Practical Information for visiting Eastern Taiwan

Coverage for mobile networks is good in the towns, along both highways and through most of the rift valley from the major operators, with 4G standard. It drops out inside Taroko’s tunnels and in the mountain valleys, and is limited on Orchid Island.

Tourist SIMs are sold at the airports and telecom shops in Hualien and Taitung.

Wi-Fi is standard in guesthouses and cafes, and Hualien and Dulan both have good cafe connections.

Power is generally reliable but typhoons cut it, sometimes for days in the more remote valleys.

Download offline maps before driving the coast road, and note that emergency signal in the gorge cannot be relied on — another reason to stay on the marked trails.

Eastern Taiwan is safe from crime, and the risks here are geological and meteorological, and they are real.

• Earthquakes. This is the most seismically active part of Taiwan. The April 2024 magnitude 7.4 quake killed people in Taroko, mostly by rockfall, and aftershocks continued for months. Know what to do and take park warnings seriously.
• Rockfall in Taroko is a continuing hazard. Helmets are issued at some trailheads and should be worn; do not stop under overhangs; obey closures absolutely.
• Typhoons from July to October, which can cut the region’s single road and railway.
• The Pacific: the drop-off is steep, currents are strong and swimming is unsafe on many beaches. Ferries to the offshore islands are frequently rough and cancelled.
• Mountain hiking needs permits and preparation; weather changes fast.
• Landslides on the highways after rain.

Hualien has the region’s major hospitals, including the well-regarded Tzu Chi Hospital, and Taitung has adequate facilities. The rift valley and the coast have clinics only, and Orchid Island and Green Island have a small clinic apiece — serious cases are flown out, weather permitting.

Vaccinations: routine cover. There is no malaria and dengue risk is lower than in the south.

Trauma from rockfall, road accidents and water is the realistic risk profile here rather than anything infectious. Insurance covering evacuation is worth having if you plan to hike or visit the offshore islands.

Hiking at altitude in the Central Range brings the usual cold and altitude considerations; permits are required.

Diving around Green Island: the nearest chamber is on Taiwan proper, so dive conservatively.

Tap water is treated; most people boil or filter it.

Indigenous communities set the terms. Ask before entering a village event, and accept that some ceremonies are closed. During the ilisin harvest festivals, do not join the dance circle unless invited — the order of dancers encodes the age-set system and it is not a free-for-all.

Photography: ask individually, and do not photograph rituals without explicit permission.

Orchid Island has particular sensitivities: do not touch or photograph the plank boats without asking, as they are individually owned and ritually significant, and do not enter the underground houses uninvited.

National park rules in Taroko: permits for the Zhuilu Old Road and the high mountains, helmets where issued, and no leaving the trails.

Millet wine offered in a village is hospitality; accept a little even if you do not drink much.

Carry your rubbish out, especially on the coast and in the park.

Emergency numbers: 110 for police, 119 for ambulance and fire, with the English-speaking travel information line on 0800-011-765 for help or translation.

Medical. Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital is the regional referral centre and is good. From the coast road, the rift valley or the offshore islands, transfer takes time, and helicopter evacuation from the islands depends on weather.

Earthquakes: alerts are pushed to phones automatically. In Taroko or on any mountain road, the immediate danger after a quake is rockfall — move away from cliff faces and out of tunnels if it is safe to do so, and expect roads to close.

Park rescue is coordinated through 119 and the national park headquarters; register hiking plans where required, because that registration is what triggers a search.

Typhoons can isolate the region by closing both the highway and the railway; do not plan to travel out during a land warning.

Representative offices are in Taipei.