Do it! It’s been difficult getting back to real life after this trip. We just keep daydreaming about star gazing from quiet cliff-side pavilions, racing (carefully) side by side down straight stretches of road and watching clown fish eat bread from our hands. Basically, this tiny, little four day trip on an island, with one 11 kilometer road, blew our minds.
Green Island has become a more popular tourist attraction in recent years, but still remains relatively off the map for most people. It’s far less crowded than Taiwan’s other main attractions, such as Sun Moon Lake, Taroko and Penghu. I seriously doubt it’ll stay this way much longer as more and more people realize how wonderful it is. Social media will be the ruin of many previously hidden places like this one. Then again, the island is also less crowded because traveling there and back from Taipei is a bit tricky. During weekends and holidays, getting on and off the island requires more than a little finesse and patience, but it’s worth it.Nanliao, Zhongliao and Gongguan
In its past Green Island (like mainland Taiwan) first belonged to the aboriginal tribes. Then Chinese fishermen found it and established the three main towns that still exist today: Nanliao, Zhongliao and Gongguan. As its home to the island’s harbor, Nanliao is where most of the food and action is. The main road is crowded with seafood restaurants, tourist shops and bars. Definitely eat at Mr. Hot Dog and Green Island Seafood (get the pineapple shrimp, but honestly everything is good). Poke your head in Sea Boy, a cute little dive shop with gear and cheap beach bum clothes. Just outside of Sea Boy, there’s a great grill stand with green pepper, chicken, pork, bacon and other delicious things to eat. Also, Nanliao is home to the island’s only 7-11 and ATM machine, which is located at the post office.
Located just down the road, Zhongliao and Gongguan are much quieter. We didn’t spend much time in Zhongliao, but our bed and breakfast was located in Gongguan. It’s home to an excellent diving outfit, Blue Safari, and a great little café that specializes in waffles. Let me brag about our awesome hostess and her sister: These two women and their dogs are living the island dream. Our hostess of course runs and operates the hotel, but her sister runs the café across the street. They mostly spend their days sitting on a front porch, drinking cold drinks, and occasionally organizing search and rescue for two foreigners with a broken down scooter on the other side of the island.Green Island Lighthouse
Starting in Zhongliao, the first attraction you’ll come to is the lighthouse. Check it out both during the day and at night. It’s a beautiful spot to just sit and relax with some sticks of grilled green pepper that were picked up on the way. America gifted this lighthouse to Green Island when islanders rescued the crew of an American ship that had wrecked on the rocks nearby. Of course, if the lighthouse had been there to begin with, the wreck wouldn’t have happened in the first place.
Green Island Prison and Oasis Villa
Just down the road, the next attractions you’ll come to are Green Island Prison and Oasis Villa. The Green Island Prison is not to be confused with the Oasis Villa. This first is an actual prison that may or may not still be active with prisoners. All I know for sure is that it still has wardens, security and that no one is allowed inside. In the old days, it housed some of Taiwan’s most notorious criminals. The second is the actual political prison ruin that Green Island has become so famous for. Creepily named Oasis Villa, the prison housed political prisoners who were unfairly arrested while Taiwan was under martial law from 1949 to 1987. Some men were serving 30 year sentences for merely verbally insulting Chiang Kai-shek.
The prisoners have long since been released, but a museum has been constructed in their honor, preserving their memories and artifacts. Much of the old prison is open for visitors to explore, including the solitary confinement and main cell blocks. Take a friend; the buildings are truly deserted and not many visitors venture out of their way to explore them. With disintegrating floors, walls and the possibility of venomous snakes, I can’t say that I blame them too much.Swallow Grotto
After the prisons, you’ll find yourself at the road leading to the aptly named Swallow Grotto. Go! This creepy not-so-little cave is absolutely beautiful. It’s not on any of the island maps we were given, but a sign is still up for it at least. On the way to the cave, the first thing you’ll see is an old prison cemetery that was used for prisoners who died of illness or injury while on the island. After the cemetery, walk across the beach and you’ll find yourself at the mouth of the grotto.
