East Coast Tribes: 3 Days

The Pacific of the East Coast is a different Pacific.

Unlike the bustle of Kenting or the harbor towns of the North Coast, this stretch of sea along Highway 11 in Taitung hugs the mountains, runs alongside the tribes, and makes its peace with time.

On this 3-day journey, we don't chase sights. We follow people — from the artists of Dulan and the woodworkers of Donghe to the harpoon fishermen of Chenggong. What you take home isn't photographs, but a line or two that these people once said.

The tribal community members we work with have all given prior consent to share their culture. The text on this site is only an introduction; what matters is what the community members tell you in person. Information is drawn from public sources of the Council of Indigenous Peoples and the tribal self-governance associations.

Day 1 — Dulan (都蘭)

• 11:00 Pickup at Taitung Station, heading north along Highway 11
• 12:30 Local lunch in Dulan (都蘭) — Amis (阿美族) home cooking
• 14:00 Xindong Sugar Factory (新東糖廠) arts colony, in conversation with the resident artists
• 16:00 The lower section of the Dulan Mountain (都蘭山) trail, watching the sun bow out over the sea
• 18:30 A family feast with a local Amis household (arranged by the community)
• 20:30 You sleep in Dulan tonight

Day 2 — Donghe (東河) → Chenggong (成功)

• 07:00 Sunrise on the coast — the Pacific at morning (The Jialulan Recreation Area is closed for renovation through 2026/12/31; we use an open stretch of shore nearby)
• 09:00 Donghe (東河) woodworking studio — getting to know driftwood woodcraft
• 12:00 Donghe pork-bun lunch, driving slowly down the coast
• 14:00 Sanxiantai (三仙台) coast and the eight-arch bridge (under renovation until around the end of 2027 — view it from the main-island shore)
• 16:30 Pisirian (比西里岸 / Baishoulian) village — driftwood art and the goat-horn beast land sculpture
• 17:30 Duli Visitor Center (都歷遊客中心) — the main venue of the 2026 East Coast Land Arts Festival, "We Are the Ocean," with large-scale land art spreading out along Highway 11; in summer the East Coast National Scenic Area also holds the "Moonlight Sea Concert" here (dates per the official announcement)
• 18:00 Dinner at Chenggong Fishing Harbor (成功漁港) — seasonal seafood, with harpoon swordfish on the menu from around October, once the northeast monsoon sets in
• 20:00 You sleep in Chenggong tonight

Day 3 — Chenggong (成功) → Chishang (池上)

• 06:30 A morning walk along the Chenggong harbour wall — boats out at sea
• 08:00 A talk with the harpooners (occasional; arranged according to the day's fishing conditions)
• 10:00 Heading south along Highway 11, passing Xiaoyeliu (小野柳) and Fugang Fishing Harbor (富岡漁港)
• 12:00 Seafood lunch in Fugang, with the scent of the Orchid Island (蘭嶼) ferry dock in the air
• 14:30 Drop-off at Taitung Station

How this route runs

This is a route template, not a packaged product — it's here to show you how these days fit together.

What we provide is the car and the driver: the same driver throughout, following this route. Which side to take on which day, what time to set off, which day you don't need a car at all — we settle that before you get in.

You book the accommodation, the tickets and the reservation-only experiences yourself. Decide which area you're sleeping in before you book the room — get the area wrong and you add an unnecessary leg of driving every day. The vehicle carries compulsory automobile liability insurance; travel accident insurance is available as an add-on.

Things to Note

• Harpoon swordfishing is a traditional method fewer and fewer fishermen still practise; whether close observation is possible depends on the day's fishing conditions and cannot be guaranteed.
• The tribal family feast must be booked at least 7 days in advance; last-minute cancellations are non-refundable.
• Swordfish season comes from around October, once the northeast monsoon sets in, when seafood restaurants serve their richest menus; in other months, the catch of the day takes its place.
• When entering a village, please respect the community's customs, and ask before taking photographs.

Here on the East Coast, we suggest you take a few less photos and sit a while longer.

This is a route template, not a packaged product. How the days actually run, and how many hours the car is needed each day, are confirmed with you item by item before departure. We don't sell what you can't see.