What to do in Kenting, Taiwan?
A better way to travel Kenting? Check out the tours by the professional guides here!
If you are thinking about travelling to Kenting for 3 days 2 nights, this page is for you! We travelled around Taiwan in May 2015 and spent 3 days in Kenting and of course we had lots of fun! That?s why we want to share with you here!
Kenting is located in the Hengchun Peninsula of Pingtung County in Taiwan, with beautiful landscapes around. If you are a person who likes adventure and the beach, then you must come here!
Day One
Upon arrival to Kenting, we checked into our minsu and rented a scooter for 2.5 days for our entire stay. Don?t have to worry if you feel it?s not safe, it?s like riding the bicycle just that it?s operated by battery and the speed is capped at 30km/h.
Here are we all excited about scooting off to explore Kenting!
What to do in Kenting #1 – Rent a scooter and explore the various place!
From Kenting, we scooted off to Hengchun which is about 20 minutes away by scooter and arrived at a famous bun place (as recommended by the minsu reception).
If you are travelling from Kenting, Xiao Du Bao Zi (????) will be on the left side of the road so be sure to look out for it!
It was crowded even in the afternoon! Lots of different choices of buns available, there are sweet ones and also savory ones. We bought two buns, one custard-filled, the other one is filled with a huge pork ball. The bun was soft and delicious, it goes really well with the filling. Definitely a must try if you are in here!
Yummmmmmmmmy!
Tummies are filled! It?s now time to continue the journey.
We continued scooting in Hengchun (be very careful as there are more traffic in Hengchun than Kenting) to look for a place to recharge the scooter.
There are various charging stations for scooters in Hengchun and Kenting, so be sure to ask the scooter rental guy for a map of these locations! You definitely do not want your scooter to be out of battery!
We left the scooter to charge and off we go to look for some more food! It takes about an hour to get the battery fully charged. So just nice, when we return, the bike is ready to va-va-voom again!
Hengchun has a rustic feel to it, it?s busier than Kenting and there are more shops around too! Local stores set up by the side of the road, restaurants and even book stores are available too.
As we went there a little late, there were not many food choices left for us to choose so after walking around for about 30 minutes we headed back to Kenting Main Street where there was a stretch of night market for us to buy our food from!
Night market here we come!!!
Kenting Main Street is where the main activities are, night markets, pubs, restaurants, pharmacy, pop-up stores that sells accessories and many more!
For us, it?s more about eating!
Yummy sweet potato balls!
The night market even has games for you to play and prizes to be won! (of course, you need to pay before you can play).
Look at this game. You need to throw darts at water-filled balloons at a distance and you win a prize for the number of balloons you burst.
Each round you are given 15 darts and costs 50NT per game. Too bad we didn?t play but we stood aside to be spectators and saw someone won a plushie!
It’s almost impossible to find these games in Singapore anymore. It is fun seeing these old school games come alive here in Kenting.
What to do in Kenting #2 – Explore Kenting Main Street!
Day Two
We started our day late as we were exhausted from the previous day. It was already almost 12pm by the time we came out to look for food.
Just take a look at the plate!
We ate to our hearts? content and continue scooting off to the Nan Wan (where all the sea sports take place) about five minutes away from Kenting Main Street.
It was such a beautiful day! Once we parked our scooter we were immediately approached by one of the sea sports seller (talk about being efficient)! She recommended us a promotional package for three activities at 1000NT, original price was 1500NT and so we bought it.
But I?m pretty sure she sells everyone the promotional package and still earns a profitable margin.
She then set up an big umbrella for us to rest while the jet ski coach gets ready. There was even an oceanpack bag to put your belongings in it so it won?t be wet. Life jackets and head gears were provided to protect ourselves in case of accidents.
We rested for about 10 minutes to get ready our hearts for the sea sports.
First up was jet ski!
We sat behind the jet ski coach who was really skilled in maneuvering the machine. With wind in our hair and the sea around us, we enjoyed ourselves so much! The coach even spinned around on the sea with the jet ski!
The next two activities were quite similar in which we sat on the float which is pulled by the jet ski. I wasn?t prepared for such a bumpy ride, and screamed my head off throughout the entire time! Nonetheless, it was really fun!
Here?s us after the sea sports!
Of course what?s going to the beach without actually walking on the beach along the shore?
While Marcus had fun crashing the waves….
I enjoyed walking on the sand barefoot!
What to do in Kenting #3 – Challenge yourself to some water sports!
