Green Island appeared to have very clear water for diving, snorkelling. There’s an ad in the Taipei Times classifieds. A South African chap “Eddie” helps with dive trips. I want to go back soon and enjoy the place. John H.
My weekend was great.Green Island is best.I cant believe im in Taiwan for two and a half years and I only went there now.If you need a break for a weekend,its the place to go.
The only shit is that the train takes 6 hours to Taidong from Shulin.A whole day to go there and back,but its worth it.
Rassie,
What kind of shape is the campground in now? On another thread, someone had mentioned the campsite was being rennovated. Is it finished?
The campsite is in good condition.There is a few wooden platforms with roofs.So no more rain while youre sleeping.Cant wait to do it again.
If only Green Island had just one really nice sandy beach for swimming…
No thanks…
I’ll take the fringing reef with 30 meter visibility 20 feet offshore anyday…Besides, the wooden walkways cross over the reef so you can get out into deeper water…
It’s so sweet…
sure, diving is great but when you are with family, kids etc… relaxing on a nice sandy beach is something you cant do on GI.
Travelling with kids,
There is a small “pond” just below the lighthouse on the northern end. At low tide it is closed off from the ocean by the reefs, but the water is replenished at high tide. The kids in our group (4, 6, 8 and 10) had a lot of fun there, and it is OK for the parents to cool down in it as well. It is on a stretch of nice, white sandy beach, have reefs on one side, sandy on the other, but a bit muddy in the middle. Approx. 150cm deep on the deepest - very safe, but a couple of days there is enough.
I will recommend the springs - we only had a few hours there, but at least half a day is recommended. Bring your swimming cap 
…silly regulations - we had to buy 10 caps for our group.
I had both the wife and daughter on the last two trips out there…
We hung out at both the Great White beach and the other beach past the old prison…Great times had by all. Stayed for six days and loved every minute of it. I did six dives and spent the rest of the time chilling on the beach, combing for shells, or popping my daughter out for a quick snorkel. She was 6 at the time.
I understand what you mean by a ‘proper beach’, I’m just saying it’s very doable as it is…
Swimming caps for the Hot Springs…Please tell me you are kidding. It doesn’t seem that long ago we spend the entire evening in there, drinking rum from 8pm to 4am (not with the family), wetsuits and scuba gear off to one side, and not seeing another person… I don’t remember swimming caps, or swimming trunks for that matter… 
Regarding the hot springs…when I was there last, the hot spring swimming pool was nearing completion. Is this what you are refering to when you mean you need caps?
Can you still walk down to the beach and sit in the original springs? Is the roped-off part of the ocean there?
Or is it all pumped into the swimming pool? (Tell me it isn’t so…)
Hot Springs - No kidding, swimming caps up in the pools around the kiosk. Not necessary down by the sea (as we found out after buying the swimming caps)…
Beaches - nice sand above the water, and beatiful to look at, but full of sharp reef and stones under the waterline - nothing for barefoot kids.
Maybe Penghu is a better option for us with more than one kid?
I would love to go back to Green Island for snorkelling and guided scuba tours, but that would have to be with some friends that would go under water with me - my Taiwanese family does not share this interest with me. It is a bit boring not having anyone to share the experience with.
WOLF.you can walk down the beach and sit in the original pools,but you have to go threw the gates for the other pools.So you must pay.I guess if its dark you can climb over the fence(pretty shitty one)and enjoy yourself.
Fence?..Pay?..Swimming caps?
Could it really have changed that much in 3 years?
I’m glad you had a good time, but man that is depressing…
Pay====YES=== 200nt.No passouts.Its as shame that you must pay for nature,but I think its for a good cause.But its better to go at night and slip threw.It was very hot,so I didnt care about the hotsprings
Me n sweet pea are planning on going to Green Island next weekend (Oct 29). Leaving on saturday morning and hoping to get one of the last boats over on Saturday night. Either that or fly straight to the island from Taipei. Only problem is I dunno which airline flies there. Also looking for reasonably priced, quiet, accomodation. Any suggestions? Would consider the campground if they rent tents, air matresses, mosquito nets and snake repelent. Thanks.
How is Green Island around Christmas/New Year?
The campsite is great.The best views and it’s cheap,but you must take your tent.I can’t recall seeing tents or anything for rent there.
The best of all is that there isn’t alot of Taiwanese people at the campsite,so it’s pretty empty and not over crowded.
Try flying there or take the last train to Taidong on Friday night,otherwise you won’t have enough time.
ENJOY!!!
My wife and I just got back to the US after a long vacation in Taiwan. We finally got a chance to visit Green Island on the 15th or 16th (can’t quite remember right now!). There was a typhoon nearby which made the seas a bit rough. Our ferry ride was pretty interesting, with people vomiting all around me, including my wife. This was my first ocean boat trip and I never felt the least bit sick. My wife offers the following advice - drink some soy milk before going, not coffee. It tastes much better coming back up.
We rented a scooter and buzzed around the island several times. It’s amazing how quick you can completely circle around the entire island. The ocean is an incredible shade of blue, made even more impressive by the large waves crashing in due to the typhoon. The hot springs along the ocean were closed unfortunately. The hot spring in the nearby spa was not really hot enough, and the swimming pools were too cold.
Check out the lamb pot restaraunts not far from the hot springs. There’s one that got some publicity and I cannot remember the name, but the locals recommend staying away from that one.
After a full 24 hours on the island, we felt we had pretty much seen it all. Any longer would probably be overkill.
One question for you all - what’s with all the poop everywhere and where’s the animals that dropped it?
Oxen?
We also went to Green Island - I figured out why it got that name. It’s the color on everyone’s face when they leave the boat after arriving there! It’s like being on a roller-coaster on water!
Anyway - Green Island is amazing. Beautiful and peaceful (we went at the end of February.)
We paid about $1,500 p.p for one night in a “hotel” (more like chalets really, but very nice), the boat ride to Green Island and back, plus free scooter rent and free hot springs. The owner is Mr. Lee - he is super nice. He picked us up, and took us back to the boat.
I’d really recommend him - his cell phone number is 0952 - 063990.
David