Located at the southernmost tip of Taiwan sits a small but fun area, Kenting (墾丁 / ken ding). Because of its proximity to the equator, the area experiences more wet, tropical weather year round compared to the rest of the island.
Due to the harsh winter weather on the east coast, we elected to go all the way down the west coast to Kenting before reversing course. We spent two days in the area. This post details some of the things we experienced during the day.
Unlike most of Taiwan, Kenting very much feels like a resort town with dozens of activities along the main road (Highway 26) including an escape room, bulldozing for fun, and zorbing.
Zorbing was something I heard of years ago with the only two locations to zorb being in Canada and New Zealand. When I researched that Kenting had zorbing, I knew I had to give it a whirl.
We stopped at Harry Potter Flying Lawn Ball (哈利波特草地飛球 / ha li bo te cao di fei qiu) to get our zorb on. Within a few minutes of parking, we were getting strapped into the inside of the zorb.
With a quick 一, 二, 三 we proceeded down the hill.
The rolling started slow at first, with a few bounces. Eventually we hit peak speed and raced towards the main road. Luckily, a net at the very end slowed our ride as we rolled back and, dizzy as ever, stumbled out of the zorb entrance.
It was a fun experience that I wouldn’t mind trying again.
I feel like I can empathize with hamsters on a whole new level now.
Having spent most of my time inland, we dropped by Baishawan Beach (白沙灣海灘 / bai sha wan hai tan) for a little rest and relaxation. We parked along Baisha Road (白砂路 / bai sha lu) and walked down towards the beach. Along the way, there were a bunch of vendors including ones selling fruits and toys.
Remnants of what appeared to be a vacated resort.
The beach was fairly windy at the time, but the temperature was fine. There were a bunch of families playing around in the water.
On the way back up, I picked up a coconut to give fresh coconut water a try. Some things will always taste better than boxed.
As the sun began to set, we stopped by Guanshan (關山 / guan shan) to check out the temple and stunning sunset.
This was a nice way to end the day, but the fun was just beginning with an adventure to the Kenting Night Market.
The next day, before heading back up towards Kaohsiung, we stopped by Taiwan’s most southern point (臺灣最南點 / tai wan zui nan dian). The actual marker is located a short walk from the parking lot. You have to make your way through a marked forest trail.
At the end is a nice view of a rocky beach, seemingly endless ocean, and a moment to contemplate just how many more experiences await.