Orchid Island is one of the most loved islands among locals in Taiwan with rich aboriginal culture and beautiful scenery. There are 6 tribes on different parts of the island, each with unique Orchid Island attractions and activities to experience as well as good Orchid Island restaurants. This Orchid Island guide will share all the places I find great and worth going on the island. Hope it helps you explore the amazing Orchid Island attractions and food!

How many villages are there in Orchid Island and what are the names?

Even though Orchid Island (Lanyu) isn’t big, it has 6 villages as follows:

East side: Ivalino (野銀部落), Iranmeylek (東清部落)
North side: Iraraley (朗島部落)
North west side: Yayo (椰油部落)
West side: Iratay (漁人部落), Imorod (紅頭部落)

Keep reading for what unique attractions and restaurants you can find on each village and side of the Orchid Island!

List of Contents

Orchid Island attractions and Orchid Island restaurants recommendations

Orchid Island attractions and Orchid Island restaurants recommendations

1. East side of Orchid Island: Ivalino Village (野銀部落)

In Ivalino you can see the well preserved aboriginal (Tao/Yami ethnic group) traditional underground houses and cultures, some of the locals even still live there.

you may encounter some locals who offer you to visit their underground houses here.

Ivalino, Orchid Island attractions

Ivalino Cold Spring
Underground Houses
Helmet Rock & Elephant Rock
Meteorological Observatory (for stars, sunrise and sunset)

Ivalino, Orchid Island restaurants

Lanyu Woojufai restaurant 海廢食堂：we found this restaurant unexpectedly and it turned out to be one of the top 3 restaurants on Orchid Island for us.
We had cold udon noodles with spicy Korean sauce & chicken breast, as well as fried udon noodles with grilled pork neck. Both foods are delicious, we were satisfied, and we must say, eating cold udon for lunch in summer is really a perfect idea. They are really thoughtful.

2. East side of Orchid Island: Iranmeylek Village (東清部落)

Located at the east side of the island, Iranmeylek Tribe is the liveliest place and the most popular area to witness sunrise on Orchid Island.

Iranmeylek, Orchid Island attractions

Iranmeylek hidden spot
The Lover’s Cave
Iranmeylek Bay (for sunrise, moonrise and wooden boat)

One of the must do things on Orchid Island is to go on a ride on the Tao special wooden boat- Tatala, which is built without a single nail, and it is the boat the Tao/Yami men row for fishing.

I tried rowing once, and it wasn’t as easy as it seems when the professional fisherman does. The boat didn’t seem moving when I did it. But it’s very fun I have to say. I highly recommend you to try it too, it costs about NTD 500 per person to be on the boat, and the experience is worth the money.

Please note that due to the ceremony and rituals during the flying fish season (February to June), the wooden boat experience is not available. If you want to try it, you can consider visiting Orchid Island in July, August.

Iranmeylek Bay wooden boat

Iranmeylek, Orchid Island restaurants

Iranmeylek night market 東清夜市: Here you can find one of the only two 7-11 (convenience stores) of the whole island, and a little night market open in the evening. The night market is small but you can still find great food like BBQ, fried flying fish, rice donut, flying fish fried rice, fried chicken and more. You can also find Orchid Island souvenirs here.

Mermaid & Cat restaurant 人魚和貓餐廳: There are many different set of food for you to choose, and with great value. We really liked the spicy pan fried wild pork set.

Inaorod restaurant 小院：This restaurant is a little hidden gem, located at the alley next to Iranmeylek night market.

We tried pan fried flying fish dried noodles and Taiwanese burger Gua bao. The noodles are really special, because I’ve never tried pan fried flying fish, and the owner only uses the fish meat part for the noodles, so we didn’t need to pick the fish bones out, it’s really convenient. Plus, the sauce and fish tastes really good. The green bean soup and roselle plum juice she made is also very good and refreshing.

To find it, walk up the slope and turn right into another little alley. We wouldn’t have known about it if the local people hadn’t recommended it to us. Now that I’ve tried it, I highly recommend you find it as well!

3. North side of Orchid Island: Iraraley Village (朗島部落)

At Iraraley Village you can also explore the wooden boat, underground houses and a little night market, it’s like the combination of Iranmeylek and Ivalino Tribe. But it has a lot more naturally formed giant rocks on the way to Iraraley village from Iranmeylek tribe and Yayo village, and each of them has unique imaginable shapes.

Iraraley, Orchid Island attractions

Jimawawa (a hidden snorkeling spot)
Iraraley hidden gem
Jipineyyao cave (Jaykmey Sawasawalan)
Crocodile rock
Jikarahem cave
Hen rock
Twin lions rock
Little Tianchi

I really like the Jipineyyao cave (Jaykmey Sawasawalan), and Jikarahem cave as both have mysterious vibes and can see the ocean through the caves. However, be cautious when driving a scooter here, as it can be very windy, and occasionally, there are even downslope winds.

The View from Tank Rock is like a little paradise. I didn’t check this spot the first time I traveled to Orchid Island but this time we decided to stop and had a closer look at Tank Rock when we drove around Orchid Island, and I was amazed again by the views Orchid Island and Taiwan can offer.

