By Plane: Fly from Taitung to Lanyu

On paper, flying seems to be the best way to get to Lanyu as it takes just 25 minutes to hop from Taitung Airport to Lanyu Airport. At 1,400 NTD+ for a 1-way ticket, it’s not that much more expensive than the ferry either. In reality, it’s not so straightforward.

Lanyu’s airport is very small – the only airline that flies to Lanyu is Daily Air which flies a very small 19-seater plane. While there are 6 scheduled flights a day, apparently Lanyu’s successful flight rate is a mere 47% – that means on any given day, more than half the flights are likely to be cancelled. This is mostly because of weather conditions, like bad visibility or too strong wind which makes it impossible for the planes to land or take off safely especially with a very short runway.

More often than not, flights get delayed, and after an hour+ or so, the flights get cancelled if the situation doesn’t improve. You have the option then of rebooking, getting put on a waitlist or getting a refund for your ticket. Note that flights can be quite fully booked out in advance because of the small availability, and because of the frequent cancellations that can be a long list of standby passengers.

My pro tips:

• Book your flight tickets as early as you can. Daily Air opens bookings about two months in advance, so keep an eye on the calendar to guarantee yourself a seat.
• Book your flight for one of the first 3 flights in the day. That way if your flight does get cancelled, you have enough time to head to Taitung’s Fugang Harbour to hop on the afternoon ferry instead. The ferries are much larger and generally aren’t as affected by weather conditions so they don’t get cancelled as often, so your chance of getting to Lanyu is much higher on the ferry than flying.
• Make sure you bring along the credit card that you use to book the flight. They will need to check the credit card number to issue refunds at the airport.
• Pack as light as possible. There’s a free 10kg check in bag limit (any extra you may need to pay, but honestly it’s not expensive) and you can carry on a small 7kg bag that you can put under the seat in front of you. Because the plane is so small, they will check the weight of your check in bag quite thoroughly.
• For best views of the island as you fly, book on the left side (A seats) for the journey into Lanyu, and book on the right side (D seats) for the journey out of Lanyu.

My Lanyu flight experience

In 2026 I booked flights to and from Lanyu. My flight from Taitung to Lanyu was scheduled for 950am so I reached the airport about an hour before. At 905am after check in time, they announced a delay because of high winds. Later on at about 1020am they confirmed that the flight was cancelled. I opted to cancel my ticket and head to the ferry instead (more on that below).

The earliest flight of the day and one of the afternoon flights managed to fly, so honestly it’s really about timing and luck. Payment for this flight ticket was refunded to my credit card after my return flight.

My return flight from Lanyu to Taitung managed to happen – the winds weren’t as strong that day and the earlier flight had taken off so I was pretty hopeful when I arrived at the airport. First they had all the confirmed passengers check in, and then any leftover seats were given to standby passengers according to the list they had.

This plane is absolutely tiny and you’re not allowed to use any electronic devices at all while the plane is flying – it’s such a small plane I wasn’t about to test this so I didn’t try to sneak any photos. The flight is a quick 25min hop – the first bit taking off from Lanyu was exciting because you got a lovely aerial view of the island and its beautiful waters.

By Ferry: Take a boat from Taitung or Kenting to Lanyu

The ferry is the more common way to get to Lanyu, and while it takes more time overall, it generally is the more trusted way to visit Lanyu.

There are 2 harbours on Taiwan’s mainland that sail to Lanyu: Taitung’s Fugang Harbour 富岡 and Kenting’s Houbihu Harbour 後壁湖. Fugang is a little closer with the boat taking about 2hrs to make the crossing, while Houbihu takes about 3 hours. to reach Lanyu’s Kaiyuan Harbour 開元.

A 1-way ticket from Taitung to Lanyu cost 1,200 NTD (2,300 NTD round trip) and tickets are also quite easy to purchase these days. Online sites like Klook [affiliate link] and even the official ferry sites allow you to book tickets online, but it needs to be at least 2 days in advance. If you’re doing a last minute purchase, you have to either call or use LINE to make your reservation, and then pay for your ticket on site when you pick it up. You will need to either have a translator or read and understand Chinese though.

