Best spots to watch sunrise and sunset on Orchid Island, Taiwan
Watching the sunrise and sunset on Orchid Island is one of the must-do activities on this island, as the daily sunrise on Orchid Island is the first light of Taiwan, and the sunset here offers a spectacular view. In this article, I will share the exact location of amazing spots to see the sunset and sunrise on Orchid Island, so you can find them easily and visit different places everyday.
- More travel information about Orchid Island (Lanyu Island)
- Check the available ferry spots and price for going to Orchid Island
- Orchid Island attractions and restaurant recommendations at each side of the island
- 5 amazing snorkeling spots in Orchid Island, including hidden gems
- Book an Orchid Island snorkeling trip here if you prefer to have a guide and underwater photos taken.
- Orchid Island travel guide for adventurers: hidden gems, snorkeling spots and more!
List of Contents
Orchid Island Sunset Spots
1. Jimawawa, Orchid Island
Jimawawa is the most surprising sunset spot on Orchid Island, as we actually found it while randomly riding a scooter on the way to Iranmeylek hidden spot from Iraraley village.
The best part about this place is that you can take a swim at the secret spot in front of the pavilion first, then return to enjoy music, snacks, and the moment while drying off and waiting for the sunset. It’s very peaceful here. And the sunset view is amazing!
Exact location for Jimawawa, Orchid Island：click here
2. Tiger Head Hill, Orchid Island
Tiger Head Hill is one of the popular sunset points on Orchid Island. You can see not only a beautiful sunset right in front of you but also groups of goats and a special shape of rock that looks like bao, where the island’s only senior high school is located.
If you love taking photos, you’ll always have goats photobombing, which can make your photos more special.
It’s well convenient here, as there is a parking lot and a pavilion where you can sit while enjoying the Orchid Island sunset.
The day we went was cloudy, so we didn’t get to see the sun sink into the ocean. I hope you get to see it 🙂
Exact location of Tiger Head Hill: click here
3. Ja-langoina Grassland, Orchid Island
Ja-langoina Grassland is where wide green grass meets the ocean.
Once you enter Ja-langoina Grassland, just keep walking till the end, that’s where the best sunset point is.
After watching the sunset, you can relax and stay here for awhile because soon you can see the moonrise from the other side.
Exact location of Ja-langoina Grassland, Orchid Island：click here
4. Lanyu Weather Station, Orchid Island
Lanyu Weather Station is the most valuable spot on Orchid Island, as it is on top of the hill, where you can see both the east and west side of Orchid Island, which means, you can watch sunrise and sunset. It is also a place without light pollution, so at night time you can also come here to watch the stars and the Milky way.
But be careful when coming here, as the hill is very steep, and very windy.
Exact location of Lanyu Weather Station, Orchid Island: click here
Orchid Island Sunrise Spots
I don’t normally love waking up early to see the sunrise, but even my non-Taiwanese friends told me that I must do it on Orchid Island, so I tried and was very glad that I did, seeing the first light of Taiwan slowly light up the dark from the ocean is magical.
The follow places are the best spots to see sunrise on Orchid Island:
1.Iranmeylek Bay, Orchid Island
Here is the most famous spot where most of the tourists will go to watch the sunrise on Orchid Island as you can take the photos of the first sunlight of Taiwan with the most iconic Orchid Island symbol- the wooden boat Tatala.
If you only get one chance to see the sunrise on Orchid Island, here is usually the most recommended.
Exact location of Iranmeylek Village (Iranmeylek Bay):click here
2. In between the Sleeping Lion Rock and the Helmet Rock
We found this nice sunrise point randomly when we were driving to Iranmeylek Bay for sunrise from Imorod village. We were supposed to see the sunrise at the most famous spot, but we lived about 30 mins drive from it, and it was very dark and windy, so we got a bit scared.
After riding about 30 mins on the scooter, we saw the first light coming out from the horizon already, and realised we could watch the sunrise here from the top of the hill, which is amazing! We ended up just staying here and playing music while waiting for the sun to come out.
This sunrise spot is very quiet and peaceful as there was no one around us. It’s a great spot, I’d highly recommend it to you too if your hotel is located on the west side of the island, and you don’t want to drive too far.
Exact location of this secret sunrise spot: click here
3.Ivalino Cold Spring, Orchid Island
Located on the east side of Orchid Island, Ivalino Cold Spring is also a good spot for watching sunrise on Orchid Island. You also get to enjoy the cold spring while waiting for the sunrise, isn’t it great!
Exact location of Ivalino Cold Spring: click here
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 ticket from Taitung to Orchid Island for adult cost about NTD 2300
(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 ticket from Kenting to Orchid Island for adult cost about NTD 2300
(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.
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.
Hope you get to watch and enjoy beautiful sunrise and sunset on Orchid Island.
Samantha
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