An area as diverse as Taiwan naturally offers many types of regional tours, and trips to the east coast, the mountainous interiors, and the culture-rich cities along the western corridor are among the most popular. There are specialty tours as well, and on the Taiwan Tourism Bureau's s website alone, sightseers can choose from among gourmet, culture and heritage, hot springs, adventure, ecotourism, and rail tours.

Offshore island tours constitute yet another category on the Tourism Bureau website. Hidden within this broad category is a spectacular variety of vacation options, often including dramatic natural scenery, local cuisines, cultural and historical sights, and outdoor activities such as fishing, diving, windsurfing, swimming, and beachcombing.

Taiwan’s four main outlying island areas – Matzu, Kinmen, Penghu, and Green and Orchid islands – are all very different. The Matzu archipelago is rugged and rocky, filled with cliffs and mountains, as well as Fujian-style villages and military sites. Kinmen, by contrast, is as flat as a plate, although it too has tunnels and forts and other military highlights, and also features Fujian-style villages. Like Matzu, it sits on the far side of the Taiwan Strait, nestled against the coast of mainland China.

Penghu, on the other hand, lies smack in the middle of the windy strait, surrounded by turbulent, fish-filled seas, and is best-known for its wind surfing and sailing, wildlife, charming fishing villages, and many temples dedicated to Matzu, the goddess of the sea. 

Green Island and Orchid Island are once again very different. They lie off the southeast coast of Taiwan, and are ringed in colorful coral and surrounded by warm tropical waters. But even these two are different in character. Green Island is famous for its saltwater hot springs and human rights history – it was once a prison for political dissidents – while tiny Orchid Island is best-known for its indigenous Tao tribal culture.

This tremendous diversity is echoed in the tour itineraries to the offshore islands. Green Island tours emphasize the island’s most famous attraction: its warm, crystal-blue seas. Most Green Island tours feature snorkeling in various locations on the island, while more adventurous water-sports lovers can scuba dive, either from shore – Green Island is famous for its long walkways into the waves – or from a boat. Strictly speaking, tropical fish enthusiasts need not even get wet, as glass-bottom boats and semi-submersible submarines are also available.

Green Island is quite small – the ring road is just 18 kilometers long – so most tours also visit the seaside saltwater Zhaori Hot Springs, and the Human Rights Memorial Monument and nearby abandoned prison where political dissidents were sent to languish during the White Terror years of the late 1940s and 1950s. These sights, sitting as they do in such beautiful settings, are moving reminders of the price paid by these dissidents as they helped push Taiwan toward democracy.

Orchid Island is not far from Green Island, but the two are seldom visited on the same itinerary. Like Green Island, the oceans around Orchid Island are rich in tropical life, and are ripe for snorkeling and swimming. Also like Green Island, it is filled with volcanic topography. But Orchid Island’s special distinction is Tao culture, and the distinctive half-buried houses, brightly decorated canoes, and colorful festivals of the Tao are among the island’s top attractions.

Then there’s the Penghu Archipelago. Because it is much bigger, with more than 90 small islands scattered over a sizeable stretch of ocean, Penghu features a variety of tours. Penghu has long served as a protective stopover for ships passing through the strait, so history-oriented tours are popular. Ruined city walls, graceful abandoned fortresses, historic lighthouses, old-style villages, and a wonderful collection of temples are among the many sights on Penghu.

Another popular Penghu itinerary concentrates on water activities, including visits to the modern Penghu Aquarium and Qitou Water Park, and boat rides to nearby islands. Fishing is a popular pastime, and Penghu is famous for its nighttime excursions to catch squid, which are cooked and served right on the boat. Ecotours in the spring and fall serve up glimpses of the island chain’s many migratory birds, which are found on the more distant and uninhabited islands.

Kinmen, on the other hand, derives much of its amusement from its proximity to China. With the launch of direct links, some of the fear of China has faded, but the fascination with Kinmen’s rich military history remains. The islands that comprise Kinmen bristle with pillboxes, barbed wire, tunnels, forts, and other martial and historical sights that recall the “hot war” with China that happened here in 1949, and on and off during the 1950s. The Guningtou battlefield, the Artillery War Museum, and especially the Mashan Tunnel, with its fascinating reminders of the propaganda that was exchanged between the two sides, provide colorful insight into that tempestuous period.

Many Kinmen tours also include visits to the island’s well-preserved Fujian-style villages, with their signature three-sided courtyards, and a visit to one of the two factories producing the island’s famous kaoliang jiu, a fiery liquor distilled from the local sorghum. Temple visits also feature on many itineraries, as does the local ceramics factory, where visitors can buy a souvenir “wind lion,” a local icon that is found throughout Kinmen.

Distant Matzu, also near the coast of China but north of Kinmen, is perhaps the least known of Taiwan’s offshore island areas, but the five-island chain is rich in entertainment. It features spectacular seascapes, with high seaside cliffs and rocky outcrops and narrow valleys that perfectly complement its military tunnels, clan villages, fishing harbors, imposing old fortresses, and relaxing beaches.

Matzu might be the most comprehensive destination among all the outlying islands. Fishing and bird watching tours are popular, and the islands are also packed with temples, historic villages, lighthouses, beaches, and other seaside attractions. Some Matzu tours visit distant Dongyin Island, a rugged slice of rock that soars above the blue seas of the Taiwan Strait. Andong Tunnel, a massive tube carved from the granite rock by the military, and a deep narrow canyon called Yi Hsien Tien, or “strip of sky,” are among the highlights of Dongyin.

Like the other islands, Matzu also has its signature foods; seafood and shellfish feature heavily, and many dishes bear the distinctive flavor of fermented red rice. In fact, seafood, freshly caught from the surrounding waters – often by the tourists themselves – is the only feature that all four of Taiwan’s island destinations truly have in common.