I would recommend you to take time enjoying this view too.

Iraraley, Orchid Island restaurants

Iraraley Night Market (open around 6pm)
Single eyelid braised dishes

Lanyu House Bar 私宅停院: this place is a sort of ruined bar and is the best find for me when visiting Orchid Island again! Here you can see warm-toned fairy lights, cats chasing around, banyan trees growing and attaching on the ruined house, and cozy, unique sitting areas with a vintage atmosphere.

I had aboriginal styled rice wine cocktail, it’s pretty interesting and refreshing. I’d say this is the must visit place in Orchid Island, I highly recommend it. (they also provides food and ice cream).

4. North West side of Orchid Island: Yayo Village (椰油部落)

Yayo tribe is an important part of Orchid Island as the main ferry port (Lanyu Kaiyuan Fishing Port Wharf), the only gas station and another 7-11 (convenient store) in Orchid Island is located here. So if you need fuel and supplement, don’t forget to get it when you pass by the Yayo tribe!

Yayo, Orchid Island attractions

Yayo, Orchid Island restaurants

Lanyu noodles sister 蘭嶼麵小妹：if you want to have some simple Taiwanese noodles, you can visit this restaurant.

5. West side of Orchid Island: Imorod Village (紅頭部落)

Imorod village is a convenient area, it has a Post Office (the one place to withdraw money in the west side), Health Centre, famous Orchid Island attractions and many popular, tasty eateries.

There’s a good oceanfront camping site located at the west side of Orchid Island, called Jimmy Explorer. It has a shower place and toilet and tents with a mattress and pillows. If you want to camp on Orchid Island, and are looking to sleep even closer to nature, and have ocean views, you can check this.

Imorod, Orchid Island attractions

Dotataw (big Tianchi)
Imorod Forest Hiking Trail
Ja-langoina Grassland
Old man rock
Tide Pools at Nuclear Waste Dumpsite (for snorkeling and see big clownfish)

For more information and photos of the amazing snorkeling spot- Tide Pools at Nuclear Waste Dumpsite and other beautiful spots, you can read this guide.

Imorod, Orchid Island restaurants

A Li Gei Breakfast & Brunch Restaurant (阿力給早餐店): It opens from 6am to 11am, but the most popular flying fish rice roll and sandwiches sold out very fast, it is advised to go at 6am if you want to try it.

Rover(蘭嶼旅人): it opens from 10:30 – 11:30, it offers amazing ocean view (blue and milky colours) and tasty western dishes.

Wen Wen Taro Ice Shop (蘭嶼雯雯芋頭冰): It provides the best taro ice cream I’ve ever had in Taiwan! It’s so smooth and soft and has a strong taro flavour that I can keep eating without getting tired of the taste. There are some options you can choose from, you can have taro ice cream, taro ice cream with green bean smoothie and more.

Everyday during my second visit to Orchid Island, I had to come here for one! Yes, it is that good!! If you love taro, you must try this!

The shop also sells Orchid Island souvenirs and fried flying fish.

Oooops!Kitchen rice balls：Oooops!Kitchen (rice ball)：If you want rice balls that are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and with good flavours, this food on Orchid Island is perfect for a snack or breakfast. They offer different flavours, but we only got to try the flying fish eggs because the rest were sold out. If you want to try more flavours (pork, chicken, salmon, etc.), I suggest you go when they first open at 11 a.m.

Ocean Old Man海老人：if you are traveling to Orchid Island with a big group of people, it is suitable for you to come to this restaurant for food, as you can order a few different dishes and share. We were only 2 people so we only tried flying fish sausage fried rice and fish soup. and I can tell you that the fried rice was pretty good, but the fish soup was plain and not tasty.

6. West side of Orchid Island: Iratay Village (漁人部落)

The only airport in Orchid Island is located at Iratay village.

Iratay, Orchid Island attractions

The airplane flying to Orchid Island is very small, and the runway is also pretty short, so it is an interesting feeling to see a flight taking off and landing at this airport right in front of us. If you want to witness it too, you can check the Daily Air website to see the departure and arrival schedules of the flights here, and you can wait at the pavilion for it.

Iratay, Orchid Island restaurants

If you are not hungry you don’t sit restaurant 無餓不坐：their meals are all really good, with delicious Taiwanese white gourd tea! The portion is quite big, make sure you go to this restaurant when you are “really hungry” !

How to get to Orchid Island (Lanyu)?

1.Take ferry from Taitung or Kenting to Orchid Island (Lanyu) & ferry ticket price

You can choose to take a ferry from Taitung (east of Taiwan) or Kenting (south of Taiwan).

Departure from Taitung

If you are setting off from the North or East side of Taiwan, the best is to take a ferry from Taitung Fugang Fishing Port. It takes approximately 2-2.5 hrs to get to Orchid Island (Lanyu), and there are 4 scheduled ferry runs daily.