We went early in the morning and had the area completely to ourselves. Climb around, watch the swallows that nest in the cave and have fun. Inside the cave, keep an eye to the ground. We almost tripped over an old deer carcass and skull. The poor thing must have fallen in and injured itself. In fact, the eerie innards of the cave magnify its dark history. During the Japanese occupation, it was used for executions and in later years, it was used by prisoners as a place of entertainment. The raised platform in the back of the cave was built by them as a stage for performances.Cow’s Head and Guanyin Cave
From Swallow Cave, continue on down to Cow’s Head and Guanyin Cave. One look at Cow’s Head and you’ll understand why they named it Green Island. The grasslands offer some of the most scenic views on the island and if you’re adventurous, bring a flashlight. The area is crisscrossed with old military tunnels. We did see SNAKES, so maybe bring a pitchfork too. The next stop, Guanyin Cave is much smaller than the neighboring Swallow Grotto, but very scenic with running water, stalagmites and stalactites. Currently, the cave doubles as a shrine to the Goddess of Mercy and it’s best to visit early in the morning to experience the space in solitude. After taking a minute to enjoy the smell of incense mixed with musty cave, it’s time to go waterfall hunting!
Youzihu
With hidden waterfalls, village ruins and natural giant arches, Youzihu is the best place for exploring on the island. To get there, follow the signs, take the side road down the hill and park. From here, make a left to get to Wangong Arch or a right to explore the abandoned fishing village and hunt down the waterfall. Wangong Arch is massive and very likely Taiwan’s largest natural arch formation. With giant, climbable boulders beneath it, the arch is also a great place to hide from the afternoon sun. Leaving the arch behind and heading back toward the village ruins, it starts to feel a bit like Jurassic Park and that something big is about to come out from behind the cliff corners. No such luck, but maybe one day I’ll get the time machine working. As you exit the fishing village, keep going and head for the gap in the rocks at the end of the cove. Jump through this and you’ll land in a completely different cove. This separate cove is home to Green Island’s only waterfall. It’s very private and you should see a little stream rushing out to meet the ocean. Cross the stream and keep walking just a few feet. You’ll hear the falls before seeing them as they hide up in a grotto. Follow the sound until you’re climbing up a tiny rock scramble. It’s fun and easy. Wear good shoes and maybe bring a bathing suit.
Pekinese Dog, Sleeping Beauty and Confucius Rock
Continuing on from Youzihu, the island road beautifully snakes and winds toward a handful of locally famous rock formations: Sleeping Beauty, Pekingese Dog and Confucius Rock. However, you’ll first come to the Little Great Wall, which serves as the viewing platform for the princess and her loyal protector. From the pavilions, tourists have an unobstructed view of a lady sleeping on her back and the little dog guarding her. Show up early or after dark and you’ll have the pavilions to yourself. As mentioned in the introduction, it’s a great place for tracking down the Big Dipper, which for some reason was upside down. Further down the road, you’ll see a single column of rock standing apart from the cliffs; this is Confucius Rock. However, our personal opinion is that it could also be called “Resting Rhino.”
Across Mountain Trails
Next up, on your way around the island, are the two Across Mountain Trails. Between the two, everyone recommends the “ancient” one, saying that it has more shade and is a nicer walk. What we saw of it was very exposed and made entirely of steps. Not wanting to be sweaty messes for our 10 hour journey home, we made it about halfway up and then turned back, finding that some of the spider webs we had knocked down on the way up had already been replaced. Carry a stick, those jungle spiders don’t mess around. Along with spiders, you’ll hear plenty of lizards, snakes and insects scuttling around in the grass beside the path. At first, the constant sound of fleeing feet and flicker of disappearing tail was unnerving, but we got used to it quickly. Be careful, I promise you won’t see a snake until it moves at which point your only option may be to jump 10 feet off the ground into spider web. Sometimes I think it’s a wonder we’re still alive.
Jhaorih Hot Springs
Keep going down the road and at the tip of the heart shaped island, you’ll find Jhaorih Hot Spring Resort. This is one of only three ocean-fed hot springs in the world and definitely worth a visit. In addition to having a closed-in resort pool complete with water pressured massagers, the resort also has an array of open air pools by the shore. With the resort’s flexible hours, it can be a great place to relax with the stars after a long day of diving in cold water. Just remember to bring towels and shower caps (or you can buy them at the resort). Beside the resort, there’s another raised grassland that’s very similar to Cow’s Head, and best visited during the daytime as it provides great overhead views of the resort below. There are even a few abandoned army capsules up there that are fun to run around in.
