 Xiaoliuqiu may be the best tropical island vacation getaway in Taiwan. Despite this, the only way for tourists to get to Xiaoliuqiu (Lamay Island) is via a 15 to 30-minute ferry ride. Many ferries travel to and from the island daily, and there are two ports to choose from. The whole process may seem complicated, but in this guide, we will make traveling to Xiaoliuqiu via ferry easy for you.
I have travelled to Xiaoliuqiu over ten times (over 20 ferry trips) and I have spent over a month on the island. There are a few things I wished I had known earlier in regards to taking the ferry that would have made the trips easier, which is why I have created this guide. Full blog: https://taiwantravelblog.com/xiaoliuqiu-lamay-island-ferry-guide/
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Xiaoliuqiu (aka Little Liuqiu, Lamay Island, or Lambai Island) is a small island paradise off the southwestern coast of Taiwan. The island is known for its clear water, amazing coral reefs, white sand beaches, and quiet laid back atmosphere. Only a short half hour boat ride from the Taiwan mainland, the island is easily accessible. In addition, the island is small enough that you can round the entire island by scooter in a matter of minutes.
Background: In 1622, a Dutch ship crashed on the island, two years before the Dutch began to rule Taiwan, and all but one of the crew members were killed by the aboriginal tribe living on the island at the time. In retaliation, the Dutch sent a force to massacre the natives on the island. 300 men, women, and children were suffocated alive in a large cave, and the rest of the people were put into slavery by the Dutch. This was known as the Lamey Island Massacre. Later Chinese people began inhabiting the island in 1645. Later the island fell into Qing, Japanese, and ROC rule. Currently the island is a township of Pingtung County with a population of over 10,000 people. Most of the people on the island rely on fishing and tourism for a living. The island also has one of the largest concentrations of temples in Taiwan. Xiaoliuqiu started to become a major tourist destination after 2004, reaching over 400,000 tourists per year. Regulated Inter-tidal Zones: in 2015 restrictions were placed on the inter-tidal zones in Xiaoliuqiu so that only those with a licensed guide could visit them and swimming is prohibited. These restrictions apply specifically to the Dafu Harbor inter-tidal zone (north of Dafu Harbor), Yanziping Beach, and the Shanfu Harbor Inter-tidal zone (north of Shanfu Harbor). Although there are other inter-tidal zones, these are not regulated. When to go: Anytime! Xiaoliuqiu is a tropical island that has warm water and temperatures (above 25 degrees Celsius) year round. However it is a little cooler and more windy during the winter, and you should be sure to avoid Typhoons during summer (ferries will be cancelled if there is a Typhoon). However, it can get really crowded during summer break in July-August, so go during the off-season to avoid the crowds. Tours: You can book multiple tours such as snorkeling, scuba diving, SUP experience, Kayak Sailing, submarine ride, and more through Klook or KKday, such as the Xiaoliuqiu Experience Pass. Booking a hotel: Booking accommodation on the island can be difficult in summer months and on weekends, when rooms can be fully booked for months in advance. Some places we have stayed at that I recommend are Yujing 6.8, which is a four story house near Dafu Harbor (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here), Boliu B&B (柏琉民宿) which is also a nice newly renovated hostel right on the main street near lots of restaurants (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here), Haichan Hostel which is a traditional three-sided Taiwanese mansion near the beach (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here), and Baisha Bay B&B which is a great place near the main harbor that is only one story so there are no stairs (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here). All of the owners of these places were very helpful, and even helped me to move my luggage and rent scooters. Some hostels require that you pay for my room in advance via bank wire transfer (this may not be an option if you are a foreign traveler, so make sure they accept credit cards if you do not have a Taiwan bank account), but you should not have to do this if you book through Agoda or another hotel booking site. Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here. Need travel insurance? Compare prices on Insubuy here. Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. How to get there: The only way to get there is via ferry from Donggang or Yanpu Ferry Terminal in Pingtung. The ferry ride takes about 25 minutes. There is a ferry leaving from Donggang roughly every half hour from 7 AM to 5 PM. Taking the Ferry: Ferry from Donggang Harbor (東港漁港) to Baishawei Harbor (白沙尾漁港) on Xiaoliuqiu:
