Xiaoliuqiu (Lambai Island) is Taiwan’s easiest island: ferry from Donggang every half hour or so (NT$450 round trip, 25 minutes), electric scooters at the pier that need no license, and green sea turtles so reliably present that snorkel guides more or less guarantee them. Know the new rules: 5 meters from turtles (real fines), and the main intertidal zones and snorkel beach now charge a NT$60 guided-entry conservation fee. Day-trippable from Kaohsiung; better with one night.
Xiaoliuqiu is a coral island the size of a town, ringed by a road you can scooter in twenty minutes, and its claim is simple: more resident green sea turtles per meter of coast than anywhere else in Taiwan. It went from local secret to weekend darling in a decade, and the conservation rules that followed are recent enough that most guides don’t have them.
Getting there
The ferry leaves Donggang, a fishing town south of Kaohsiung. From HSR Zuoying, bus 9127 (Exit 2) runs about 50 minutes to the wharf stop; a taxi from central Kaohsiung takes similar time. Three operators sail to the island’s Baisha port, 15+ departures a day each way from about 07:00 to 17:20, 25 minutes across, NT$450 round trip with the return leg valid a week; buy at the pier and board the next boat. (A cheaper public ferry serves the island’s other harbor on a thinner schedule.)
At Baisha, the scooter shops line the exit: electric scooters need no license and rent on ID deposit, which makes this the island where unlicensed travelers finally get two wheels. Gas scooters still require the motorcycle-endorsed IDP.
Turtles, and the rules that came with them
You’ll see turtles from shore within an hour: Vase Rock, the mushroom-shaped sea stack that’s the island’s icon, overlooks a grazing area where heads pop up on every swell. Snorkeling with them runs about NT$300-400 with a licensed operator, gear included, no experience needed.
The rulebook, enforced with Wildlife Conservation Act fines that reach NT$300,000: stay 5 meters from turtles, never touch or chase, no flash. Since 2024-2025 the island also gates its best shallow zones: the major intertidal areas and the main snorkel beach (Gebanwan) charge NT$60 per person and require a licensed guide to enter, a crowd-control measure that doubles as a great tide-pool tour. Budget the fees without grumbling; they’re why the turtles are still there.
The island day
Beyond turtles: circle the ring road (Vase Rock, Black Dwarf Cave, Wild Boar Trench’s cliff stairs, Geban Bay’s sunset), graze the small harbor towns, and if you stay the night, book a sunrise SUP session or a guided night intertidal walk, the two experiences day-trippers miss. Seafood and mahi-mahi burgers handle the eating. One night turns a rushed loop into an easy island rhythm; the islands comparison sets it against the alternatives, and it pairs naturally with a Kaohsiung or Kenting leg.
FAQ
How do I get to Xiaoliuqiu from Kaohsiung?
Bus 9127 from HSR Zuoying (Exit 2) or a taxi to Donggang, about 50 minutes, then the ferry: NT$450 round trip, 25 minutes, sailings every half hour or so through the day.
Can I rent a scooter on Xiaoliuqiu without a license?
Electric scooters, yes: ID deposit at the pier shops, no license checked. Gas scooters require a motorcycle-endorsed IDP, same as everywhere in Taiwan.
Are you guaranteed to see turtles at Xiaoliuqiu?
As close to guaranteed as wildlife gets; the resident population grazes just offshore year-round. Keep the legal 5-meter distance; fines are real and posted.
Is Xiaoliuqiu worth an overnight or just a day trip?
A day trip covers the loop and a snorkel. The overnight buys sunrise paddling, the night tide-pool tour and empty morning roads, which is when the island is at its best.
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