Zhudeng 1965 Hotel

Green Island is the setting here, with Zhudeng 1965 Hotel arranged for travellers who would rather spend their time close to the coast than in a polished resort bubble. It is a small inn with direct beachfront access, a sun terrace and outdoor seating, so you can move easily between your room and the sea without turning the return from the beach into an expedition.

The useful comforts are straightforward: air conditioning, private bathrooms, refrigerators, tea and coffee makers, free WiFi in the public areas and a shared lounge with television. That makes the place a sensible base for a diving holiday, particularly if your priorities are a cool room, somewhere to put a cold drink and a location that keeps the shoreline close.

You are in Green Island, Taiwan, with Zhongliao Beach about 100 metres away and described as a two-minute walk. Chaikou Beach is about 1 km away, while Gongguan Beach and Shilang Beach are each around 1.2 miles from the inn. Guiwan Beach is further around the island, at about 1.9 miles.

Green Island Lighthouse is roughly 1 km away on foot, and Green Island Human Rights Memorial Park is about 1.5 miles away. For a coffee or tea, Presotea is around 0.5 miles away and Ching Shin about 0.8 miles away. Lyudao Airport is about 500 metres away, with Taitung Airport on the mainland around 23 miles away; the island geography does the rest of the explaining.

For two, the sea-view double room is the obvious choice if opening the curtains onto the water matters to you. The standard double and superior double rooms keep the arrangement simpler, while the small twin and triple rooms suit friends who would rather not negotiate who gets the larger bed. The extra-large double bed in the Deluxe Queen Room gives couples a little more bed than the basic double-room layout.

Travelling with family or a small group, the quadruple rooms and Superior Family Room are the practical end of the range, with multiple double beds rather than a puzzle of sofa beds. Children of any age are welcome, but cots and extra beds are not available, so the booked room needs to do all the sleeping work from the start.

Every room has air conditioning, a private bathroom with shower, towels, slippers, a hairdryer and free toiletries. A refrigerator is handy for keeping water cold, while the tea and coffee maker covers the first cup before anyone has fully reassembled themselves. Balconies, sea views, dressing areas, a desk and a drying rack appear within the room offering, depending on the category.

The beach is the main event when you are not in the water for more serious reasons. Zhongliao Beach is close enough for an easy wander, while the hotel’s sun terrace, terrace and outdoor furniture give you somewhere to sit with a book, a drink from the room or absolutely nothing at all. That last option is often underrated after several days of boats, kit and early starts.

For a quieter indoor hour, there is a shared lounge and television area, plus board games and puzzles. The tour desk can help shape time on land, and car hire is available if you want to reach beaches and viewpoints beyond the immediate area. The lighthouse is close enough to make a useful outing, and the Human Rights Memorial Park gives the island’s history a place in the itinerary rather than leaving every non-diving day to the weather.

Private check-in and check-out keep the arrival process personal, but the arrival window is from 15:00 to 18:00 and you need to tell the property when you expect to arrive. Check-out runs from 08:00 to 10:00. A photo ID and credit card are required at check-in, while the property accepts cash payments; the arrival instructions also include payment before arrival by bank transfer, so this is worth sorting out before you travel rather than at the ferry terminal with a weak signal.

An airport shuttle is available and can be arranged with the hotel, and luggage storage is available for the awkward hours around travel. Free private parking is provided on site without a reservation, which is useful if you are hiring transport on the island. Car hire and a lift are also available, alongside free WiFi in the public areas.

The inn is non-smoking throughout, with designated smoking areas, and pets are not allowed. The nearby dive centres are off site, so your diving arrangements and transfers need to be made separately rather than assumed to begin at reception. Green Island is not a place where a little arrival planning hurts; it is an island, after all, not a motorway service station with three alternative options.