Public transport: There are many shuttles to and from Zuoying HSR station that leave hourly. The cost is about 200-300 NT per trip. You can book tickets to Kaohsiung via high speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here, and then take a shuttle bus. You can book a shuttle bus from Zuoying HSR Station to Donggang on Klook here or KKday here. The ride takes about an hour. For more detailed information regarding transportation and ferry schedules, please check out our Xialiuqiu Ferry Guide here. Scooter Rental: Gas Scooters:Price: expect 300-400 NT per day. You can book a scooter for a discount through Klook here. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. In general you will need a local scooter license or international driving permit (IDP), however if you don't have these it may still be possible to rent a gas scooter from a friendly scooter rental shop. Be sure to book your rental in advance, especially during summer weekends. Ask for help from your hostel owner if needed. Helmet wearing is not very much enforced, but it's still the law, and you should definitely wear one for your own safety. Electric Scooters:If you do not have a local scooter license or international driving permit (IDP), then you can still rent an electric scooter to get yourself around the island. Electric scooters do not require a license in Taiwan. You can book an electric scooter on Klook here or KKday here and here. Bicycle Rental: Riding a bike can be a great way to circle Xiaoliuqiu. You can circle the entire island is less than an hour. You can ship a bicycle to Xiaoliuqiu for about 100 NT per round trip on the ferry. There are not many bicycle rental options on Xiaoliuqiu besides electric scooters, so it may be easier to rent a bike in Donggang and ship it over. Usually bicycle rentals are only about 100-200 NT per day. You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can book an electric scooter on Klook here or KKday here and here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. Price: Ferry ride: about 410 NT per round trip, about 30 minutes. The public ferry goes to Dafu Fishing Harbor (大福漁港), and private ferries go to Baishawei Fishing Harbor (白沙尾漁港). There are ferries that leave at least hourly from about 8 AM to 5:00 PM. Scooter rental: about 300 NT per day. There is a gas station on the back side of the island. Snorkeling: about 300 NT per hour Scuba diving: around 2500 NT for 2-3 hours SUP experience: About 1000 NT for half a day. Kayak Sailing experience: about 2000 NT for 2 hours. Submarine adventure: about 2000 NT. You can purchase a tickets at Donggang Fishing Harbor (東港漁港), or through a tour agency such as Klook here or here, or KKday. Map: Please see below: 
A sailing class going on off Tainan's Yuguang Island.
With over 100 islands and a coastline of over 1500 KM on the main Island, warm tropical weather, and constant winds, Taiwan is known as a world-class sailing location. Sailing in Taiwan can be an exhilarating experience that provides a unique perspective on the island’s stunning coastline and surrounding waters. With its rich history and culture, Taiwan has become a popular destination for adventure seekers and travelers looking to explore its natural beauty via sailboat.
Brief Historical Background of Sailing in Taiwan: Even though Taiwan has thousands of islands and hundreds of kilometers of coastline, it still does not have a strong sailing culture as compared to other countries. The recreational boating industry in Taiwan only really began in 2009, when the Fisheries Agency began making floating docks for more recreational craft. Those docks are now filled to capacity, so prices are on the rise and demand is high. Boat owners are hopeful that Taiwan's authorities can further expand recreational marinas in Taiwan soon. Non-powered sailing in Taiwan is regulated by the coast guard, but all you have to do is send your itinerary to the coast guard via a smartphone app. Where to Sail in Taiwan:
Taiwan's outer islands are some of the most beautiful and scenic places in the whole country, and each of them can be considered a secret paradise. You can find the best beaches, snorkeling, and diving on these islands. You can also find rich and important historical sites here. Transportation may be difficult, but you will never regret visiting Taiwan's outer islands, and no trip to Taiwan should be complete without doing it.
In this blog, we will introduce the main outer islands in Taiwan that are open to tourists (there are 166 islands in Taiwan, this blog only covers a few), point out their unique traits, and compare them to each other. This way you can best prepare for your trip to the outer islands, and at the same time know what you are missing out on. All the outer Islands are great, and I highly recommend visiting them all if you can. When to visit:
How to get there:
Where to stay: Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands. Tours: There are many tours available on the islands, including scooter rentals, boat tickets, and other activities. For more information, book with Klook here or KKday here. Map: Please see a map of the islands covered in this blog below: 
Pingtung is Taiwan's southernmost county and includes the best beaches, the best outer island, some of the best mountains, rivers, and waterfalls, and also interesting historical and cultural sites. It should definitely be on your list on your next visit to Taiwan.