The reason for this is because they need to register your particulars to your ticket and they check this as you are boarding, so even if you do buy your ticket on site you’ll have to fill up a form with your name, ID number etc anyway.

There are currently 3 companies that sail to Lanyu from either Taitung or Houbihu – you can access their websites on the Taitung tourism page. Most days during the peak season there are two ferries in each direction – 1 in the morning, and 1 in the afternoon.

My pro tips:

• Definitely bring a jacket for the ferry ride, it can get cold after some time in the enclosed space. In 2016 they let people on the outer deck, but it seems like in 2026 they don’t allow that anymore.
• Try to board as early as possible so you can grab a good seat as it’s free seating. Best seats are apparently on the lower deck in the center to the back if you’re someone who get seasick.
• Be prepared for choppy seas. Every seat is equipped with a plastic bag and there are bins around the cabin. So far for my Lanyu trips I’ve been quite lucky in that I’ve never had a return of the pukefest that I experienced on my way to Lyudao. In my 2026 trip, things got a bit choppy in the last half an hour of the ride but not to the point anyone was puking.

My Lanyu Ferry experience

In 2026 I took the ferry from Taitung Fugang Harbour to Lanyu as my flight got cancelled. From Taitung Airport, I took a taxi about 20 minutes to Fugang Harbour. The ferry company sailing that day was Green Island Star. The Lanyu ferry ticket counter only opens officially 1 hour before the ferry, but I made a reservation via Line while waiting for it to open, and picked up + paid for my ticket when the counter opened.

Then I took a 2 hour ferry ride to Lanyu which was thankfully mostly smooth, just slightly choppy around Lanyu so you know the winds really were quite strong that day. I had a window seat near the middle of the boat on the lower deck, and a nice Lanyu uncle chitchatting in the seats in front of me.

In 2016 I took the ferry from Houbihu Harbour in Kenting to Lanyu. That journey took about 3 hours as it’s further to travel compared to Fugang Harbour in Taitung. Back then we were actually allowed on the outer open-air deck and I made friends with one of the boat men on the journey and saw flying fish as we made our way to Lanyu.

Where to stay on Lanyu / Orchid Island

The next most important thing to figure out on your Lanyu trip is where to stay. Lanyu is pretty rural and the island’s population consists of 6 villages spread out around the circumference of the island. There are no large chain hotels here, mostly guesthouses and Min Su 民宿 which are bed and breakfast type places.

• Websites like 蘭色大門 Lan Se Da Men or 蘭嶼民宿網 Lan Yu Min Su Wang have a listing of Lanyu homestays, guesthouses, minsus and hotels, but they’re mostly in Chinese.
• I usually like to use booking.com to find my accommodation, but you’ll have a lot more option just looking around on Google and finding ways to approach the guesthouse you want directly.

You can usually communicate with the guesthouse via phone or chat apps like Line. Enlist some help if you are not fluent in Chinese or use a translator app. I highly recommend pre-booking accommodation (especially during high season) and arranging your pick up at the Lanyu harbour.

Lanyu Smell-More B&B 霏予霏海景民宿 (Fei Yu Fei)

This guesthouse was where I stayed in 2026. Yes the English name is a bit awkward – I’ll refer to them as Fei Yu Fei since that’s what they’re known as in Chinese. I thought this guesthouse had a good location (not far from airport, some eating places in Hongtou Village were within walking distance) and reached out to FYF via Line, and they were really responsive and helpful in answering questions and helping me sort out my transport concerns, mainly getting to the island and how to get around it – more about the latter in the next section.

FYF tracked my arrival on day, noting that since my flight was cancelled, they sent me information on the afternoon ferry and met me at the port to get me to the guesthouse. Once at the guesthouse, they helped me sort out my transport arrangements, calling around to ask if there were e-scooter options and managed to find 2 options for me, and their staff helped ferry me to and from the different locations to pick up the scooters.

