Taiwan

Kenting again and more detailed: South Bay (Nanwan) beach and nearby Kenting street buildings

I am back to Kenting again. This time, we were staying a bit more away from a "classic Kenting" (with that I understand Kenting village itself, up to the Erluanbi) - in Yoho Landis Beach resort, I could not resist go to Kenting again and that's how the pictures below appeared.
For me, and here I do not care about official definitions about where it is - Kenting, as a place to remember and love starts here:

From 2009-7-29

It's for me an entrance to Kenting, which in fact stretches then kilometers along heading to Erluanbi and then to east side of Taiwan. Kenting is not a round or square, it's a street, with a shops, hotels and home stays at left side and the beaches at another side. It's the entrance you see in this photo above, with those motorbikes standing there for rent. If you do not have the car or bicycle - you will need them, or you can not see anything, and you will also want to visit Kenting nightmarket. If you turn head left standing here, you will then see the road going back to Hengchun.



Most likely you will come from this road down to Kenting, and on the way you will see numerous motels where you can stay for a night, and your budget is not big. The more you go in the Kenting, and more stars hotel have, especially if it has sea view, the more you will need to pay.



Left side of Kenting street typically has such 2 - 3 floor buildings, where in 99 % cases you will find or Surfing boards rental, as in this case, or it will be restaurant or homestay, or swimsuits and other beach life things rental & sell. Also diving rentals are easy to spot here, but for diving it's better to head to Houbihu, which I will also show you later on in another blog post.



Those houses you are looking right now, are just in front of Nanwan, or South Bay recreation area - one of the most biggest public beaches in Taiwan and in Kenting of course also. Because mostly Taiwan's shores are not suitable for beach activities as they are rocky and there is not "golden sand" - and one few that are suitable, are in Kenting & around, and then next popular are Fulong beach in north of Taiwan.



One more surfing boards rental station.



This pic catches a bit of spirit from Kenting I love. It's a bit relaxed, totally different from all other parts of Taiwan. Resort spirit are everywhere.



You can stay at any of those inns, hotels or home stays, or however they like to call themselves - this class of stay will not be too expensive - the 2 high class hotels with sea view and services are Ceasars Hotel and Chateau Beach Resort, which has GREAT beach and really perfect rooms. I had shown the Chateau Beach Resort a bit in this post.

If you stay in Chateau, you will automatically no need to search for a place to put your bones under the sunshine in public beaches like Nanwan, but then again you will need to pay for that. Whatever you will choose, Kenting will still be great pace to spend time.



Yoyo inn, also a variant, but remember that if you decide to come at hot season and in weekend - they all might be occupied. Plan your trip before you come to Kenting. Vagabonding is not for everyone I guess, unless you do not enjoy sleeping in a beach at night.



Kenting street gets busy in hot season and especially in weekends.



If you forgot your swimsuit or beach sandals, you no need become a nudist - this can be bought everywhere, also my favorite shirts with palms pattern also here.



Kenting is not in a desert so it might happen that you get rainy days as well here. And no blue sky just as in this picture I made recently.

From 2009-7-29

This is how Nanwan, or south bay beach looks like in typical sunday in July. Yes, crowded, and not that clean as beach at Chateau resort, but I will specially not put pictures from Chateau beach here, because it's not correct to compare them. After all this beach is public.



Motorboats, water motorcycles - you should carefully choose the place where to swim here.



After you park somewhere at parking lot in South Bay recreation area, you can quickly get down to the beach by this wooden walkway.



600 meters long, Nanwan is the widest beach in Kenting National Park, also one of the significant scenery spots of Kenting. You can recognize it by those wind generators at horizon.



Kenting street seen from here - those are again hotels most likely.



Those guys will be taken for a ride on kayaks or motorboats and specially bumped over the waves for more adrenaline. You can try also. Hobihu area have a lot of companies offering this activity.



Swimming, surfing, snorkeling and scuba diving are really popular here



7-ELEVEN - as elsewhere on the island



Having tropical climate, summers in Kenting are usually hot. In winter, the pleasant weather in Kenting keeps beaches here open all year round.



I decided also to take a look what's inside in one of those lanes and what you can see behind the scenes in Kenting.



Entrance to Lane 52, South Bay road.



Well, and here you can find a Kenting that won't be in a tourist guides and other promotional websites of Taiwan. Most likely the houses are in such poor decision because I found out - you can't buy the property here. You can only buy the rights to rent the property of government and then rent. Also, real estate agent we talked to, told us that it's nothing different for everyone to really buy the house, or just buy the rights for rent - the result is just evident - you would not leave your own house in such a picturesque place as Kenting in such condition. But such houses are just everywhere.



One more example of selling "right for rent".