When to go: Pingtung is great year round, but it can get a little hot in the summer, and Typhoon season and the heavy rain season last from about May to October. If you are afraid of the heat and rain then you can visit during winter when the temperatures are mild and the climate is dryer. Winters are windy and colder, but the water is still warm enough to swim in. Winter is a better time for activities like hiking and surfing. How to get there: By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 1 south to the bottom of Taiwan until it becomes Pingtung, or if in a car you can take National Freeway 3. Looking for scooter rental in Pingtung? Click here or here to search for options. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. By Bus: You can book tickets to travel to Pingtung via inter-city bus on Klook here. By TRA Train: There are many TRA stations in Pingtung which makes this a convenient option. You can book tickets to Pingtung via high speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here. By Plane: There are direct shuttle buses to Pintung from Kaohsing's Xiaogang (KHH) Airport. You can search for cheap flights in Taiwan here. Where to stay: Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. I have stayed at many hostels and hotels in Pingtung, and even almost bought a house here. Some places that I have stayed at and can recommend are Nanwan Kiki (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here), a B&B next to Nanwan Bay, Kenting's most popular Beach. There are also a few decent hotels near Kenting Street Night Market like Kenting Star Inn 888 (book on Agoda here, Klook here, or Booking.com here), or Kenting Dajianshan Hotel (book on Agoda here or Booking.com here). You will notice that none of these hotels are five star resorts (I do not come to Kenting to waste my time at a resort, but you can still search Agoda, Booking.com, or Klook here for those) but they are in my opinion the above have the best value for the money. How to get around in Pingtung: 1. Rent a scooter - the best way to see Taiwan. Electric scooters that do not require a license are also readily available. For better range and speed, rent a gas scooter. You can search for scooter options here or here, and you can check out our scooter rental guide here. 2. Rent a car - more expensive than a scooter but may be more suitable for a large family. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. 3. Take the bus - cheap but slower than your own transportation, and it doesn't stop everywhere. You can book tickets to travel to Pingtung via inter-city bus on Klook here. 4. Cycle - you can rent a bicycle or bring your own. This is a great way to enjoy the scenery at a slower pace. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. 5. Hire a taxi - more expensive than a rental car but perhaps more convenient. You can also search for a car charter service here or here. Tours and Activities in Pingtung: There are many activities available in Pingtung, such as snorkeling, diving, SUPing, surfing, submarine riding, and river tracing. You can find more tours of Pingtung on Klook here or KKday here. Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. Map: See below for a map of places we will cover in this blog: 
This month marks the 10th anniversary of this blog, so to celebrate I am making a blog tracing back our first round-island trip lasting 14 days and 13 nights made in 2014. During this journey we rented a car in Taipei, and circled Taiwan clockwise, visiting Taroko Gorge, Kenting, Xiaoliuqiu, Alishan, Sun Moon Lake, and many more places along the way. I am the kind of guy who likes to bask in nostalgia, but also I hope that laying out this experience in the open as well as the lessons we learned about travel in Taiwan along the way (and what I know now in 2024) will be helpful to other foreigners coming to Taiwan.