My room was the 綠野仙境雙人套房 (translates into something like Green Wonderland double room), and while it didn’t have a seafront facing view, my side window could see a bit of the sea and the road. There was an ensuite toilet as well and while it was a bit small – the sink and shower shared the same area, it was enough space for me.

My room costs $2,300 NTD per night, so total was $6,900. I paid 50% deposit upon booking via credit card and the remaining 50% in cash when I arrived.

Fei Yu Fei provided me the booking link on LINE via Owl Nest, but you can also find them on booking.com [affiliate link]

Other places to consider

Here were some other places in Lanyu that I considered staying at [booking.com affiliate links]

• Banai Homestay – they have a great location if you’re looking for a room with great views of Miyuewan as it’s facing the beach, but just note that you will need transport to get here because there is nothing else within walking distance around the guesthouse.
• 蘭嶼 262 民宿 (Lanyu 262 Minsu) – this one is in Yeyin village so a bit more time to get there from the port/airport, but the rooms look nice and it’s in the village so more amenities nearby to check out.
• 伊那部海景民宿 Inapu Ocean View B&B – I went past this in Yeyin and thought it looked really pretty from the outside! Might be nice if you enjoy having your own private yard with a view.

The guesthouse that I stayed in 2016 called Rong Shu Xia Backpackers 榕樹下背包客房 doesn’t run anymore, but the story of how I ended up there and my time was very memorable to me, so I left it here for posterity if you’re in the mood for a little read.

Click to read about my stay in 2016

For my 2016 trip I left my booking till quite last minute and nearly didn’t have a place to stay (more on that when we talk about getting around the island). Luckily, the local folk pointed me and dropped me off at a lovely guesthouse Rong Shu Xia Backpackers 榕樹下背包客房 (which translates into Backpackers under the Banyan Tree, and there really is a huge Banyan Tree here) where I ended up having an amazing time.

They are on facebook and back then if you didn’t mind working, they were happy to barter accommodation for you putting in some working hours at their shop! They can get pretty busy during mealtimes as they serve vegetarian food and ice desserts.

I returned to Lanyu in 2026 and it was nice to meet the old couple again, this time running a souvenir shop. They’ve since closed their backpackers and ice shop, but are considering opening minsu rooms again in future…

It cost me just NT$600 (~S$25) per night, and because it wasn’t too crowded, I shared a 2-bed room instead of a 6-bunk room – you can see pix on their website here. There was air-conditioning though there weren’t any windows. Toilets were very basic – a squat toilet and 2 showers. Stay indoors or pile on the repellent during mosquito hour in the evenings because you’re under a huge tree which is very charming but also mosquito heaven from 5-7pm! I also rented a scooter from them (they had 2) for NT$500/day.

What I mostly enjoyed doing was spending my evenings with the boss and his wife just sitting around having tea as the night cooled down. The boss Zhou Yi Cheng (contact: 0988-286431) is half-Tao and half Chinese and knows practically everyone on the island – people tend to just pop by randomly, have a cup of tea with him for a bit and then continue on their way. He apparently had a pretty illustrious career in the past as a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and still dabbles in that today – he warned me about my shoulders and posture >_<

Getting Around Lanyu / Orchid Island

This is another very important thing you need to consider for your trip. Lanyu is an island but it’s a pretty big island. The entire island takes about 3 hours to encircle completely, and there’s no public transport except for a lone bus that goes around the island, so having your own transport is a MUST.

Lanyu Road Conditions

Lanyu’s roads basically consists of a round-island road (Huan Dao Lu 环岛路 – East 80) that encircles the whole island, as well as a cross island road (Zhong Heng Lu 中横路 – East 81) that goes up into the hills that connects Hongtou Village and Yeyin Village.

In general roads are narrow, one lane per side and sometimes just one single lane at tight corners. The roads are paved but not evenly, so generally expect to go slow for safety. You don’t want to drive too fast because Lanyu is a pretty hilly place and there are several areas where you will need to navigate slopes, especially if you plan to go up to Xiao Tian Chi or use the Cross Island Road.

