Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The vibe at
Nanwan
(Nánwān, South Bay) is young and brash. The beach has been
cleaned up a lot but expect tractors on the beach, and jet-ski heroes making runs at the
sand with complete disregard for whoever might be in their way.
The sweet little crescent beach at
Baisha Bay
(Báishā Wān) is a little further afield
but is now in the limelight after Ang Lee shot parts of
Life of Pi
here. Still, it's the least
crowded beach around.
Jumping off the chin (and other protuberances) of
Sail Rock
(Chuánfán Shí), aka Nix-
on Rock, and swimming round the landmark is also a popular swimming option.
Surfing, Snorkelling & Diving
The waters around
Jialeshui
and the nuclear power plant at
Nanwan
have the best surf-
ing waves. Jialeshui is by far the more laid-back and less crowded of the two. You can
hire surfboards (NT$800 per day) almost everywhere.
For snorkelling, check out the coral formations near
Sail Rock.
You can hire gear
across the road.
For snorkelling and scuba tours, as well as lessons, contact
John Boo
(
0913-388
065;
scuba_diving1@yahoo.com
)
.
Birdwatching
With 310 species of birds, Kenting is a twitchers' paradise, and the National Park HQ has
several good birdwatching brochures.
Eluanbi
(Éluánbí),
Sheding Nature Park
and
Manjhou are prime spots.
Longluan Lake
(Lóngluántán) has an educational
visitor
centre
and observation area.
The Hengchun Peninsula is one of the most important sites for raptor migration in East
Asia and is one of the top 20 raptor-migration sites worldwide. In a single autumn day,
over 50,000 raptors have been recorded flying overhead. Among the more famous to sail
the Kenting skies are the Chinese goshawks and grey-faced buzzards. Goshawks start ar-
riving early to mid-September on their journey south to Indochina. The best time and
place to see them is morning in Sheding Nature Park.
Around 10 October, grey-faced buzzards pass through the park, also on their way to
Indochina. The best times and places to see these 'National Day Birds' are Sheding in the
mornings, and Manjhou between 3pm and 6pm.
Cycling
Hengchun Peninsula is one of Taiwan's best cycling destinations, and it's important to
choose the right route to avoid the pollution in the industrial area. Hwy 26 from
Checheng to Kenting is congested and best avoided.
