Although Jacqueline and I often frequent Northern and Central Taiwan, we haven’t had the luxury of time to explore the Southern part of Taiwan yet and boy were we glad when we were presented with an opportunity to travel to Southern Taiwan.
In this blog post, we present our unofficial travelogue to Kenting, Taiwan’s best spot for summer activities!
Flight
We took a direct flight from Singapore to Kaohsiung via Scoot and it took less than 4.5 hours. In case you’re wondering, it cost us SGD$548 for two adult return trip tickets and Scoot remains our preferred budget airline for short haul trips! Why Kaohsiung International Airport? Well, it’s the most convenient way to get to Kenting.
Travelling to Kenting
Upon arriving at Kaohsiung International Airport, we took the southbound bus to Kenting which cost NT$309 (about SGD$14.40) per person for a one-way trip. As the travel duration from Kaohsiung International Airport to Kenting is about 2.5 hours, do stock up on some food and snacks at the convenience shops before taking the long bus ride.
Just like any other ordinary buses, the seats are comfortable and spacious enough; just don’t expect it to have the services and comfort level of a coach.
Our Accommodation in Kenting
We decided to put up at Kenting Nanwan Resort and we had a room that has a fabulous view of the sea and it even comes with a gigantic bathtub. The accommodation cost NT$9200 (approximately SGD$426) for 2 nights and the rate is inclusive of breakfast.
If you are planning to celebrate your wedding anniversary or honeymoon, Kenting Nanwan Resort is definitely an accommodation to consider because of its Santorini-styled and nautical-themed rooms.
One of the main reason why we chose Kenting Nanwan Resort was because it is located quite close to a couple of attractions in Kenting.
Travelling Around Kenting
I was told that I could rent a small 50CC scooter from a rental shop even if I do not have a motorcycle license but I decided to just rent an electric scooter (from Kenting Nanwan Resort) to help us get around Kenting instead; since getting into trouble with the law isn’t something that is on my bucket list.
The rental came with a spare battery and the electronic scooter could hit a speed of up to 30km/hour. But of course, opening the throttle all the way isn’t a good idea as it also drains the battery quite a fair bit. If you haven’t ridden a scooter before, I strongly suggest that you get around Kenting via the public transport instead. You wouldn’t want to risk your adventure becoming a misadventure as the traffic there can be quite hard to navigate around if you’re not an experienced rider.
Also, the weather in May can be really hot and we suffered some pretty nasty sunburns from being exposed when riding around Kenting. Hence, do have your sunscreen protection on before you start riding around!
As usual, Google Maps remains our preferred GPS and mapping system to get around.
Places of Interest Around Kenting
To be honest, Kenting is a place that we will visit again because 2 nights really isn’t enough to cover all the attractions that we had planned to visit.
During our 2 nights’ stay in Kenting, we visited the following places of interest and they are as follows:
Kenting Street Night Market
There is one main night market in Kenting and it is located at Kenting Main Street. Known as the Kenting Street Night Market, it is about 2KM long and you can expect large crowds of people especially during the weekends.
Starting from Kenting National Park, the long line of food and game stands stretches to Caesar Park Hotel. There are some interesting food and souvenirs that you can find here and if you want a slice of Kenting’s nightlife, this is the place to be at because there are various bars and pub with various themes.
You might also come across some stalls that sell fireworks and sparklers and should you decide to purchase them; do note that it is illegal to set them off as and when you like. If you choose to buy the fireworks and sparklers and set them off; ignite them only at the open beach areas and at your own risk.
What we personally enjoyed the most was the affordable and tasty street food and if you have forgotten to bring your beachwear, the shops at Kenting Main Street will have it. Kenting Street Night Market opens from 6 pm onwards till about 11 pm daily and if you don’t like big crowds, visit during the weekdays instead.
Eluanbi Lighthouse
Kenting’s best-known landmark is a still-functioning lighthouse that was built in the 1880s at Eluanbi Cape, the southernmost end of Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range and inside Eluanbi Park. The park is a part of Kenting Forest Recreation Area and is served by a separate entrance. Eluanbi Park also features trails through vines and past massive coral rocks, a coastal walkway where locals go fishing, and lookout points.
From November to March, the park opens from 9 am to 5 pm and from April to October, it opens from 9 am to 6 pm. The entrance fee is NTD$60 (about SGD$2.80) for one person.
Most Southern Point in Taiwan
Taiwan is not a big island. It takes only 1000 kilometres to circle the island. From the northernmost point, Fugui Cape to the southernmost point; it only takes nine to ten hours of driving and there is even a challenge of cycling from the northernmost lighthouse to the southernmost lighthouse in one day every year. The monument of Taiwan Southernmost Point is located between the famous Eluanbi Lighthouse and the ecological reserve area of Longkeng. Facing the ocean, the Pacific Ocean is on the left and the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and Philippine is on the right.
Paradise of Deer
We had great difficulty in finding this place when we were riding around but the effort was well worth it because we had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Sika Deer! The admission cost NT$100 (about SGD$4.65) and it comes with coupons which you can use to exchange for souvenirs and as well as some feed for the Sika Deer.
The Sika Deer is also known as the spotted deer or the Japanese deer and it is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to various other parts of the world. For more information, check out Paradise of Deer’s Facebook Page!
There are many other places that we wanted to visit in Kenting but because of the lack of time; we haven’t got the opportunity to do so and we will definitely consider a second visit again!
Got any questions? Drop us an email or leave your comments in the box below!