Some background on why this trip happened: This was not our first trip to Taiwan. Scott and I had been Latter-day Saint missionaries in Taiwan from 2011 to 2012 in the Taichung Mission, which covers Taichung to Pingtung but nothing north or east of that. We still had a lot of friends in Taiwan that we missed, we missed Taiwanese food, and there were the entire north and east parts of the island for us to explore. We decided it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tour Taiwan now because later on in our lives we would likely have work and family obligations that would not allow us to take a 14-day trip around Taiwan. Being poor college students at the time, we had a very limited budget (for reference, I was making 700 USD a month as a janitor and I could only save about half of that after rent and food). Originally another friend planned to come with us, but he backed out because he got married. Scott's brother Matt decided to come along too. Just so you know, Scott and I know Chinese, but Matt doesn't. It makes traveling easier to know the language but you can still get by in Taiwan without it. The Plane Ride: We took the cheapest flight available on Shenzhen Airlines, which had many flights for cheap to the US at the time. For 700 USD we bought a round trip from LA to Beijing to Taipei and back. Renting a car in Taiwan: Before we began our trip, we planned on rounding the island by Scooter. This can be a fun way to explore Taiwan. As a side note, you can book a Motorcycling experience on Klook here, or a half-day Motorbike Tour on KKday here. If you are looking for a multi-day, in-depth tour of Taiwan via motorbike, we recommend contacting [email protected] who schedules regular 10-day motorbike tours of Taiwan. The tour guide is a long-term expat in Taiwan who has been giving riding tours of Taiwan for 16 years now. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. After crunching the numbers, we figured that we could rent a car for just as cheap as three scooters, and we wouldn't have to worry about rain or luggage. A scooter would be 300 NT per day, and for three people 900 NT per day, but we found a car rental place that would rent us a small Nissan March for 700 NT a day (that car company was called Good Cars 固得汽車 in Zhonghe, you can find their information in our Taiwan Car Rental Guide here). After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport, we took a bus to Taipei and made our way to Zhonghe at a friend's house and picked up the rental car. At the end of the trip, we found the price was a few thousand NT more than we expected because of highway tolls (about 1.5 NT per kilometer). SIM Card: I bought a pre-paid SIM card from Taiwan Mobile for 500 TWD that lasted the whole trip. I think it was only a few GB of data, but I had a crappy phone and was not using much data. Map: Check out a map of places we visited on this trip below: 
Donggang's Huaqiao Seafood Market is a popular place to shop and eat in Dongang Township of Pingtung. It is also right next to the ferry terminal to Xiaoliuqiu (Lamay Island) which is just a few kilometers offshore. Because of this, the seafood market is usually packed with people. Popular foods here include sashimi, fried fish balls, oyster omelets, and crab cakes. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Pingtung, or on the way to Xiaoliuqiu.
Background: Donggang (literally east harbor) gets its name from early settlers, who thought of the place as east of the Goaoping River. At the same time Qijin was known as Xigang (west harbor) and Linyuan was known as Zhonggang (middle harbor). Originally the area around Donggang was a wetland before it was settled by farmers and fishermen from mainland China. Like many oceanside cities in Taiwan, Donggang is famous for its seafood and is a popular place to buy freshly caught fish the same morning it is brought in by the fisherman. Another reason the area is so popular is that it is the main ferry terminal to Xiaoliuqiu (Lamay Island) which is just a few kilometers offshore. Because of this, the seafood market is usually packed with people. Hours: About noon to 7 PM. Price: Free Tours and Activities in Pingtung: There are many activities available in Pingtung, such as snorkeling, diving, SUPing, surfing, submarine riding, and river tracing. You can find more tours of Kenting on Klook here or KKday here. Where to stay: Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. I have stayed at many hostels and hotels in Pingtung, and even almost bought a house here. Some places that I have stayed at and can recommend are Nanwan Kiki (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here), a B&B next to Nanwan Bay, Kenting's most popular Beach. There are also a few decent hotels near Kenting Street Night Market like Kenting Star Inn 888 (book on Agoda here, Klook here, or Booking.com here), or Kenting Dajianshan Hotel (book on Agoda here or Booking.com here). You will notice that none of these hotels are five star resorts (I do not come to Kenting to waste my time at a resort, but you can still search Agoda, Booking.com, or Klook here for those) but they are in my opinion the above have the best value for the money. How to get there: By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 17 south to Donggang and turn into the city center. The harbor is in the western part of the city. There is free scooter parking and paid car parking at the fishing harbor (30 NT per car), but the fishing harbor does not allow overnight parking. Looking for scooter rental in Pingtung? Click here or here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. By TRA/bus: From Nanzhou TRA station, you can take bus 519 about 20 minutes to the seafood market. You can book tickets to Kaohsiung via high speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here. You can book tickets to travel to Pingtung via inter-city bus on Klook here. By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. Map: Please see below: 
Astute readers of my regular weekend column may have noted that there was no column last weekend, and this was because I was off for three days enjoying myself on Xiao Liuqiu island. MyTaiwanTour published a previous article on this barely discovered gem here a few months back, but this was the first time I’d gotten to experience the place firsthand.
