Taiwanese Islands (e.g., Green Island, Orchid Island, etc.)

I’m just wondering if anyone here has been to any of the Taiwanese islands like Green Island or Orchid Island, or any of the others. If so, what are they like?

Peter

Green Island was fun - historical - quiet - clean ocean - except we had to leave early due to approaching typhoon

Wasn’t Green Island a penal colony? It would be a great place for any Napolean complex…a prison complex for Beijing Bullies:

Chinese Napolean

http://oriented.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=8&t=000079

[quote=“wolf_reinhold”]No, no one has been to any of the islands. We know nothing about them. Try the Internet. I hear that is a good place for information.
You’ve been starting new topics at the rate of about 2 per day. Jesus, Allah, & Buddha . . . . . enough already.[/quote]

I was wondering when you would finally complain! But I think Peter is really interested in insider-information on Taiwan and not just starting “I didn’t know cockroaches could fly”-topics.

Anyway, I was on Green Island in March 2001 and this is the link to a short and very amateur-like video (4,5 MB) I have compiled. Unfortunately it rained two out of the three days I stayed there so the place doesn’t look much like a tropical island. Nevertheless, I liked the coral reefs (not shown).

Kinmen (Chinmen)

Big Kinmen is ok as infrastructure is available and the island is a kind of big, but no beatiful beaches. A few museum like places to visit incl. an underground wharf (?) which was dug during those days. Quite impressive (and cool).
Some bigger hotels available and shops sell lot’s of mainland China stuff which isn’t available anywhere else in Taiwan.
I wonder how it got there …

Small Kinmen may be worth for a day trip but again I couldn’t see much of interest there.

Matsu (Matzhu) archipelago

Pei Kan (“Airport island”)
Nothing much with the exception of Chien-Be, a beautiful old (restaurated) village. Have some food or an iced coffee at the Chien-Be cafe overlooking the bay!
Very nice to just sit and relax, they also have a room or two if you want to stay there overnight.

Nan Kan (new airport under construction):
Boring, boring, boring. Biggest townships though, but no 7-11 or McD. Some smaller hotels but most are crap.

But if you want to stay here: http://www.coasthotel.com.tw/

Hsi Jue: even more boring, IMHO no hotels there.

Dong Yin: you may get there by ferry from Keelung / Geelong / Jilung (sure the mod will edit this ) or Nan Kan. Takes 6-7 hours (overnight) or 2.5 hours respectively.
Or 25 minutes by helicopter from Nan Kan (around NT$1500).

Some smallish hotels with internet cafes (guess that’s where the soldiers play their war games nowadays) and a bowling alley.
That said there isn’t much to do, mainly used as a transfer point from Keelung to Nan Kan.

In all cases you will find lot’s of military infrastructure and many, many soldiers, a few mine fields, glass covered stones at the bathing beach etc. Makes those places really attractive.

Just as a point of information, Jinmen and Mazu are not Taiwanese islands. Jinmen is a county of Fujian Province and Mazu is part of Lianjiang County, also in Fujian Province.

I found Jinmen to be a great place - very interesting history, great food, cool sites and a few lovely lovely beaches.

As for it being a county of Fujian Provice… well if someone can explain why there is a Taiwan Army presence there and why the Chinese bombed the bejus out of it and how this makes it part of the mainland!!! Then I will stand corrected.

There is an office of the Fujian govt there I know but in reality?

Just as a point of information, Jinmen and Mazu are not Taiwanese islands. Jinmen is a county of Fujian Province and Mazu is part of Lianjiang County, also in Fujian Province.

Hahahaha. ROTFL!

When I said soldiers I meant TAIWANESE soldiers!

Mazu (Matsu) and Jinmen (Kinmen) are indeed classified by the ROC government as coming under the control of Fujian Province. But they are the parts of Fujian Province controlled by the ROC on Taiwan, not by the PRC. In short, the only Fujian provincial government to be found on Jinmen will have photos of Chen Shui-bian on the walls, not Zhang Zemin.

I visited Jinmen about four years ago. This was still close enough to the time when the island opened to general tourists that I was the first foreigner some locals had ever seen.

Jinmen was pleasant and clean. Lots of soldiers to keep everything tidy. Lovely countryside. Many traditional houses. I hate to think how much has probably since been razed to make way for ugly concrete housing for businessmen seeking to take advantage of the “mini three links” to get to China faster.

Penghu is nice once you get outside Magong (Makung).

Penghu is great, but Cranky’s right, you gotta head away from the main island. It’s a commercial disappointment, has too many Mormons, and accommodation is way overpriced.

There’s plenty to choose from, in terms of other islands (about 57), but some of the smaller islands in the north have beautiful, secluded, sandy beaches, whereas the south’s got some of the older buildings.

Avoid Penghu like the plague during tourist season, just go during September… if there’s no typhoons!

Cheers,

The Big Babou

Mazu (Matsu) and Jinmen (Kinmen) are indeed classified by the ROC government as coming under the control of Fujian Province.

Well, Taiwan is also considered a province of China by the ROC, isn’t it?

Whatever, in the context of the initial question and due to the fact that Kinmen and Matsu are indicated as Taiwanese territory on most maps and the flight there is considered domestic I think we can agree to call them “Taiwanese Islands” … ?

Point taken.

I guess my point was, there is already lots of information on this at the click of a search button.
So accept my apologies for being a pill.
Taitung and Green Island: What to do/see?

quote:
Originally posted by Rascal: I think we can agree to call them "Taiwanese Islands"...?

You can if you want, but don’t expect me to. I am a stickler for detail and determined to outcrank Cranky. I can’t help it - I’m an editor! Alles muss in Ordnung sein!

Alles muss in Ordnung sein!

I’m curious: How are the beaches at Jinmen and Matsu Islands? Are they sand beaches or just sharp coral? Are there heaps of huge oddly-shaped concrete pylons all over the beaches (like all along all the coasts of Taiwan)? And do they charge a 100 NT entrance fee at each public beach (like at all the public beaches on the west coast of Taiwan except at Kending)?

Didn’t notice much of a beach in Chinmen with the exception of one place which was signed out as a public bathing beach: minefield left and right, no entrance fee (some booth still exists though) and the beach doesn’t look like what I would call a real beach though it was sandy.
Big stones are covered with glass (fixed with concrete) to prevent PRC soldiers from sneaking in at night. Nice place to play for the kids.

Dong Yin has got no beach if I remember correctly, it’s rather cliffy. Pei Kan has some sort of beach near Chien-Be - I think. Must look at the photo again. Not sure about Nan Kan and Hsi Jue.

I wasn’t there for a holiday so didn’t have time to check out the beaches in particular.

I didn’t realize Taiwan had 50+ islands. Any of you been to any of the smaller, more secluded ones? Do any of them have nice sandy beaches, palm trees, and few businesses?

Peter

Pei Kan has some sort of beach near Chien-Be - I think. Must look at the photo again.

I take that back unless you qualify a stretch of 1m beside the road as beach … had a look at the pics again.

Sorry if you jumped on the next plane and didn’t find it …

Bump.

So, which island have the best beach?
Any island with a nice place to stay near by a decent beach? Where?

I would like to bring the family to an island for a weekend trip, but we are lazy and like to “live on the beach” with a certain standard. Meaning, we don’t like to bring our own tent for camping, but airconditioned cabins are fine, as long as they are clean.

HOTTALA!!