There is also a single gas station on the island, right next to the Kaiyuan Ferry Terminal in the northwest corner of the island. You’ll find the bulk of vehicle rental services here as well.

Look out for goats wandering wild around the island – note that they are probably not wild – and the local law is that if you knock down an islander’s goat, you have to pay NT$8,000 for one goat AND you don’t even have the luxury of eating it.

What’s also nice are these rest houses that you will find along the roads, little huts that are mostly a raised platform and a roof for some shade, which are nice to rest in especially during blazing hot afternoons. You’ll find lots of locals just sitting around enjoying the island life in these rest houses, and it’s also a nice place to chat them up. I met a nice old man who happily showed me his fishing lines and horseshoe crab haul.

Renting a scooter in Lanyu

Renting a scooter is by far the the easiest and best way to get around Lanyu as it’s easier to navigate the narrow roads and park without blocking traffic. Also, scooters have a bit more power to get you up some of the slopey bits. It’s also the cheapest, typically costing around 500 NTD per day.

HOWEVER, Lanyu is perhaps the strictest of all the Taiwan islands that I’ve visited in that they will absolutely NOT rent a gas-powered scooter to an international person who does NOT have an IDP FOR MOTORCYCLES (aka the A Stamp). Taiwanese just need a driving license, but international folk need a IDP Motorcycle license.

In other places, I’ve managed to get around this if the guesthouse I’ve booked has their own transport and are willing to close an eye. In 2016 I lucked out because my guesthouse did have their own scooters and the owner let me rent it after making sure I could go up and down the road ok. In 2026 I didn’t manage to find a similar situation, and I made a lot of enquiries beforehand but no such luck unfortunately.

Renting a car in Lanyu

The next best option for International folk with an IDP is to rent a car. Honestly this is not a bad option if you have 2 or more people and are carrying a lot of things with you, but for a solo traveller it really jacks up the price. A typical car rental costs 2,300 NTD per day, so while I was prepared to rent a car if I really had to, I wasn’t particularly keen about paying that much.

I’v been around the island and there’s not that much traffic and cars so honestly driving probably won’t be too bad, but Taiwan’s driving is Right-hand (aka same as America, different from Singapore) so that was another nope for me.

Renting an e-bike in Lanyu

It seems in 2026 I lucked out in a different way because only now were the car rentals trying to figure out how to help out us poor internationals who can’t rent a scooter. While e-scooters are super common in island like Lyudao which is much smaller, they were pretty much non-existent in 2016 as they weren’t considered powerful enough to get around the island.

E-bikes in general just aren’t as powerful as scooters. You don’t need a license because the top speeds are around 30-40kmh at best. Back then e-bikes would not have been able to manage the slopes nor the strong winds. But now that technology has improved a bit, it seems like there is some exploration into bringing in e-bikes. I got to try 2 of these options:

Lan Di Qian Shui 蘭底潛水 – Small e-bike

The first e-bike I rented from a scuba diving company of all places was a dinky little thing that cost just 300 NTD per day, but this bike was not very powerful, with its battery apparently able to cover a distance of 24km – Lanyu’s perimeter is close to 40km so this definitely wasn’t going to get me around the island. I did make it from Hongtou to Yeyin by the coast and back again (about 12km) and it did get me up some slopes, but I was also very worried about depleting the battery.

The battery for some reason also doesn’t detach from the bike, so you need a long enough cable/plug to make it work. This bike is probably good enough for short distances, but I also tried to save battery by turning it off on the flat roads.

蘭底潛水 Lan Di Qian Shui – I don’t have a direct contact because my guesthouse called them up for me, but they can be found on Facebook. They apparently have 3 e-bikes and I rented one for 300 NTD/24 hours.

Lanyu Che Ye 蘭嶼車業 – E-bike

The second e-bike I rented was from Lanyu Che Ye 蘭嶼車業 and the particular unit I was riding was apparently so new that I was the 3rd guest to use it in May 2026. I was using the e-power pretty much all the time and estimate that you can probably make 3 full rounds of the island on a single charge.

