Orchid Island (Lanyu)

Lanyu lies well off Taiwan's southeast coast, closer to the Philippines than to Taipei in feel, a small volcanic island of steep green ridges dropping to a coast of black lava rock and clear water. It is the home of the Tao, an Austronesian people whose culture is oriented entirely around the sea and above all around the flying fish that arrive with the spring current: the season is opened with ceremony, governs what may be caught and eaten and when, and is the reason for the tatala, the slender wooden plank canoes built without nails and painted with white, red and black spirals and eyes, which are among the most beautiful boats anywhere. Traditional semi-underground houses, built low against typhoons, survive in some villages. A single road rings the island in about forty kilometres, ridden by scooter, and goats stand on the road.

What you actually see

• The tatala canoes - the carved and painted plank boats of the Tao.
• The flying fish season - the spring fishery that shapes the island's year.
• The coast road - the ring road round the island by scooter, past lava rock and goats.
• Traditional houses - the low semi-underground dwellings built against typhoons.

When to go

April to June covers the flying fish season and generally calm seas; September and October are quieter with decent weather. Typhoons close transport entirely in late summer, and winter brings rough crossings and few visitors. Ferries are cancelled often, so allow spare days.

Honest expectations

Transport is genuinely unreliable: ferries are cancelled for swell and the small planes for wind, and people get stuck on the island for days. This is a living Tao community with real customs around the fishing season, and there are things visitors should not photograph or touch, particularly canoes, so ask first and accept a no. Facilities are simple, cash is essential, and scooter riding on the ring road needs care.

Nearby

Green Island lies to the north; Taitung on the main island is the mainland gateway.