Lanyu (蘭嶼, Orchid Island), Taiwan – Jul. ’09

(Comments welcome in both English and Korean / 덧글은 한글, 영문 모두 가능)

While Phiphi was certainly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, Lanyu (Orchid Island, 蘭嶼) is also among my top picks.

When asking my Taiwanese colleagues and friends about travel destinations, Lanyu wasn’t frequently named; it doesn’t seem to be a place that many people visit. I chose Lanyu based on two factors: a recommendation from my colleague Vivian (who of course hasn’t been there) and my desire to visit a scenic location that was remote and less discovered as I had some questions about life, etc. However, the choice was ultimately rather ad-hoc: I was on my way to the island less then 12 hours after making my decision, and I had no real knowledge of what the location offered until I arrived at the airport and picked up the tourist information map.

Located about 65km off the southeastern coast of Taiwan, Lanyu is a 45-km² volcanic island formed by magma erupting from the ocean floor. Previously known under various names, including “Hongtou” (Redhead), the island’s current name refers to the wild orchids that once grew there in abundance. The rainy climate has cloaked the island’s mountainous interior with a thick cover of rainforest, and large schools of fish inhabit the coral reefs that make this a paradise for deep-sea fishing and skin diving.

The island is home to the Yami (or Tao) People, one of 14 ethnic minority groups in Taiwan. The Yami have always depended primarily on the sea for their livelihood, a fact which is reflected in their unique culture. The men, for example, wear narrow loincloths (similar in shape to Japanese Sumo pants) when fishing or hunting. They also use richly decorated canoes; live in semi-subterranean houses for protection against typhoons and the torrid heat of summer; and perform elaborate ceremonies when launching a new boat or beginning the annual flying fish season. These cultural features, among others, make the Yami intensely interesting to visitors.

To get to Lanyu, I took early a flight from SongShan airport, transferring at Taidong. Getting from Taidong to Lanyu takes about 25 minutes in a 18-passenger propeller aircraft. (Getting from Taidong to Green Island, which is generally more popular and developed compared to Lanyu, takes just 10 minutes.) As we approached the island, I could see Lanyu airport, which is situated between Yehyu village and Iratai village. The airport is designed to resemble the traditional canoes of the Yami people.

Upon arrival, I rented a scooter right outside the airport, as it seemed like that was what most of the other passengers were doing. I drove to the B&B in Ivarino village, located at the other side of the island. I later learned that rental cars are also available, but scooters provide more versatility in terms of parking and accessing scenic points. Riding a scooter was actually new to me, but I was soon cruising like a local.

After dropping off my luggage at the B&B, I started to drive around the island in a counter-clockwise direction. The views were absolutely breathtaking, offering a unique combination of rain-forest covered mountains, volcanic rock formations, and dark blue sea. I can’t remember how many times I had to pull over to enjoy the sights surrounding me.

The second morning, I took the scooter and set out around the island again, but clockwise this time. It was still breathtaking, yet, the experience was totally different. I almost felt like I was seeing a different island as I was seeing everything from an opposite angle and the morning sun changed the color of the scenery. In the afternoon, I joined a few other B&B guests for some snorkeling, and I must say it was probably one of the best snorkeling experiences I ever had. Just under the surface, countless fish swam in and out of huge volcanic rocks covered with coral. The effect was like an underwater city, with the many “fish apartment buildings” decorated with lovely corals. The guide (one of the B&B owner’s sons who led the snorkeling) found a sea snake at the bottom of the sea, dived down, grabbed its neck and brought it up for us to touch.

After a late dinner, I couldn’t resist hitting the road again to have another drive around the island before my departure the next morning. As expected, it was once again a very different experience. The mixture of the moon above the sea, the sound of the waves, a warm breeze, and the low light gave me an overwhelming feeling of peaceful tranquility, and I felt far removed from the cares of the world.

During my stay there for 2 nights, I ate most of my meals at 四李牛肉麵 in YehYo village. It is a 30 min scooter ride from the B&B I stayed but the trip was worth it always as recommend dishes  were good and I was able to see the view again during my trip to the restaurant. They have English/Japanese translation of their menu, and the mangers were friendly and can speak English. Three dishes were recommended by the local  but I can only remember two: some kind of local noodle w/ soup and their fried rice. Even for a big guy like me, the max I paid were probably around 130NTD.

Along the trip, I made some friends. Esteban lives in Lanyu but originally from Costa Rica and speaks Spanish better than English which was already good, Yeh sister and brother from Chiayi, ShaoLiu at the B&B, two young gentlemen from Taipen who are friends of Esteban, and many others from stores, etc. who probably would probably remember me as “HanGuoRen” traveling alone. I also asked about Green Island when I was eating with Esteban and his friends. They said that Green Island is smaller and more popular, but more commercialized vs. Lanyu.

On my flight back the next morning, I knew that I would certainly visit this island again. Not only did it give me an opportunity to visit some place non-artificial and beautiful, but also a chance to think more about the challenges the Taiwan’s aboriginals face in terms of balancing the preservation of their unique cultures and the wave of societal changes driven by technology and capitalism.

As usual, I have posted pictures below. It is somewhat arranged in a way of starting from my B&B (YehIn or Ivalino) and traveling the island counter-clockwise.

If you haven’t visited Lanyu, I strongly recommend that you do. It will be a very unique experience!

(Special thanks to Heather L., one of my colleagues, who offered great help with the editing)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ by Han on July 31, 2009.