Top speeds on the flat road were maybe about 30kmh and I made it up the steep switchback slopes to the Lanyu Lighthouse quite easily. The pro about having pedals is being able to help provide some extra power by pedalling up the steeper inclines, but generally no issues on the round-island roads.

As of May 2026 they apparently have 3 of these e-bikes available, so drop them a note before you go to reserve if you can.

Lanyu Che Ye 蘭嶼車業 can be contacted via LINE (ID: s92526 阿雅 蘭嶼車業) – the lady boss says they’ll use a translator app if they get English queries. They rented to me at a rate of 550 NTD/24 hours. They’re located right next to Kai Yuan Harbour but they can be flexible about pick up and drop off – I picked up from the port but dropped off my bike at the airport.

I’ve also heard that Wen Wen Motors 雯雯機車行 has a few e-scooters for rental. I saw some of them being ridden around town and while they look like normal scooters, you can hear the difference when they go by as e-scooters are way quieter compared to gas scooters, but I don’t know how much it costs. Check out Wen Wen’s webpage for more.

Things to do in Lanyu

Lanyu’s charm is in its pristine nature, so a lot of what you’ll do in Lanyu is spend time circling it (it takes about 3 hours to make a full round), and stop at various points to look at weird rock formations, hike some scenic viewpoints and maybe do a few other activities.

Lanyu has 6 villages which are also known as Bu Luo 部落 scattered around the island’s border. I’ve listed their names here for easy reference. While there are signages that showcase the Tao indigenous names for the villages and sights, you’ll mostly hear the locals refer to them by the Chinese names, so I’ve included both for reference.

Ye You Village 椰油部落 / Yayo

Yeyou Village is located in the northwestern end of Lanyu. The main village centre is around Kaiyuan Harbour where the ferries transit, and also where the 7-Eleven is located. The island’s only petrol station is located around the harbour, along with the bulk of transport rental services. This place gets very busy when the ferries arrive and leave.

North of the harbour brings you to the slopes that lead you up to Lanyu Lighthouse / Ponso no Tao and Xiao Tian Chi 小天池 / Dowawa no Anito. Southwards takes you to Man Tou Rock 饅頭岩 / Doigang and Tiger Head’s lookout point or Hu Tou Po 虎頭坡 / Jizakazang, a great spot for sunset views.

Lanyu Lighthouse 蘭嶼燈塔: Bird’s eye island views

Lanyu’s landscape is quite hilly in the centre. You’ll spend most of your time on the border going around the island, but if you want a nice elevated view of Lanyu, head up the slopes to Lanyu Lighthouse in Langdao Village.

The lighthouse is located on top of a very steep hill with a single road leading up to it with a ton of switchbacks – my e-bike made it up these inclines with minimal support pedalling needed.

This is a working lighthouse and not really meant for tourists, so it’s fenced up and you can’t really get close. In 2016 I could actually enter the gate but not in 2026. It’s the views along the way up that make it spectacular.

As it’s facing west, it’s probably pretty during late afternoon and sunsets, but I would recommend going up and coming down before it gets dark because the hill roads are super narrow and not well lit. Also it gets very windy up there, so be extra careful if you’re going up on a windy day as the roadside barriers are minimal.

Lanyu Lighthouse [Google maps] – the entrance to the road is located here [Google maps].

Xiao Tian Chi 小天池: Pretty elevated lake

As you leave the lighthouse, don’t miss the stop to see the Small Heavenly Pond or Xiao Tian Chi 小天池. The viewpoint is about 5-10 mins walk amidst some bushes and brush – I’d recommend having decent shoes as it’s a dirt/rock path, and you have a view of both the coast and the lake… if you’re lucky.

I visited in May 2026 while the weather had been quite dry, so Xiao Tian Chi had no water when I was there… ah well! I still enjoyed the views from up here.

