Taitung County Guide
If you've only heard of Taipei, you’ll definitely be surprised by how different Taitung is — in the best way possible.
Taitung is Taiwan's least-populated, most laid-back county — the kind of place with the cleanest air, authentic eats, friendliest people, and so much more, where the pace of life slows down the second you cross into it. It's the East Coast at its finest, with dramatic coastline, rice paddies backed by mountains, and a strong Indigenous Amis and Bunun presence that shapes the culture here more than almost anywhere else in Taiwan.
I fell for Taitung on my East Coast road trip driving down from Hualien — Sanxiantai's windswept bridge, quiet coastal cafes, a bridge in Chenggong we almost drove past without stopping.
This guide covers everything I found worth your time: where to eat, what to see, how to get around, and the practical stuff that'll save you a headache once you're here.
get to know Taitung
Taitung ("Tai" for Taiwan, "Tung" for east) sits on Taiwan's southeastern coast, wedged between the Central Mountain Range and the Pacific, and includes two offshore islands, Green Island and Orchid Island.
Long before the Han Chinese settlers arrived, the Puyuma and Amis peoples farmed this plain, and because Taitung was the last region in Taiwan to be colonized by Han immigrants — not until the late 19th century, mostly due to the mountains cutting it off from the rest of the island — Indigenous culture here never got pushed to the margins the way it did elsewhere. Today, roughly a third of Taitung's population is Indigenous, the highest proportion of any county in Taiwan, spanning groups like the Amis, Puyuma, and Bunun, and it shows up everywhere: in the food, the festivals, and the small communities you'll pass through on a coastal road trip.
That isolation is also exactly why Taitung feels so untouched today.
There's no MRT, no HSR stop, and honestly, that's the appeal — it forces a much slower pace. Riding bikes through rice paddies in Chishang, sitting with the waves at Sanxiantai, stopping at a family-run breakfast spot instead of a chain that you see in different streets — this is slow travel in its most natural form, and it's part of why the air and water here are considered some of the cleanest in Taiwan.
Supporting Taitung means supporting small, often Indigenous-run businesses — family breakfast spots, coastal cafes, farm stays.
Taitung map
know before you go!
💬 LANGUAGE | Mandarin Chinese. 🗣️ HELLO: Nǐ hǎo (你好) | THANK YOU: Xièxiè (謝謝) | GOODBYE: Zàijiàn (再見)
💰 CURRENCY | New Taiwan Dollar ($, NT$/TWD)
💵 TIPPING | Not customary or expected. Some higher-end restaurants add a 10% service charge automatically, but tipping on top isn't a norm here.
🚨 SAFETY | Taitung is very safe overall. The bigger things to watch for are natural, not human: typhoons (roughly June–October) and earthquakes. Check the Central Weather Administration site for real-time alerts.
📞 EMERGENCY CONTACTS | Police: 110 | Ambulance / Fire: 119
🤓 THINGS I WISH I KNEW EARLIER | There’s no HSR or MRT’s on the East Coast, so you’ll have to rely more on TRA, buses, renting scooters or cars. Cash is still king at smaller business spots and family-run cafes.
best time to visit
where to dine
🥪 Do.Mine美味
🍽 Breakfast | 💳 Cash | 🕐 30 min - 1 hr | 📍 No. 168-3號, Sanmin Rd, Sanmin Village, Chenggong Township, Taitung County, Taiwan 961
This is the spot where you know you're eating like a local.
My partner found the spot while he was doing research on Taitung back before we even left to Taiwan, and when we mentioned it to our B&B owners, they lit up recommending the exact same spot — that's when we knew it wasn't just a tourist thing, it's genuinely what locals rave about.
Order the danbing — no question. It's fresh, crisp, and honestly one of the best versions I've had in Taiwan. The breakfast sandwich is also excellent if you want something heartier before a day on the coast.
where to explore
🌊 Dulan Seaside View Point
Scenic stop | 🕐 ~15 - 20 min | 📍 Doulan Village, Donghe Township, Taitung County, Taiwan 959
A quick stop, not a destination in itself — there's not much to "do" here except pull over, look at the ocean, and chill for a bit. But sometimes that's exactly what a coastal road trip needs.
If you're visiting in January like we did, bring a jacket. It gets seriously windy out here!
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Weather Spark: Taitung
Wikipedia: Taitung County
Taiwan vlog
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From its preserved architecture to its aesthetic drinks and quiet, wander-through spaces, this spot is perfect for slow travelers who want something meaningful (and Instagram-worthy). If you’re looking for unique cafés in Taitung, this is one you don’t want to miss.