🏝 Taitung - Lanyu/Orchid Island/Green Island| Ferry Service

There are two ferry routes—one from Taitung City, and one from Pingtung.

It’s possible one of them is seasonal only, perhaps the latter?

Guy

@hannes now my chances of getting an answer are slimmer…

Nah…

One or both, that is my understanding although I have nothing to prove it.

I’m not sure if it’s a government requirement or just up to the commercial Ferry companies to make the decision.

Here’s three that do or did serve Orchid Island that might have the information on their website.

It cannot be both. People on Lanyu need to have access to the main island of Taiwan simply to get things done.

Guy

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Well seasonal maybe a stretch but ferrys probably do stop for weeks at a time based on hazardous sea and weather conditions.

Or only residents of the island board whatever few ferries may be transiting.

but… based on what?

I checked a couple of websites before asking but didn’t the answer to my question.

What I assumed is that the restrictions would somehow affect only tourists and not residents. Also, they have flights…

This scheduling page seems to indicate that the Taiting ferry continues all year while Kenting does not.

“In winter, the Houbihu route is suspended due to the northeast monsoon”

From this other ferry website

“Houbihu Harbour in Kenting to Kaiyun Harbor on Orchid Island(Lanyu) by ferry. Please notice the ferries are not running during October to March. (Please contact ferry companies for the update).”

https://www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw/en/service/ferry

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If you are planning a trip, I would call to confirm rather than trust the website :wink:

Also call a coupledays before, thenagain just before to confirm. Like a flight. sucks getting stuck there due to company failures. But note natural realities also cancel flights and sailings on the regular.

Just to add my :2cents:, we have booked a visit in December and spoken to the owner of our accommodations. They said that the ferry form Pingtung may keep running if the weather is good and they have regular passengers, in their words “its hard to say”.
The one form Taitung will keep running and only stop in the days the weather is really bad, same for flights.

They will confirm our booking closer to the time when they have more of an idea what’s going on. We are a bit flexible with our time so its ok to move it around a couple of days, or even be stranded there a few extra days.

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always wise to have a few days flexibility for being stranded :slight_smile:

If you haven’t been, and taking the ferry. get your sea sickness things worked out. those boats are no joke! Although I hate them, those hard candies with dried plum inside are surprisingly quite helpful :slight_smile:

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Sea sickness is a strange one, normally I’m ok, but there was a time in the English Channel on a really calm crossing I was sick as a dog.

Tis strange. Perhaps condom and gun rules apply. Better to have the candy and not need it…

the weather and ocean around language and green island changes fast. I wouldnt wish a 3 hour boat trip in bad weather there on my worst enemies.

I used to take a travel tab “gravol”. my mom would bring a few bottles everytime she came to Taiwan. they dont do jack about the sickness, but they work great as a mild sleeping pill. I took them to get drowsy and try my best to push through half asleep.

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In winter the Barf boats become the BARF boats

And the flights become the Oh JESUS flights I hear

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I always thought the summer sea could be worse around the tropics, I have been in the tail end of tropical storms a few times both on a boat and and airplanes.

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If there are typhoons then sure, it is bad. However, most of the summer there are no typhoons and the condition is much calmer than anytime in the winter.

Although, if sea sickness is a problem for you like it is for me, then it really doesn’t matter if you get on the ferry in summer or winter. Just take a sea sickness pill 30 minutes before boarding the boat.

I’ve learned my lesson going from Yilan to Turtle Island in perfectly smooth conditions and get sea sick pretty quickly. Since then I’ve taken a sea sickness pill whenever I need to get on a boat. There was one time I boarded a dolphin watching ship in Hualien in October and the weather turned, and the waves were crazy. It was like a roller-coaster, the whole way. Everyone else were barfing, but I just felt slight haziness thanks to the sea sickness pill.

Well, the ferry to Fukang harbor in Taidong is year-round unless there’s a typhoon.

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I puke in the plane too haha. Right when you think you are almost there they go and do that messed up hard turn and…sorry fellow passengers. Have a bag ready :slight_smile:

That you?

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certainly the kid. I get a little queasy just watching that to be honest…

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