我的精明讀者可能已經註意到這個周末專欄，上週末沒有專欄，這是因為我在小琉球上休息了三天。 MyTaiwanTour在幾個月前發表了一篇文章關於這個幾乎沒有人發現過的小寶島，但是這是我第一次親身體驗這個地方。 Readers, brace yourselves, because you’re going to be hearing more about Xiao Liuqiu in the months to come. Because if Taiwan is Asia’s best kept travel secret, then Xiao Liuqiu is definitely Taiwan’s best kept travel secret. And if nearly two decades in travel writing has taught me anything it’s this: “best kept travel secrets” don’t stay secrets long. 讀者們，準備好你們自己，因為在接下來的幾個月你們會聽到更多小琉球的消息。 因為如果台灣是亞洲最好的旅遊秘密，那麼小琉球絕對是台灣保存最好的旅遊秘密。 而且，如果我從將近二十年的旅行寫作衹有學到一件事情，那就是：“保存最好的旅行秘密”不會是長久的保密。 So before the cat gets too far out of the bag, let me create some hype of my own by telling you why I’ve fallen in love with this island off the coast of Pingtung County, why I’m planning to spend a lot more time there in 2018, and you should too. 所以，在這個秘密被透露之前，讓我先說說為什麼我愛上了屏東縣的這個海島，為什麼今年要花更多時間在哪裏，且爲什麽你也應該這麽做。 Xiao Liuqiu is wicked easy to get to 小琉球很容易去得到 Compared to any of the other outer islands (including my one-time stomping ground, Penghu), Xiao Liuqiu is a breeze to reach. 45 minutes by car from the Zuoying HSR station to Donggang Harbor (which, by the way, boasts one of Taiwan’s greatest seafood markets, where a sashimi feast can be had for a fraction of what you’d pay nearly anywhere else), and the ferry out to the island takes about as long as a trip on the Staten Island ferry. Bonus points for the boat being calm enough to make a pre-journey trip to the seafood market not a regrettable decision. 與其他外島（包括我的一次性的樂園，澎湖）相比，小琉球是一件輕而易舉的事情。 從左營高鐵站乘車45分鐘到東港（順便提一下，東港是台灣最大的海鮮市場之一，其中的生魚片是其他地方的半價以下） 渡輪到島上需要大約只要一個史坦頓島渡輪之旅。 船上的積分足夠冷靜，所以先前往海鮮市場吃東西不會是一個令人遺憾的決定。 
Proof that great travel experiences come in small packages
證明很好的旅行經驗就是很多小行程 The island is small enough to be manageable on an electric scooter, which is a good thing as Taiwan’s wild west days in which rental shops rented 150cc motorcycles to anyone with money and a smile are long gone. These days you’ll need an international driver’s license with the proper motorcycle endorsement to get one of those, but electric scooters are still classified as low powered enough to require only the aforementioned cash and a smile. Electric scooters are pretty low powered (maximum speed of about 30KPH, which fits in with Xiao Liuqiu’s take it easy vibe), and you can get around the island about three times before swapping out the battery for a new one. 這個小島足夠小，可以在電動機車上去所有地方，這是一件好事，因爲台灣狂野的西部時代 （出租店有錢人和微笑的人就可以租一臺150cc摩托車）早已不存在了。 現在你需要一個國際駕照和適當的摩托車證明才能騎，但是電動機車仍然被分類為低功率，足以僅需要上述現金和微笑。 電動機車功率相當低（最大速度約30KPH，適合小琉球的輕鬆氛圍），可以在島上繞行三次左右，才需要換新電池。 
We got ours from the Lu Nung (Green Power) agency, who were nice enough to pick us up right off the boat and give Stephanie a private lesson on scooter riding and betel nut. Stephanie said the lesson was helpful and the betel nut interesting.
我們從魯能（綠色能源）機構取得了我們的資料，他們很高興能夠從船上接我們，並教導斯蒂芬妮機車和檳榔的私人課程。 斯蒂芬妮說，這一課是有益的，檳榔是…有趣。 
Though it’s been compared to Okinawa, three days exploring the island left me thinking that Xiao Liuqiu is more a bite-sized microcosm of Taiwan itself, offering a variety of Taiwanese cultural experiences and natural splendors in an easy to navigate environment. We spent most of the first day riding around the island on our electric scooters, stopping for a late lunch of fried rice and seafood soup in the main town just by Baisha Harbor before exploring the town itself, a few long streets with a mixture of restaurants and still-closed bars, snack shops and retail stores. Exploring the lanes and alleys around the main street led us to a treasure trove of older traditional homes with stone walls being consumed by Banyan trees and a few small temples (a mere harbinger of things to come). We walked along the colorful waterfront and stopped into the lovely Coral Cafe for an afternoon cappuccino surrounded by gorgeous art while listening to cool jazz on genuine vinyl albums that any Portland hipster would approve of before heading back to the SunnyBay BnB to watch the sunset from our porch.