Such Kenting you will not see in Pingtung's county governor elections brochures.



One of the rare examples on Kenting street, where house are not involved in some business activity like diving at all.



Where the golden sands ends, the usual rocky shore starts.



And that means end to traditional beach activities. This is the end of Nanwan beachl, however not the end of Kenting at all - it's just a small small part, and in my blog sooner or later you will find it all, and full of details.



More inns hangs over the Kenting street near Nanwan recreation area.



Here is where you need to park, if you decide stay in Nanwan (South Bay).



By the way - don't make the photos of police in Taiwan, unless they do not see you - they do not like it. I still made this one, but as usually, he was not happy with that.

More on Kenting:

Southern pearl of Formosa - Kenting

Prisoner in Kenting of my own device

Fulong beach in Gongliao Township, Taipei County, North East Taiwan - where is the promised golden sands?

I am risking to appear spoiled and impolite - but where is the "promised" golden sands and impressive views?
Maybe it's a long long traffic jam, we were stacked at this Dragon boat festival holidays, or maybe my fanatical devotion to Kenting, but I was disappointed for what I saw. Maybe first time I say about something in Taiwan like that, and I hope last time also.
Impersonal Wikipedia says, that there is golden sands... click on a link to see their picture.
Well, what we saw, is just posted below.





Sand was in fact close to dark brown and quite dirty - far from one you can see in Kenting. OK, it's Nothern Taiwan, and one of rear beaches there but still...

and then this temple just near parking:



Well, IMHO, when you want to see temples, you go to temples, and when you want to enjoy sea views, palms, bikinis and surfers - a large temple is a last what you expect to see... at least for me so. By the way I did not went in - maybe it's not a temple at all? Someone was there?

OK, waves - those who are surfers for sure will enjoy them. Waves are really great there.

Southern pearl of Formosa - Kenting

When I was thinking about how to write about Kenting in few words - just to start this blog entry with a short and exact description of this beautiful in any meanings place -I finally came to conclusion that it's not possible. Few words, even few paragraphs is not enough.
Turning to Wikipedia for help gives us this:

Kenting National Park is a national park located in the Hengchun Peninsular of Pingtung County, Taiwan, covering Hengchun, Checheng and Manjhou Townships. Established on January 1, 1984, it is Taiwan's oldest and southernmost national park, covering the southernmost area of the Taiwan island. Administered by the Executive Yuan's Ministry of the Interior, this national park is well-known for its tropical climate and sunshine, scenic mountain and beach, the Spring Scream rock-band festival held in every March^[1], and has long been one of the most favorite resort places in Taiwan.

.. and when you read this - you just can not grasp all the beauty what lays behind this dry wiki text. What Kenting is anyway, and what's there? Why it's a one of must visit places when someone comes to Taiwan for short or no so stay?

First of all Kenting is not a city or town in regular meaning of this - with a houses, schools and hospitals. That's why road signs shows it in a brown color - like a cultural object or scenic area, rather than township:

Kenting belongs to Pingtung county, and that's a south of Taiwan:

In short - it's place to enjoy a beach recreational activities - diving, swimming, catching the waves, surfing, laying in sun - something that reminds Hawai maybe. I personally incredibly enjoy to wear Haiwai, or if you want Thailand style colorful shirts with palms, sea and other elements usually present on such shirts - so, if you also like them - Kenting nightmarket sells them a lot, and choice are very good. During my last trip to Kenting, I bought more such shirts for my collection. One of interesting things, that you will for sure notice when you arrive to Kenting - a lot of Ling Jiao - water chestnut sellers. One buy one they stand on a road selling same product:

Typical view in Southern Taiwan - different, than you would see for example in Northern areas of Taiwan.

Road back usually will be overcrowded with onion sellers - besides Ling Jiao, onions seems is a second most popular "sell on the road" product in Pingtung county.

If onion or Ling Jiao is not what you desperately want right now, mango and other fruit are available at every moment.

Just a few meters from fresh fruit, they keep such a view. When we saw this, we did not bought anything. I wonder, why in Southern part of Taiwan such views are much more common that in Western or Northern part?

One more. And this one can be found just behind this extremely crowded restaurant:

let's go in:

Lunch boxes, what those guys are enjoying - are the food you can get in this restaurant. if you feel desperate to sing, there is a KTV terminal in far front of this place. During our stay, some man were singing twice. No. Not singing. "singing", need write like this. I do not know, why in Taiwan everyone think, that he can sing, forcing for example me - who listens Antonio Vivaldi in car, listen those waves of inarticulated sounds. By the way, wondering who are those guys with fashion hear cut? Again - they are very religious persons,those who are usually organizing such religion performances like Matsu in Taichung, what I presented recently.