Round-trip ferry tickets from Taitung to Orchid Island for adults cost about NTD 2300, sometimes even with discounts.
(click here to book your ticket)

Note: Taxi from Taitung Train Station to Fugang Fishing Port takes about 16 minutes, and to be on time and easily arrange your trip, id’ recommend you to book your taxi in advance here (you can start your journey from Taitung or Huailian city in this way)

Departure from Kenting

If you are already in the middle or south of Taiwan, you can just go down to Hou-pi-hu Fishing Harbor, in Kenting, Taiwan. From there, it also takes about 2 hours to get to Orchid Island, same with 4 ferries per day.

Round-trip ferry tickets from Kenting to Orchid Island for adults cost about NTD 2300, sometimes even with discounts.
(click here to book your ticket)

Note: for going to Kenting Hou-pi-hu Fishing Harbor for the ferry, you can drive there by yourself or you can take HSR (high speed railway) or train to Kaohsiung, and take taxi from either places to the harbour, to arrange and easily find a taxi, I’d advise you to book it in advance here.（From our experience, going to Hou-pi-hu Fishing Harbour from Henchung, which was only 20 mins away from the Harbour already cost NTD 500 per person when we got taxi locally).

As for which part of Taiwan you want to take the ferry from, I’ve taken ferries to Orchid Island from both Taitung and Kenting, and here are my thoughts based on my personal experiences.

From Taitung, the waves were quite rough for round trips, even though the weather was great on both days. From Kenting, the ride to Orchid Island was wavy (but less so than from Taitung), while the return trip was very smooth.

Regardless of whether I traveled from Taitung or Kenting, I took seasickness pills, didn’t eat much breakfast, and closed my eyes to sleep immediately after boarding the ferries. I think if you do the same, you should be fine too.

Where to buy ferry tickets to Orchid Island

Either you decide you want to depart from Taitung or Kenting, I suggest booking your ferry tickets in advance, this way you can secure the seats and time. Also, on the day of departure, you will not need to wait for the long queue in the super early morning to buy tickets, and worry that tickets might be sold out.

I bought ours from HERE, and it is cheaper if you buy a round-trip ticket.

Once you have completed your purchase HERE, on the day of boarding, you only need to go to the ticket booth and show them the QR code they send to you via Email, then they will give you the physical tickets right away. And you will be all set for boarding.

Make sure YOU ARRIVE AT THE TICKET BOOTH 40 MINS BEFORE DEPARTURE.
(If you do not buy your ticket online in advance, you’ll need to arrive at the ticket office much earlier for the same ferry. Plus, during the peak summer season, tickets often sell out quickly. I highly recommend you to get it when you are planning your Orchid Island trip).

2.Take a flight from Taitung to Lanyu Island (Orchid Island)

The price for the flight from Taitung to Orchid Island (Lanyu) is around NTD 3000.

It only takes about 30 minutes to get there, and there are flights every hour.

But due to the small size of the airport, the flight is actually really small, the seating capacity is like 19 only, it got fully booked well fast and the operation of the aircraft is highly dependent on the weather.

For flight information and booking, you can check Daily Air website HERE (though it’s in Chinese, you can ask for help from locals.

Transportation on Orchid Island (Lanyu)

The easiest way to explore Orchid Island (Lanyu) is to rent a scooter, in this way you can easily stop at random beautiful places you find for taking photos or enjoy the views.

That is how we discovered most of the secret spots in Orchid Island.

Price for renting a scooter on Orchid Island(Lanyu): NTD 500/day (pretty much the whole island is offering the same price). You can BOOK your scooter HERE in advance, and get it at the port in Orchid Island or at the airport when you arrive. And sometimes they offer discounted prices.
Gas station: there is only ONE gas station on Orchid Island (Lanyu), which is right at the port. So make sure to check your gas every time when you pass by the port while driving on the island.

Hotels on Orchid Island (Lanyu)

Orchid Island is a simple, cultured, traditional island, so the places to stay are mainly guest houses; Fancy hotels are not yet present on the island.

To find the hotel on Orchid Island, the easiest and quickest way is to check the availability from here and here (the latter one you need to choose specifically for Lanyu Township, Taitung, Taiwan).

If there aren’t many options left on both sites, then you can check this guest house site, but it’s all in Chinese, and you will need to check availability and book it via each owner by yourself.

I’ve stayed at 3 places on Orchid Island, one is this, it’s a tin-sheeted house kind of a guest house. The good part of it is that once you open the door, it’s a beautiful ocean view. But the room inside is very simple and not attractive, you can’t see outside, and it’s nothing really special.

However, the other 2- Balaguan Guest House and Jimmy Explorer Campsite, 2 of the oceanfront places I stayed on the second time I visited Orchid Island, are pretty nice. As both have beautiful ocean views, and with great bright lights. Especially the Balaguan Guesthouse, which you can even just go to the rooftop and see the sunrise, and it’s with good local designs, the price is also good, with great value.

For a detailed review of Balaguan Guesthouse I will share it here soon.

If you are interested in camping, and wondering how Jimmy Explorer Campsite is like, I will also share my detailed review here soon.

Orchid Island Travel Guide| one click to know unique Orchid Island attractions and Orchid Island restaurants

Orchid Island attractions and Orchid Island restaurants recommendations