Mati Bridge
Last, but not least on your trip around the island is Mati Bridge. You’ll see a pull-off from the road, take it and park. Next to the parking lot, there are two sets of stairs leading down to the area beneath the bridge. It’s the perfect private, quiet place for listening to the water and getting a few moody pictures. You can crawl right up under the bridge and sit on the supports, listening to the waves simultaneously roll in, out and crash against the exposed coral. We could have stayed for hours.
Sika Deer and Fireflies
The island is teeming with deer (and goats). Stay on the lookout as you make your way around and you’re sure to see some. Unlike certain places in Japan, Green Island deer are very shy, hard to find and usually come out around dusk (like normal deer). It’s not uncommon for people to ride through the Sika Deer Ecological Pack, combing the area with flashlights from the backs of their mopeds, in the hopes of seeing the cute animals. Locals, also, say that there’s an abundant firefly population on the island. We didn’t see any and I don’t believe them, but maybe you’ll have better luck.
Green Island Adventures
As long as you book through Green Island Adventures, there’s minimal planning. The site is run by a retired New Zealander with great communication skills named Eddie. Using him, the only thing you’ll personally have to worry about is getting to Taitung; he’ll take care of everything else for you, including: ferry tickets, transportation to and from the train station, scooter rentals, snorkeling tours and accommodation. I highly recommend booking through him. Our trip wouldn’t have been the same without his help. When our scooter broke down halfway around the island and away from all civilization, he answered his phone of the first ring and contacted our hotel to arrange an impromptu rescue. Ultimately, thanks to Eddie and our great hostess, we were stranded for all of half an hour.
Final Thoughts
Green Island is quite possibly the most beautiful place I’ve seen to date. With its green grassy slopes, coral beaches, caves, ruins and hidden waterfalls, it was just the quiet escape we needed from urban living. Be warned: there’s absolutely no protection from the sun on the island, and its effects are much stronger than in Taipei as there’s no pollution in the air to dilute them. Consequently, sunscreen and hats are absolute must haves for this trip. It’s, also, a good idea to pack wind breakers, good shoes and a go-pro if you have it. If this is the sort of thing you love, consider extending your trip to Lanyu (Orchid Island). You’ll need about a week to see both places. If we had had the time and the foresight, we definitely would have tried it.
Getting There
I’m not going to lie to you; travel for this trip was hell. From the time we stepped out of our apartment in Taipei till the time we walked into our hotel on the island took seven hours. There are several ways on and off the island. The best option is to take one of the express trains from Taipei to Taitung and then ferry across on a boat. Unfortunately, on weekends and holidays, getting a seat on the train is next to impossible because of all the urbanites trying to escape to Hualien, which is on the same route. If you can’t score yourself a ticket, don’t fear. As we learned, there are ways to get it done.
The next option is to take the high-speed rail from Taipei to Kaohsiung and from there, catch a local train to Taitung. It’s more expensive, but this way is less crowded and could even save you time. Of course, you could just FLY. Actually, this is the second best option as the flights are cheaper than the high-speed rail tickets, and the journey from Taipei to Taitung only takes half an hour. Also, you can purchase airline tickets well in advance, which saves you from having to make the mad-online-dash for train tickets when they go on sale two weeks before your desired departure date.
To get from Taitung to Green Island, you have two choices: a harrowing boat ride or harrowing flight. The ferry is the most popular choice of punishment as it’s the cheapest. Make no mistake, Green Island is not inside a nice protected bay, it’s in the rough terrain of the Pacific Ocean. Consequently, the first five minutes of your journey will feel like a really fun rollercoaster as the “too-small-for-this-crap” ship rocks violently back and forth. However, ultimately the journey resembles the fate of Trump supporters: an exciting first five minutes followed up by what seems like an eternity of uncomfortable retching. Take the plane; at least you’ll die on the ridiculously short runway in relative comfort.
You don’t even want to know how we got home. It was this weird mix of boat, express train, local train, bus and taxi that took a total of 10 hours to complete. However, the whole journey only cost us around $700 NTD per person. Basically, the trains were full from Hualien to Taipei, but we were at least able to book tickets from Taitung to Hualien. We disembarked at Hualien station and bought combo local train/bus tickets that would get us the rest of the way to Taipei. Our crazy plan worked and if needed, we’d happily do it again. Apparently, the combo tickets are a popular option on crowded weekends.
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