雖然與沖繩比較，但三天的探索之旅讓我覺得小琉球更是台灣本身的一個小小的縮影，在一個容易導航的環境中提供各種台灣的文化體驗和天然的光輝。第一天，我們大部分時間都在島上騎電動車，在白沙港的主要城鎮停下來吃晚飯和炒飯，海鮮湯，然後才開始遊覽小鎮，還有幾條長長的街道，還有封閉的酒吧，小吃店和零售商店。探索主要街道周圍的巷子，到古老的傳統房屋的寶庫，這些房屋的石牆被榕樹和一些小型廟宇（僅僅是事物的預兆）。我們沿著五彩繽紛的海濱走了一圈，走進可愛的珊瑚咖啡廳，下午喝著卡布奇諾咖啡，一邊聽著真正的乙烯基專輯上的酷爵士樂，一邊波特蘭時髦人士都會贊同，然後回到SunnyBay BnB觀看我們的日落門廊。 So yeah, great coffee, cool vibes & a relaxed atmosphere. What more could one ask from a tropical island? 所以，是的，超好喝的咖啡，冷靜的氛圍和輕鬆的氛圍。 一個熱帶島嶼還需要什麼呢？ Swimming with Sea Turtles 跟海龜一起游泳 Yes, that seems like a worthwhile other thing to to ask for, and we spent a good chunk of our second day on the island doing just that in a secluded bay on the Xiao Liuqiu eastern coast. I’d heard about the diving in Xiao Liuqiu for years, but only recently had I learned that the island was a protected turtle sanctuary, and as such the coral reefs surrounding Xiao Liuqiu are quite literally swimming with enormous sea turtles. 是的，這似乎是另一件值得問的事情，我們在島上的第二天度過了很長一段時間在小琉球東海岸的一個僻靜的海灣。 我已經聽說了小琉球的潛水很多年，但直到最近我才知道這個島是一個受保護的海龜保護區，因此小琉球周圍的珊瑚礁完全可以和大海龜一起游泳。 Our guide (蟹老闆專業浮潛, “Crab boss professional snorkeling,” – they’re just down the road from the scooter shop) suited us up and brought us over to one of the island’s many promising snorkeling spots. 我們的導遊（蟹老闆專業浮潛，他們剛從摩托車店走下來）給我們穿浮潛裝，把我們帶到島上許多有潛力的浮潛地點之一。 As we snorkeled in the reefs closer to shore, a dozen or so scuba divers were further out and under swimming in the deep. Stephanie spotted the first turtle. We’d been swimming above the reefs looking down at schools of tropical fish swimming below for about twenty minutes when she waved me over excitedly. I swam to where she was floating and saw it; its shell was about the size of a truck’s hubcap, and it hovered placidly, prehistoric maw snapping out every few seconds to make short of a fish, happy as a fat kid at an all you can eat sashimi buffet. We hovered above it for long minutes, our guide taking pictures of us and the turtle. Realizing its meal was being watched and recorded, the turtle swam out towards the deeper waters in search of a less public dining spot. 當我們在靠近岸邊的礁石裡潛水時，十多名水肺潛水員在深處游泳。 斯蒂芬妮發現了第一隻烏龜。 我們一直在礁石下面游泳，俯視下面游泳的熱帶魚類學校，大概二十分鐘，她激動地揮舞著我。 我游到她漂浮的地方，看到它。 它的外殼大約是一個卡車輪轂蓋的大小，它平穩地盤旋著，史前的魚肚每隔幾秒就會彈出一條魚來，魚兒很快就像一個肥胖的孩子一樣快樂，你可以盡情享受生魚片的自助餐。 我們長時間盤旋在它上面，我們的導遊為我們和烏龜拍照。 當時正在觀看和記錄下它的食物，烏龜向更深的海域游去，尋找一個不太公共的餐飲場所。 Though the waters were still warm enough for skin and swimsuits, we were glad we’d taken advantage of our guide’s offer of wetsuits after the first fifteen minutes, both because they kept our body temperature warm enough to keep swimming for about 90 minutes and they provided a nearly magical buoyancy that counteracted my lifelong fear of drowning. When we eventually became too exhausted for further swimming, we were especially glad for the protection provided by the thick wet suits on the short, wet scooter ride from the beach to Crab Boss Snorkeling Shop. (Special thanks to Crab Boss Snorkeling Shop for taking the photos below!) 雖然海水對於皮膚和泳衣來說依然溫暖，但是我們很高興在頭十五分鐘之後我們能夠利用導遊的潛水服，因為他們保持足夠的溫度保持90分鐘的水溫， 提供了一個近乎神奇的浮力，抵消了我終生害怕的溺水。 當我們終於疲憊不堪，無法進一步游泳的時候，讓我們特別高興的是，從海灘到螃蟹老闆浮潛店的短而濕滑的摩托車上，穿著厚厚的防水服提供的保護。 （特別感謝蟹老闆浮潛店拍下面的照片！） 
