Travel – Kenting (墾丁) Beach Fun

This “Travel” series will share how we travel with an youngish child (8 years old) without having our own transportation (car or scooter) on the island.

Kenting (墾丁), located in the southern most tip of Taiwan, has always been a haven for sun-lovers and surfers. I never spent enough time in Kenting to enjoy the beaches until this last trip. It was well worth a visit with warm clear blue waters and soft sandy beaches, even in November, where the northern part of the island was already in its rainy season.

Getting There from Kaohsiung (Zuoying High Speed Rail/MRT Station) and Getting Around

• The Kenting Express bus departs out of Zuoying HSR station about once every 30 minutes and takes about 2 hours (though our return trip was 3 hours due to weekend rush hour traffic).
• It is required to reserve a seat by going to the ticket office beforehand.
• The roundtrip ticket was about NT$600 and less for kids.
• There are taxi drivers hanging out around the ticket office offering rides for similar pricing in shared taxis. I saw people taking them up on the offer, but I cannot speak to their legitimacy. (Update: on our second trip, we took them up on the offer. For three people, it was NT$900 which was comparable to three bus tickets and the driver delivered us to our hotel. The risk is that it may be a hairy ride, but that’s been our experience with both buses and taxis anyway)
• (Update) Without renting a car or scooters, one can get around Kenting pretty easily. Taxis are available but require a phone call and rates are flat rates based on your destination. They range from NT$200-NT$300 per trip. One can also hire a taxi for a half-day to full-day tour around Kenting, ranging from NT$1500-NT$3000.
• (Update) On this last trip, we discovered that the buses were not as inconvenient as everyone seems to think. The bus stops are clearly labeled and Google Maps does a decent job estimating the schedule, though buses don’t really run on schedule. Fortunately, there are a number of buses that pass the main road and one just has to wave them down to catch a ride. The bus drivers will charge you based on your destination and they take the iPass or will make change if you only have cash. Be warned they may be a bit surly, not the usual friendliness of every other service professional in Taiwan.

Where We Stayed

We stayed in the Moroccan themed Amanda Hotel near Nanwan which is a little town of beach hostels and smaller boutique accommodations about 5 km from the main part of Kenting. It’s not the most convenient hotel location for someone without transportation, but check out the indoor pool and two bedroom suite we were able to book. We made it work by hiring taxies, with each trip costing between NT$200-$300.

Beaches and Snorkeling

Since our goal was to get in as much beach time as possible, we spent the majority of our time snorkeling and swimming at three beaches. Nanwan (南灣 or South Bay) and Baishawan (白沙灣 or White Sand Bay) were very well equipped beaches with umbrella rentals, paid showers and a number of beach bar food options. Nanwan was far more swimmable, while Baishawan looked like the quintessential tropical beach retreat with palm trees and all, but the waves and undertow could be tricky for younger kids. They both offered numerous water sports fun–just keep in mind that the prices you are quoted are negotiable.

Snorkeling right off the coast of Little Bali (小巴厘島) greatly exceeded our expectations. The beach was previously listed as a “secret” beach, but no longer. We went there twice because the fish right off the coast were dazzling and there are supposedly sea turtles (though we missed seeing them). It was extremely crowded on the water in the morning and crowded on the shore around late afternoon for those families waiting to watch the sunset. Luckily, everything quieted down around noon when the snorkeling groups finished up and the next group had not arrived yet. The snorkeling area is contained in an area with buoys and some areas had depths to 30-40 feet with still excellent visibility.

(Travel Tip) What took a little while to figure out was where to get snorkeling equipment. It turned out that true Taiwanese entrepreneurial spirit meant there were operators renting out wet suits, rubber booties, floaties, life vests, and masks/snorkels right at the entrance to the parking lot side of the Little Bali. One can rent each piece separately for NT$50.

Night Market

One could never pass up the local night markets to check out local delicacies and people watch. Kenting’s night market that runs along the main spine of the town is no different. The vendors were abundant though perhaps slightly more expensive than a typical night market. There’s also often something surprising and delightful that pops up. This time, it was someone walking their pet deer in the night market. Now, animal rights advocates may take issue with this, but the deer seemed well-loved and well-fed. ..

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Kenting is definitely well worth a visit, especially to get away from the bustle of city life. We plan on coming back and exploring new beaches so stay tuned for Part 2…