Thankfully we didn?t eat overly full for brunch! If not we would have puked our food out during the sea sports. We washed up at the rinsing area (you have to pay 20NT per person to enter) and scooted off for some yummy sashimi in Houbihu! There is more than just one store that sells sashimi, so you can take your pick!
We chose the shop where we can charge our scooter for free while having our meal there.
Check out the sashimi slices! Only 200NT for a plate!!
So so sooooo gooood!
We ordered salmon soup and a bowl of rice to go along too!
It was already in the late afternoon when we ate so we didn?t want to eat too much but still, ordered another plate of sashimi after we finished the first one. You can?t find such fresh sashimi at this place here in Singapore! So glad that he brought me have the sashimi!
With our tummies stuffed, we headed back to Kenting Main Street. Though Maobitou was very near Houbihu, we decided to skip it because the sun sets around 6pm and we wanted to head to Eluanbi Park which is at the other end of the island. According to the scooter charging station map, there was a charging station near to Eluanbi Park. We rode to the station was supposedly at but we couldn?t find it, so we thought it will be better to go to the next station which was just five minutes away at the cafe.
It was a relief to have finally reached the station but the cafe was closed, and there wasn?t any form of electricity available! We hurried along to the next station which was another 5-10 minutes away and pray that the scooter doesn?t go flat on us. We finally reached the station, one that has electricity so we could now charge the scooter in peace. Charging the scooter takes about 40 minutes, so we took this time to explore the area around Chuanfanshi (Sail Rock).
We were quite a distance away from getting close to the rock, so we walked on some grass and ta-da!
Typical tourist thing to do is jump shot! So check out ours too!
With time to spare, we bought some snacks to eat by the sea, chips and drinks and at the same time it was sunset! It was a rather beautiful sight.
What to do in Kenting #4 – Have a snack by the sea and soak in the sunset!
After our snacks and checked that the scooter is not fully charged, we took off once again! This time round from Chuanfanshi all the way to Hengchun, to a place called Chuhuo (??).
We wanted to come to this place to see the first day but the GPS brought us to a dark route which we didn?t felt safe enough to continue so we left. So the next day we decided to try our luck again using another route provided by the GPS and here we are!
Chuhuo is a place recommended by the owner of the scooter company, a place with natural gas emitting from the ground through mud cracks. To our surprise there were quite a number of groups that came too!
Let?s take a closer look!
We didn?t stay here for a long time as I was attracting mosquitos (Chuhuo is in a forested area) and to walk back out we need to use a torchlight. Came back to where we parked our scooter at for a last shot of Chuhuo.
What to do in Kenting #5 – Visit Chuhuo! Perhaps you can do a BBQ there (though not advisable)!
From Chuhuo we headed back to Hengchun, this time dessert came first! It?s shaved ice with yam ball!
And back to Kenting Main Street for night market snacks again! Here?s how it looks like at night.
Day Three
Waking up to day 3 which is also our last day in Kenting before heading back to Taipei. We got up early enough to have breakfast in a local store which sells sandwiches,coffee and tea. We aim to conquer the Eluanbi Park today as we failed to do so yesterday.
After our breakfast, we set off on a 20 minutes scooter ride to Eluanbi Park, paid 10NT to park our scooter and 80NT altogether for the entrance fee for two and here we are!
Eluanbi Park is the southernmost point of Taiwan with its main attraction being the lighthouse, kissing rock and of course the walking track with trees on both sides! The park was created in 1982 to cater to people visiting the southernmost point of Taiwan and to get close to the Pacific ocean too!
There are different attractions in the park itself, like a viewing point of the sea whereby you can climb on the rocks to take photos on. Just be sure you step on solid rock and be quick as there will be many people waiting to take photos.
There?s the kissing rock too. Originally they were coastal reefs which had been eroded by waves over time forming the kissing rock.
Good thing that there were clear signs to lead you to another place! We would definitely get lost if not for those signs. Oh yes, get ready your mosquito repellent too!
Explored the area a little while and we decided to head over to the lighthouse!
The Eluanbi lighthouse is one of the highlights in Kenting, it?s built between the Pacific Ocean and the Taiwan Strait and is open to the public all year round! We tok this opportunity to take some photos at one of the main attractions of Kenting.
That?s the lighthouse behind us!
Thankfully there weren?t many people like us having a mini photoshoot at this area, if not we would have a problem getting a clear view with nobody around. There were tourists walking about here and there but overall, not much disturbance to the fun we were having.