Balancing tourism with environmental concerns
考量旅遊與環境的問題 Xiao Liuqiu is a marine sanctuary, meaning that while tour guides bring people out to swim above (but not too closely to) the sea turtles and give demonstrations about the proper way to handle sea urchins (carefully; they’re all spiky and some are filled with poison), the turtles remain protected and any sea urchin you eat on the island has come from non-island urchin beds. But Xiao Liuqiu’s commitment to eco-tourism goes beyond this, and beyond the electric scooters that are quickly becoming the favored form of transportation on the island. On our second evening there we headed over to a party celebrating a weekend long cleanup event that had brought locals and volunteers together to collect trash from around the island (and, sadly, trash that had floated up onto the shore). The event had been going on all weekend, and culminated in a party with live bands, food & general festivities at Sanlong Temple, one of the island’s larger temples. The mood was festive, and most of the participants were exhausted from their work. One of the volunteers told me that the event was just a small part of the island’s overall plan to develop a cleaner, greener island. 小琉球是一個海洋避難所，這就是說，導遊帶著人們出海游泳（但不是太靠近）海龜，並舉辦示範，以處理海膽的正確方法（仔細，他們都尖銳，有些是充滿毒藥），海龜仍然受到保護，你在島上吃的任何海膽都來自非島海膽床。但小琉球對生態旅遊的承諾超出了這個範圍，超越了迅速成為島上交通青睞的電動車。在我們的第二天晚上，我們前往參加一個清理活動的派對，這次活動讓當地人和志願者聚集在一起，收集來自島上的垃圾（可悲的是，垃圾已經漂浮在岸上）。這個活動整個週末都在進行，最後在島上更大的寺廟之一，三龍寺舉行現場樂隊，美食和一般慶祝活動。心情愉快，大部分參與者都筋疲力盡。其中一位志願者告訴我，這事件只是島上更清潔，更綠色島嶼計劃的一小部分。 
More culture than you can shake a stick at
超級豐富的的文化體驗 On the ride home from the party in Sanlong Temple we decided to sleep in the next day and do some temple hopping the following morning. Our plans for a late morning were soon challenged, however, thanks to my desire to spend an extra twenty minutes riding down a road we’d somehow missed during previous rides. Somewhere on the island’s quiet southern tip we passed through a small village that by all rights should have been asleep but wasn’t. Instead, folks were out assembling a colorful stage in front of a temple. Inquiring what was going on, Stephanie and I found ourselves invited to a traditional opera performance scheduled for 8am the next morning. It was an invitation that Stephanie, a student of Taiwanese art and culture, couldn’t refuse. 在三龍寺派對回家的路上，我們決定第天睡過頭，第三天早上做一些寺廟跳舞。 然而，我們很快就要對一個早晨的計劃提出挑戰，這要歸功於我希望再花二十分鐘的時間騎上一條我們之前錯過的道路。 在島上安靜南端的某個地方，我們經過了一個小村莊，這個小村莊這個時候應該是要睡覺，但沒有。 相反，人們正在寺廟前組裝一個色彩繽紛的舞台。 詢問發生了什麼事，斯蒂芬妮和我發現自己被邀請參加第二天早上8點的傳統歌劇表演。 斯蒂芬妮是台灣藝術文化的學生，因此是她不能拒絕的邀請。 The next morning after a strong mug of coffee each, we rode back to the village, which was way less quiet than it had been the night before, indeed far noisier than any small village should have been. The sound of morning birdsong was quickly replaced by that most distinctly Taiwanese sound, a Lu bian Guzixi, or roadside Taiwanese opera. The small stage from the night before was filled with several performers and musicians performing a play, and as we watched it seemed to me that they performed not for the benefit of the small early morning crowd assembled, but for the god inside of the temple facing the stage. A brief conversation (mostly shouted above the noise of instruments and sharp, high notes of the dialogue itself) revealed this to be true. The party was for the benefit of Matsu, who must have been by the end of the event as hard of hearing as Stephanie and I were halfway through. 