The Little Great Wall of Green Island is a short walking trail to the eastern edge of the island. At the end of the walk, you arrive at the most beautiful lookouts of the island facing north and south. The views are stunning in both directions and the volcanic origin of the island is revealed quite well. Here is a picture of the southern view with the Sleeping Beauty and Pekingese Dog rock formations. Picture gallery
Our first stop after Taipei was a trip to Green Island, a small paradise east of Taitung with great snorkeling spots, rare saltwater hot springs (Zhaori), and a few hiking trails and sights to visit along the 20 km long road around the island. We took the ferry from Taitung, which only takes about 45 minutes nowadays. Even though the waters were not too rough, there is still some truth in the infamous tales about the Vomit Barge. Once we arrived, we were picked up by our hotel and drove the 500 meters to the hotel. Then, appointments for snorkel trips were made and…
The walk up the stairs to Elephant Mountain is just a 10 minute walk away from the closest subway station (Xiangshan Station). The ascent does not take longer than 30 minutes, but is one giant stair case and thus pretty steep. There is a little kiosk selling drinks and snacks at the beginning and multiple resting spots with nice views along the way. Here is a first view of the city and Taipei 101. Going further up, there are a couple of outlooks and terraces with great views all over Taipei. Most impressive is still Taipei 101, which was the world’s tallest building…