The Green Island (綠島)

After 40 minutes on the ship, finally we arrived to the Green Island (綠島). It is a beautiful island with all the terrific views. I got a very good deal on hotels, ships, and other things to go to the island. I did not know that Green Island is part of Taiwan and it can be seen everythings in two days. The water in the ocean is so clear and the animals are so great and healthy.

Green Island possesses a multitude of attractions that make it an oceanic paradise isolated from the mundane world: lofty rocks in fascinating shapes, seaside cliffs, a clean white beach, verdant grasslands, rare seawater hot springs, splendorous coral reefs, beautiful undersea scenery, and a wide variety of plant and animal life. A round-the-island highway about 18 kilometers long gives visitors access to all of the island's main attractions. All you have to do is rent a motor scooter if you have all day.

You can also take one of the extremely popular snorkeling tours that are offered by numerous operators on the island and experience the beauties of the underwater world up close. Or you can soak away your pains and tribulations in the Zhaori Hot Springs. Also, in this hot spring, you can cook eggs, and it tastes very good. Taiwan, Green Island has the third largest hot spring in the world.

Warm, clear, shallow seas provide an ideal environment for the growth of coral. Green Island is surrounded by this kind of excellent ocean environment, and thus has produced a beautiful world of coral. There are a large number of coral species here, and their ratio of cover is high; everywhere, you can see cityscapes of coral flourishing under the waves. There are also a large number of shellfish and crustacean species, and the huge quantities of miniature shellfish along the shoreline is one of the unique features of the island. More than four species of sea snakes thrive in the waters off the western side of the island; they have a gentle nature but are also equipped with strong poison, so wise skin-divers maintain a safe distance from them.

If you want to observe the fascinating underwater world of Green Island, you have a variety of choices. You don't even have to get wet; you can take a glass-bottom boat, a semi-submersible, or a fully submersible tourist submarine. If you have been properly trained, you can don scuba tanks and become a part of the underwater world yourself. There are skin-diving trails and base facilities at Chaikou, Dabaisha, and Nanliao, and skin-diving shops on the island can rent you the gear you need and arrange skin-diving activities for you.

The Zhaori Hot Spring is situated on the southeastern coral shore of Green Island and is one of only three salt-water hot springs in the world. The mineral in the water is sulfur, but there is not much of the characteristic sulfur smell here. When you finish bathing in this water, you may feel a bit sticky. The East Coast National Scenic Area has developed three round pools of different temperatures here for visitors to bathe in; they can enjoy island views of azure seas and blue skies as they soak, and in the night time they can savor the sight of the starry heavens. If they want to welcome the sun as it rises over the sea, they can come and get into the pools before dawn.

This was a great experience and a great vacation over here. Next time, David, Alan and I will go camping over there. We three like to be in the Green Island.