第二天早上喝了一大杯咖啡後，我們回到了村里，沒有比前一天晚上安靜，確實比臺灣任何一個小村莊還要吵。 早上飛鳥的聲音很快被路邊古子戲或路邊的台灣歌劇所取代，也就是台灣最明顯的聲音。 前一天晚上的小舞台上擺滿了幾個表演者和音樂家，我們看到他們的表演似乎並不是為了早晨聚集的小人群，而是為了面對神殿內的神 。 一個簡短的談話（主要是音量高於樂器的喧囂，尖銳的對話）顯示這是真實的。 這次聚會是為了拜馬祖，她一定到最後跟我和斯蒂芬妮一樣耳聾。 
Three Days was not enough
三天不夠 With only a half day left on our Xiao Liuqiu vacation, we spent the rest of the morning relaxing in our hotel until checkout time and the remaining time visiting some of the must visit sights of the island. We visited the Black Devil Cave and its attached art museum before scooting over to the Beauty Cave and its nearby pavilion. Riding back to the bike shop to deliver our bikes (and be delivered ourselves to the ferry that would take us back to the Mainland, we left unexplored a dozen or so beautiful and ostentatious temples, several beaches on which people were swimming, snorkeling & kayaking, simultaneously regretting that we’d not had time to visit these places and glad that we hadn’t, knowing that it gave us many reasons to return to Xiao Liuqiu sooner rather than later. And if that’s not the hallmark of a truly excellent vacation spot, I don’t know what is. 在我們小琉球的度假只剩下半天的時候，我們在酒店休息。退房候的時間都我們都在拜訪一些必須參觀島上的景點。 我們參觀了黑魔鬼洞及其附屬的美術館，然後前往美人洞及其附近的亭子。 回到自行車店還我們的自行車（把自己送到可以帶我們回到“大陸”的渡口的時候，我們沒有探索到十幾個美麗而炫目的寺廟，幾個游泳，浮潛和皮划艇的海灘 ，同時很遺憾，我們沒有時間去這些地方參觀，也很高興我們沒有去到這些地方，因爲我們有很多理由早日回到小琉球。如果這不是一個真正的出色度假景點，那我們真的不知道什麽才算是出色的度假景點。 Expect to see more about Xiao Liuqiu on these pages in the near future. And if you can’t wait to read about it, leave a message below and the good folks at MyTaiwanTour will customize your experience from start to finish. Until next week, I leave you with a collage of images from the journey. 希望在不久的將來能在這些網頁上看到更多關於小琉球的消息。 如果您迫不及待想要閱讀，請在下面留言，MyTaiwanTour的好友們將自始至終定制您的體驗。直到下週之前，我還會留下一幅來自旅程的圖像拼貼畫。 JSB Three Days on Xiao Liuqiu (were not enough) 三天在小琉球 (時間會不夠) originally ran at the MyTaiwanTour Journal. All photos and text posted in the above blog were taken from https://www.mytaiwantour.com/blog/. Follow this link for more stories like this one! Visiting Taiwan? Let MyTaiwanTour help curate your experience. Find them online at https://www.mytaiwantour.com/ Three Days on Xiao Liuqiu (were not enough) 三天在小琉球 (時間會不夠) 最初在MyTaiwanTour學報。 https://www.mytaiwantour.com/blog/. 點擊此鏈接獲得更多這樣的故事！ 拜訪台灣？ 讓MyTaiwanTour幫助策劃你的經驗。 通過 https://www.mytaiwantour.com/ Be sure to like, share and comment below! 記得按讚, 分享和在下面留言! |
Author 作家I am an American expat who has extensive experience living, working, and traveling in Taiwan. In my day, I had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But I have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. This blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. I am just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Categories
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