Xiaotianchi [Google maps] – The path entrance is located along the road that leads to the lighthouse, just a short distance from the peak. [Google maps]

Man Tou Rock 饅頭岩: Coastal sunset view

Mantou rock is apparently a sacred place that the local people used for burial rituals back in the day. While you can’t climb it, you can get a little bit closer to it by heading down to the beach.

It’s located behind the Ye You High School so you might not be able to enter during the day – back in the day I was able to access the nearby beach and even wade around in the water (I remember the seas being quite rough so I didn’t really swim much).

Lao Chou’s Story 老周故事伴手館: Lanyu souvenirs and more

This is the location of where I first stayed in Lanyu when I visited in 2016. The old backpackers and ice shop has now been turned into a souvenir shop, and it’s a pretty good place to pick up local Lanyu souvenirs. They have some of their own food products like flying fish jerky and popcorn along with other fun decorative knickknacks. It’s also air-con and they have a public toilet, so it’s definitely worth stopping over and making friends with the really nice old couple who run the shop.

They used to have a shop near the Kaiyuan Harbour but recently moved back to this old location, and they’re looking at opening up a few rooms as a minsu in the near future.

Lao Chou’s Story 老周故事伴手館 [Google maps] is located right next to the Yeyou Elementary School. Check out their Facebook page for updates.

Hu Tou Po 虎頭坡: Mantou Rock sunset views

Hutoupo or Tiger Head Slope is one of the best places to catch the sunset, with a view of the cute little Mantou Rock in the distance. Now there’s a nice barricaded carpark sort of area where you can await the sunset. Look around the nearby rocks – there are always a couple of goats hanging out there!

Hu Tou Po 虎頭坡 [Google maps]

Yu Ren Village 漁人部落 / Jiratay

Yuren Village is quite small, on the western end of Lanyu in between the Lanyu airport and Hongtou Village to its south. Near the airport is also where you’ll find the Lanyu Museum 蘭嶼文物館.

Lanyu Museum 蘭嶼文物舘

The Lanyu Museum is a stone’s throw from the airport. I honestly meant to go check it out as it delves deeper into the indigenous Tao culture and you can see a replica of the traditional Tao underground house, but I just never made it back here in time, so something to check out for the future…

Hong Tou Village 紅頭部落 / Imourod

Hongtou Village covers quite a large area in the southwestern end of Lanyu and is quite close in proximity to Yuren Village. This was where my guesthouse was located in 2026 so I ate a lot around here during dinner time. The western end of the Cross Island road can be found here, linking to Yeyin Village on the other side.

Towards the south, you’ll find the entrance to Da Tian Chi 大天池 / Dotataw or Big Heavenly Pond if you want an intense hiking experience, or for something less strenuous, Green Green Grassland or Qing Qing Cao Yuan 青青草原 / Jilangoina is a fairly easy hike which offers clifftop sunset views. The Nuclear Waste Storage area can also be found here near the Dragon Head Rock 龍頭岩 / Jimacizing. You can also see the islet of Xiao Lanyu 小蘭嶼 / Ijmagaod from here on a good day.

Da Tian Chi 大天池: For serious hikers

I passed by the entrance to Datianchi but honestly the stair climb up right at the beginning was enough of a deterrent for me! It’s apparently a 4-hour round trip: 2 hours in and 2 hours out, which is not my idea of a good time. Check out this Chinese blog for a glimpse of what the hike looks like.

Qing Qing Cao Yuan 青青草原: Clifftop sunset spot

The Green Green Pasture or Qing Qing Cao Yuan is a good place to visit for more sunset views. This area is elevated so the peak is on a mini slope, but it’s about 10 mins walk on a paved path from the entrance so very doable for most people.

There’s no shelter here so if you come in the day time, make sure to cover up!

The entrance is marked by a stone sign and there are 2-3 little stalls along the road selling souvenirs and clothing which are quite pretty. I bought a whale designed tank top from here, and there was even a stall selling locally-made Lanyu craft beer which I bought for sunset viewing.

