4ever Discovering
Kenting: The Southernmost Part of Taiwan
We Came Here For One Thing, and One Thing Only: Beaches!
For our last long weekend of the school year, Emily and I decided to make it to the most southern point of Taiwan, and relax on the beautiful, white sand beaches for a few days. We had heard a lot of good things about Kenting, and knew it was known for its clear water and beautiful national park. It was a unanimous decision book our tickets, and enjoy the Dragon Boat long weekend by the ocean.
We ran into a few problems along the way when we were planning our trip to Kenting. Because it was a long weekend, many people had the same idea as us to escape the city. That meant the train tickets were already sold out 2 weeks in advance. The route to travel to Kenting involves taking a bus/train to Kaohsiung, and then another bus to Kenting. Emily and I like travelling by the High Speed Train, mainly because it is fast. Unfortunately for us, unless we wanted to stand for a couple of hours in the Non-Reserved Seating area, our next option was to take a bus. Similarly to our trip to Tainan, we took the 4 hour bus ride, and then stayed the night at our friend’s house. From Tainan to Kaohsiung is only about an hour, so we decided to cut our travel time between two days so we wouldn’t arrive at the hostel at a ridiculous hour.
Once we arrived in Kaohsiung, we boarded the bus to take us to Kenting. This was supposedly only a 1-1.5 hour bus ride, so we were expecting to get there in no time. I guess we didn’t really think about all of the traffic travelling between the cities, because this ‘one hour’ bus ride took us close to 4 hours! Needless to say, we were pretty hungry when we finally jumped off the bus. We grabbed some quick lunch, and rented scooters to make our weekend a little easier for ourselves. I must say, after 3 weekends of driving a scooter around Taiwan, I was feeling pretty confident on the road. By no means was I a local, but I did have to weave my way in and out of traffic a few times. You can call me Speedy Gonzales.
One of the most surprising parts about driving in Kenting was the amount of wind. I had never really thought about it before, because let me tell you, I was not expecting to get blown all over the road on our scooter! Luckily our scooter has heavier than our friend’s because we had two people, so we weren’t getting blown around as much as she was! The east coast in Taiwan is VERY windy; that’s where the most typhoon damage can always be seen in the summer. That meant, every time we turned a corner and were on the east side, we were immediately hit with a gust of wind to the face. Most people drive actual cars in Kenting, and now I can 100% see why. You only see the scooters getting blown around everywhere; the cars are not affected by this at all. Either way, we survived, and might have came out with a few wind headaches in the process. It totally took my scooter-driving skills to the next level!
Spending 3 days in Kenting was very easy to do. Because we rented scooters, we were able to drive everywhere we needed to go, without having to worry about when the bus was coming. Remember, Kenting is the southernmost part of Taiwan, so when you look at a map, is it the bottom tip. To drive from the east to west side only took about 20 minutes (depending on if you were driving with the wind, or against the wind). It was easy enough to navigate around, and we found ourselves driving along the coast for the most part. If you are on the east side, there are a lot of beaches to go surfing at. Because the wind is so strong, you can imagine the size of the waves; perfect for surfing, not so great for swimming. That meant we spent most of our time on the west coast. This is where you go if you just want to relax at the beach, and sit in the golden sand. Although we didn’t have the greatest weather, we didn’t get any rain. It was usually overcast, but it didn’t stop us from spending a couple of days at the beach, taking in the smell of the ocean water. I’m telling you, there is nothing better than smelling salt water, and feeling the sand in between your toes. That’s the life!
Along with our beach trips, Emily and I also did some sightseeing around the national park. Driving along the coast is picturesque in itself. Of course we stopped to take some pictures, but they can’t capture how beautiful it really was. Maybe it was because we had a scooter, but it felt particularly peaceful driving alongside the ocean, and not having to worry about life back in the city. We stopped at some cliffs that kind of reminded me of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. Maybe they weren’t quite as big, but it was definitely just as windy! We didn’t want to stand too close to the edge, because you never knew when a big gust would come and lift you off of your feet. Don’t worry mom, sometimes we are very careful!
Another tourist attraction we made it to was the Eluanbi Lighthouse. If you google ‘Kenting National Park’, a picture of this lighthouse will most likely pop up. Many people come here to see the monument, but also because you can walk down a path, leading to the ACTUAL most southern point of the country. There is even a sign to tell you you made it! The lighthouse itself was built in the 1800s to help guide ships away from the hidden reefs. It used to be the only armed lighthouse in the world until it was damaged from bombing in WWII. Then, it was rebuilt as a tourist spot; however, it is still functional. It can be known as the ‘Light of East Asia” because it is the most powerful lighthouse in Taiwan. We walked around the area for maybe an hour before heading to the beach. You have to pay a small entrance fee to go inside the park, but it is worthwhile to see. If you come all the way down to Kenting, you might as well see its one tourist spot!
Our long weekend to Kenting was exactly what we needed to get through the last month of school. It reenergized us for the upcoming report cards, exams, and presentations all quickly approaching. I really enjoy travelling to southern Taiwan, mainly because the atmosphere is so different than the city. You could tell Kenting is a real ‘beach town’, with a much more relaxed vibe than Taipei. There were outdoor restaurants with live music, the smell of salt water in the air, and surfers everywhere. Although there weren’t any Dragon Boat races in Kenting, Emily and I managed to catch a few of them when we stopped in Kaohsiung on our way home. Luckily for us, we caught the High Speed Rail no problem, and even found seats in the Non-Reserved car of the train. If you are looking for a relaxing weekend and white sand beaches, Kenting is the place for you. It offers the best of both worlds with the east and west coast, and you can choose between surfing or just leisurely swimming. Maybe next time we will try surfing! I think Emily and I both felt accomplished saying we have officially made it to the most north and south points of Taiwan. No one can say we didn’t spend our year abroad exploring all of amazing places this beautiful country has to offer!