Taiwan, Green Island – Located off the east coast of Taiwan sits Green Island. Just like its namesake, it’s an island full of forest, and greenery.
Due to its small size, you could easily explore the island in a day. Scooters are available for rent everywhere, and white mini-buses around the island run every hour or so from 9am to 5pm. The main road is located just north of the port on the west side of the island. Here’s where you’ll find most restaurants and shops. Around the other side of the island are mostly attractions such as the Little Great Wall, the Sleeping Beauty Rock and the Green Island Human Rights Culture Park.
If you like hiking, you can also walk along the Historic Mountain Trail that crosses the entire island. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see some Sika Deer which are native to the island. If you’re unlucky, you’ll walk face first into a spider’s web. After a long day’s hike or dive, you can head to Zhaori Hot Springs located on the southern end of the island right by the sea. The entrance fee is $200NTD plus $50NTD for a swimming cap if you don’t have your own. There’s changing rooms, an indoor hot spring, an outdoor hot spring, a pool and a walkway that goes right down to the beach.
In the evening, you can walk to Niutoushan and watch the sunset and because Green Island is so clean, it’s also the perfect place for star gazing!
Lastly, the most popular attraction of Green Island is recreational diving with water visibility up to 30M. Famous dive spots include the Mushroom Coral, which has been knocked askew by typhoon, the Tunnel of Time and the underwater postbox. Additionally, you’ll see a variety of sea life, from clownfish and pufferfish to ray sharks.
To get to the island is fairly easy, you take a boat from Fugang Harbor, Taitung. Boats run daily with the number of trips depending on the season. A round trip ticket will cost you $1120NTD. Make sure you book a day ahead!