Near the entrance of Qing Qing Cao Yuan, there is a small detour you can make to see this statue of the traditional Tao fisherman. Honestly it’s quite lifelike so from a distance I kept doing a double take when I spotted this statue amidst the grass.

Ye Yin Village 野銀部落 / Ivalino

Yeyin Village in the southeastern end of Lanyu. The main area is found towards the centre of the island where the eastern end of the Cross Island road is located, and a road leads up to the Weather Station up in the hills. Many of the traditional Tao houses can also be found in this village if you plan to do a tour or overnight stay.

Towards the south is quite a long stretch of coastline as well as the Cold Spring 冷泉 / Domibebneng, a naturally cold pool by the coast.

Lanyu Weather Station 蘭嶼氣象站

On the cross mountain road between Hong Tou and Ye Yin Villages is the weather station – the road leading up to this place is so steep that they recommend you not try to drive your scooter up here. While the road is paved, be prepared for some serious steep slopes and about 30mins of walking, but the view is well worth it.

Cold Spring 冷泉

Dong Qing Village 東清部落 / Iranmeylek

Dongqing Village covers the northeastern end of Lanyu and home to the island’s 2nd 7-Eleven convenience store and even a mini night market which is basically 7-8 pushcarts in the evening at Dongqing’s main village square. Not far from the main village area are some nice trails, like the Lover’s Rock 情人洞 along the beach, or hiking up to the top of Ru Tou Shan 乳頭山 / Dozako for coastal views.

The northern corner is a popular spot for sunrise photos, particularly around significant rocks like the Twin Lions 雙獅岩 / Jipanatosan and the Battleship Rock 軍艦岩 / Dojyaawod off the coast.

Twin Lions 雙獅岩

Battleship Rock 軍艦岩: Sunrise spot

Ru Tou Shan 乳頭山

Lover’s Cave 情人洞

Lang Dao Village 朗島部落 / Iraraley

Langdao Village can be found on the northern end of Lanyu. The village is quite small, so it’s mostly empty coastline along the northern shore with notable rocks like Crocodile Rock 鱷魚岩 / Jimacinger, Five Hole Caves or Wu Kong Dong 五孔洞 / Jikarahem and Huo Ba Yan 火把岩 / Jimavonot (previously known as the Jade Girl Rock Yu Nu Yan 玉女岩).

Crocodile Rock 鱷魚岩

Huo Ba Yan 火把岩

Wu Kong Dong 五孔洞

Experiences and tours in Lanyu

Night Tour by Scooter

I definitely recommend signing up for a night tour (NT$250 / S$10). These are usually run by a local guide and everyone piles onto their scooters, and the convoy is led around the island in the darkness. My guide turned out to be a local long-time resident who is famous for his ability to ‘communicate’ and call the Scops Owl – this is a tiny rare owl indigenous to Lanyu. He informs me that the males make a sound that is THOOORRRPPP!! and by golly the owls actually reply him when he does that. Females apparently go “cheep” much less stridently.

It rained halfway through and our already small group of 4 dwindled to just me at the end! We checked out dark caverns, the shore by night, and even found some night-flowering orchids. Ask your local guesthouse host about this, there were 2-3 other groups out that night as well.

Scuba Diving in Lanyu

I was keen to see whether Lanyu underwater was as pristine as what you could see above water, so I signed up for 2 dives with Blue Ocean House in Hong Tou Village (NT$3,650 / S$150 including gear rental). We took the lorry up to the Jade Girl area in the north coast and dived from the shore – always a bit of an experience dragging your gear across sand and rocks instead of jumping in from a boat!

Snorkeling is also quite popular if you don’t have a license – you have to take a plunge into these beautiful waters. Lovely abundant fish life and corals!

Tao Culture

The Tao are the indigenous people to Lanyu, also referred to as the Yami or Dawu depending on what you read. Most commonly on the island they just call themselves Tao. As one of the last remaining tribes, they are very proud and protective over their culture, so make sure to be respectful of their culture. Tourism is a bit of a love-hate thing for them – on one hand they do welcome the visitors and can be quite friendly once you start talking to them, on the other hand they get really irritated at ignorant people wandering into their homes or not respecting their property, and they aren’t shy to show it.

