Due to the conflict in the Middle East, my recent trips to Malapascua and Tokyo, and Gerald missing the Alishan trip last December, we agreed to try another trip in Taiwan — not a cycling trip this time, but scuba diving in Xiaoliuqiu 小琉球 and hiking in Hehuanshan 合歡山.
In this post
How to get there
Gerald flew from Manila to Kaohsiung, while I took the High Speed Rail (HSR) from Taipei to Zuoying, then the MRT to KHH.
Behind is how I packed for this long trip.
We originally planned to take the bus to Donggang Port, but with diving gear, stargazing equipment, and clothes for both summer and winter weather, we opted for the easier route and hailed a taxi.
From Donggang Port, we bought ferry tickets to Baisha Port. My inattention got us a round-trip ticket when we only needed a one-way — and then I had to buy yet another one-way ticket back to Donggang Port. That was an unnecessary NT$250 x 2. If you book through Klook or KKDay, the round-trip ticket is only NT$400. Don’t make the same mistake.
The ferry ride lasted less than 30 minutes.
Total travel time: I left Taipei at 10:45am, met Gerald at KHH airport at 1:40pm, and we reached the island by 3:30pm!
Stay and dive with Green Sea Turtle Dive Shop 小琉球綠蠵龜潛水住宿
I asked my dive club DM for a recommendation and went with it. I booked us a Standard Balcony Room, which sits at the end of the dorm area. It could have been awkward if the dorm were full, but it was empty, so no issues. The quality is pretty standard for dive resorts I’ve stayed at in Taiwan — no complaints.
We booked 2 boat dives and 2 shore dives, all in the morning. Unlike diving with the club, there’s no breakfast, water, or coffee provided. There was noodle soup between the boat dives, but that was it — so bring snacks, candy, and your own water.
The setup is also different from diving in the Philippines, where someone essentially gears you up and you jump off the boat. Here in Taiwan, you set up your own gear, swap your own tanks, and generally clean your own equipment — though this time, we were spared the cleaning.
Xiaoliuqiu Dive Sites
We dove Venice Shipwreck and Shanfu Harbor by boat, and Turtle Island from shore.
Water temperature hovered between 26–27°C — no wetsuit needed; a skin suit or rash guard was sufficient.
Venice Shipwreck
Who does a check-out dive at 30m? Not complaining at all — I just wish we’d had more time to explore the wreck.
- Max depth: 32m | Dive time: 23 mins | Air left: 120 bar
Shanfu Harbor
Nudibranch spotting! I regret not mounting my macro lens because I came across some beautiful ones.
- Max depth: 23m | Dive time: 41 mins | Air left: 90 bar
Turtle Island (Left)
Let your dive guide know how you want to approach this dive. In my previous experience here, they tried to wrap up the shore dive in 40 minutes, rushing between turtle spots. This time, I told my guide upfront that I wanted to go slow and that I could easily stay under for more than 60 minutes. It made all the difference.
- Features: Green sea turtles! The whole reason I keep coming back to XLQ.
- Max depth: 16m (avg. 11m) | Dive time: 1hr 5mins | Air left: 70 bar
Turtle Island (Right)
A white sandy bottom — perfect for practicing buoyancy, patience, and slow diving. Gerald took full advantage, working on his frog kick.
- Max depth: 16m (avg. 11m) | Dive time: 1hr 5mins | Air left: 70 bar
Where to eat
Head straight to Xiaoliuqiu Sanmin Old Street 小琉球三民老街. Many shops are foreigner-friendly, including the street food stalls. Try the waffles (in various forms), shaved ice, fried rice, and gua bao — or splurge on something fancier if you’re in the mood.
Cost Breakdown
Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t cheap. All prices below are for two people.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Taxi to Donggang Port | NT$900 |
| Ferry to Baisha Port (round trip) | NT$900 |
| Accommodation via Agoda (4D3N) | NT$6,408 |
| Boat Dives (NT$2,800/person x 2) | NT$5,600 |
| Shore Dives (NT$850/person x 2) | NT$3,400 |
| Gear Rental (NT$1,000/day x 2 persons) | NT$4,000 |
| GoPro Housing Rental | NT$300 (+NT$1K deposit) |
| Meals (3 days) | NT$3,670 |
| Unnecessary return ferry ticket | NT$500 |
| Taxi to Zuoying HSR | NT$1,200 |
| Total | NT$26,878 |
Taiwan vs. the Philippines Diving Costs
Everyone knows diving in the Philippines is cheaper — but how does it actually compare?
Boat dives: NT$2,800 (~Php 5,300) for two boat dives in XLQ, versus Php 5,400 for three boat dives in Malapascua. The Philippines wins easily — especially when you factor in that we couldn’t stay as long as I’d have liked at the Venice shipwreck, and I still surfaced with over 100 bar. And seeing thresher sharks? Unmatched.
Shore dives: NT$850 (~Php 1,600) per shore dive in XLQ sounds competitive against Php 1,800 per fun dive in Anilao — until you add gear rental. At NT$1,000 per day (NT$500/dive), the total climbs to NT$1,350 (~Php 2.5K) versus Php 2,025 (with rental at just Php 450/day) in Anilao. Philippines wins again.
That said, XLQ can be done on a budget: take local trains and buses, stay in a dorm, stick to shore dives, eat at 7-Eleven or Family Mart, and pay close attention to what you’re actually being charged for.
If you’re in the Philippines and want to see green sea turtles, check out Apo Island. If you’re in Taiwan, Xiaoliuqiu is absolutely worth it for the turtle encounters alone.
===
To keep everything organized, I built a personal travel itinerary app based on my spreadsheet — and I love it! Might continue developing it for future travels.
Click here for Part 2: heading up to 3,000m++ for Hehuanshan!
🌹
Leave a Reply