Another "pearl" of southern Taiwan. Toilets which I call "big brother is watching you". You do the job, and local souvenir shop woman eyes you. If you go in this toilet - one more "surprise" there is a window to woman's part of facility. That's what i could not understand the real reason - this window is for what? No picture sorry, i am reporter not pervert.

OK, enough about wrinkles of southern taiwan, let's get to aesthetics! i need to tell, that not all Southern Taiwan coastal area has nice sand for beach activities. While you drive to Kenting, most of coastal area has such outlook:

Enjoy the volleyball but wear shoes, please!

Few words about the hotel, and how to choose it. All the Kenting is nothing else than a collection of hotels, bars, restaurants and shops. Just google for Kenting hotel, or press any add here near my post and you will get a selection of them. Cheap home stay or expensive 5 star sea view hotel - just 1 click away. We trusted Lonely Planet, and decided to try Chateau Beach Resort. It is important to note, that not all the hotel you will reserve in internet will give you sea view from a window. Morever - most of the hotels are located at right side of the road, and for sure have no sea view - at least not a close up one. Of course price is much cheaper if you do not need a sea view. But... you come here maybe once a year.. and we could not resist to have this view from our window, even if it was more expensive:

Now, let's go to the beach - it's just few steps from a Chateau:

Good news are that those chairs were at least always free - one ore two were available, because seems this part of beach in some way are protected to those who stay in hotel.

Hotel really looks nice...

All this complex is Chateau - just be sure to get beach side room. By the way - first floor is more expensive, because you can just go out from a room and here is a sea - but, let me tell you that there are drawbacks as well. You feel like living on street - everyone walks around so, best choice i think is second floor.

When waves are big, and they were at the time we was there - they will not allow you swim without safety vests - those are free. As a rebellion in heart of course I felt shameful to wear it, and told that I no need it. In next moment next big wave swallowed me, and kicked over the rocky ground under the water. After few moments I was up and everyone looked at me and and my knee, little bloody. Are you OK (yeah, just like in US made films, where Bruce Willis all in blood comes out from a factory, where he just killed 50 enemies - this is question he get's from his girlfriend (same tone - are you ok?). Lesson - if those waves are really big and you are cityboy like me - don't go too deep.

Shadows becoming big... evening is coming.

Fiji? Tahiti? Hawai? West Waikiki? No! it's Taiwan!

After the sunset, it just becomes more beautiful. That's the view I got fro our hotel balcony!

What to do after sunset? Well, depends who you are and you came with whom.

For sure Kenting night market is worth to visit - although prices are terrible - if compare for example with Fengchia night market, :

BBQ - at least 3 times more expensive than in Taichung - because this night market is 100 % for tourists - there are no locals at all.

That's street what I writing before -no living houses in Kenting - just bars, hotels and restaurants - and left side is cheaper, but then no sea view.

Want some relax? Massage for you right on the street.

Besides those regular things you will find in any market in Taiwan - here in Kenting are much disco bars, just bars and bars with showgirls and beyond. Get relaxed in Kenting, things to enjoy for everyone!

West Coast of Taiwan - Tongxiao township outskirts and villages

Tongxiao (通霄鎮) is an urban township in southern Miaoli County, Taiwan. It is surrounded by the Taiwan Strait on the east and mountains on the west.

• Area: 107.8486 km²
• Population: 39,962 people (April,2006)

We decided to explore west coast of Taiwan due to several reasons. One of them - very less coverage in all Taiwan guides - usually the east coast are considered as gorgeous and beautiful, also south - where the resorts of Kenting are located. Lonely Planet even suggests to stay away from it as nothing interesting there.

Road to the west coast will bring you through numerous rice fields and villages.



West coast has less mountains, and the coastal area has much more plains. Above is typical village in Tongxiao outskirts. They all will look similar there.



You will need cross railroad which goes just along the coastal line in order to get access to the coast directly.



Older houses slowly disappears in western coastal area giving up their land for newer style housing . West coast villages have a mix of new and older houses.



Typical small farm road in Tongxiao. 3 main things you will see there - temples, small houses and rice fields.



Local woman works in a rice field in windy march Saturday.



Those typical to Taiwan mirrors are generously installed for your safe driving even in those rice fields. I am saying and always will say, that Taiwan is very convenient place to live.



Besides the human - also those birds are claiming their share.









West Coast as seen in early March in 2009. If not impressive now, wait till around 6 at evening (in march) - to see the sunset:









Closer to Tongxiao township we saw some boats. In early march no one was here, but I assume, that in summer you can rent them for joyride.



I am not boats expert at all. Are those for fishing?





It's 5 p.m...



Mild evening in Tongxiao outskirts.



You can get picturesque views everywhere you go there.



Sunset in rice farm in Western Coastal area in Taiwan.