My advice is to just be a respectful tourist as you should be wherever you go around the world. Making an effort to learn a bit of their language or talk to them while chilling out at the resthouses around the island will go a long way with them!

You can do a homestay and live in one of the traditional houses. Be prepared to rough it out a little – these houses are low to shelter from typhoons, and there isn’t very much in them other than basic necessities, and you’re unlikely to have a toilet either. But if you really want an authentic experience,

Flying Fish Season

February to June is flying fish season, and you’re likely to see lots of fish hanging out to dry along the roads! If you take the ferry over, you might spot them skimming over the water as well. You can arrange to go out with the fishing boats and catch some fish late at night – I didn’t get the chance to do it though some of my guesthouse mates did.

Make sure to eat some deep fried flying fish as well – they are really nice and crispy.

Essential Things To Know About Lanyu / Orchid Island

Here’s a rundown of more things you need to know to have a great trip in Lanyu.

Important Landmarks in Lanyu

These are some of the key spots you need to know in Lanyu and where to find them on Google maps:

• Lanyu Airport 蘭嶼航空站 – for DailyAir flights in and out of Lanyu. Lanyu Airport is located in the north of Hongtou Village on the western side of Lanyu
• Kai Yuan Harbour 開元港 – for ferry services in and out of Lanyu. Kai Yuan Harbour is located in Ye You Village in northwest Lanyu
• Petrol Station 台灣中油 蘭嶼站 – the sole CPC petrol station is in Ye You Village next to Kai Yuan Harbour
• 7-Eleven Convenience Stores – there is a 7-Eleven in Ye You Village near Kai Yuan Harbour in the Northwest and another 7-Eleven in Dong Qing Village in the Northeast

When is the best time to visit Lanyu?

The best time to go to Lanyu is in summer from April to June – there are more ferries available, the weather is better and flights + ferries journeys are less arduous or likely to be cancelled, and the scenery is amazing with blue skies and crystal blue water. I was there in May and it was hot but amazing.

Definitely avoid typhoon season which tends to be from July to September, as well as year-end winter period – Lanyu has been quite badly hit by typhoons in the past, and I’ve heard stories from the boatmen making the crossing about how insane the sea is during those periods.

What Language is Spoken in Lanyu?

Lanyu is a part of Taiwan, so most people here speak Chinese and Taiwanese Minnan. Local folk also speak Tao, and you can hear a particular accent even when they are speaking Chinese. The official signage showcases the village names in Tao which is quite different from Chinese, but most of the time you’ll head the locations reference in Chinese.

Very few locals speak any English at all. In 2016 my guesthouse owner often got me to entertain the odd western customer who came into his shop in the evenings, and asked me to help translate things for him. My rusty Chinese skills definitely got quite a workout!

Bring Cash to Lanyu

It’s best for you to bring as much cash (and a little bit more) as you need to Lanyu. There are ATMs in Lanyu at the following locations but these are all the Taiwan bank ATMs that don’t allow foreign cards to withdraw cash.

• 7-11 near Kai Yuan Harbour
• Post office near Hong Tou Village
• Lanyu Airport entrance

Also, most businesses will only accept cash in Lanyu so definitely don’t be stuck in a situation where you are out of cash. The 7-11s do let you swipe your credit card and use your Easycard though, and some businesses may accept credit card but don’t count on it at all. I paid for my scuba diving with credit card and some guesthouses may accept it too, but the bulk of the stores will only take cash, or possibly Line Pay.

This isn’t unique to Lanyu – I’ve encountered this lack of international-friendly ATMs in other Taiwan islands before. Taiwan as of 2026 is still largely cash based, particularly outside of the big cities.

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Have you been to Lanyu? Tell me about your experience. If you love offshore islands and offbeat places in Taiwan, why not check out Lyudao or Green Island or Kinmen, or Turtle Island in Yilan for somewhere closer.