We decided to walk down a little further and there, lies the beautiful blue ocean!
What a lovely visit we had at the Eluanbi Park!
What to do in Kenting #6 – Visit the southernmost point of Taiwan – Eluanbi Park!
All fun must come to an end, we each bought ourselves a coconut drink on the way out as it was so hot! We even got a tan!
Rode back to Kenting Main Street to return our scooter and it?s time for us to leave this beautiful place.
Till the next time we meet again Kenting!
Anything else in Kenting?
Kenting Forest Recreation Area – Explore the forested area of Kenting!
Maobitou – For magnificent ocean views and to watch waves crashing onto the shore!
Szechung River Hot Springs – Enjoy hot spring baths for easing stiff muscles and promote circulation!
Where to stay in Kenting?
Hotels and Minsus (homestay) are widely available in Kenting. You can book in advance or just walk in to one of the places for accommodation upon your arrival here. However do take note that some hotels and minsus are rather far away from the attractions.
For us, we walked into Xingji Hostel along Kenting Main Street, negotiated a price for our two nights stay and checked in! It?s that simple!
We didn?t do much research on where to stay in Kenting as we know there will be abundance of minsus to choose from. Glad that our room was very comfortable, no complaints at all!
We got it at NT$950 for a night. It is located right beside the Kenting Main Street where the night market was. Everything is convenient. At this price, we simply love this minsu!
Well, apart from not having an elevator and we had to carry our belongings to the third floor. This is how our room looks. Cute right?
Visitors? Info
How to go to Kenting?
For us, we took the Taiwan Rail to Xinzuoying which is located in Kaohsiung.
Upon arrival, we bought a bus ticket at the counter and took the bus to Kenting. Bus ride was around 2 hours and 20 minutes, alight at Xiaowan and you will find yourself on Kenting Main Street!
Alternatively, you can hire a taxi from Xinzuoying, the driver will also take you directly to Kenting too!
How to travel around Kenting?
Scooters / Motorbikes
Scooters and motorbikes are the main form of transport in Kenting. You don?t need a license to ride the scooter as the speed is only capped at 30km/h, however you do need a licence if you want to ride the motorbike.
Scooters are readily available for rent! Check with the scooter company the places where you can charge your scooters because you want the it to run out of battery! Do ask for a helmet too!
Car
You can rent a car or hire a taxi driver for your few days in Kenting but do check the prices first.
Yay or Nay?
Yay:
If you are adventurous, a nature-lover and loves the sand, sea and fun, you will love it here! We love the freedom to travel around Kenting on our scooter that brings us to most places.
No complaints on food. In fact, we still miss the sashimi there.
We are there during the summer season from March onwards. We got the right period. Avoid ‘winter’ or rainy seasons which are from October to February. Kenting is no fun without sun and sea!
Nay:
Not really. Kenting will be on our destination list whenever we come to Taiwan!
Lastly! One jump shot to round up this beautiful Kenting trip!
Looks great. Going there next week and wanted to see what was there. Great photos (except too many Arsenal shirts). Was wondering if there is any Cantonese there or just English and Mandarin?
haha… We’re Arsenal fans, that’s why too many Arsenal shirts. It is mostly Chinese and a little English. Not so much of Cantonese. But the people there are nice. They will try to help you regardless of any language you use. Next week is October period, and weather is starting to get cooler. Get as much as sun and as you can before its winter. Enjoy yourself!
Hi,
can i know the cost of the bus ride?
Hi! Do you need a license to rent the scooters in Kenting since it is operated by battery and cap at max 30km/hr?
Hi Sara,
Nope, don’t need license to ride the scooter (run on electricity). But you need a motorbike license to rent the motorbike (run on petrol). Have fun in Kenting!
It is 50 cc…
doesn’t need license
It is like 50 cc…
doesn’t need license
I’m here now and it’s late November 2015 and it’s totally fine. The sun, beach, and sea are still all enjoyable. Less mosquitoes too for it’s cooler weather. It was still 30C during the day and cool breezy nights. I believe this is a better time to come. It’s low season so hostels, homestays, and hotels can be as low as less than 40% compared to the high season rates. I’m staying at a hostel right in the center of Kenting for $299nt/nt! I’m a solo traveler so hostels are better for me financially and I’d get to meet fellow travelers from all over the world. Your homestay room is lovely for that price in high season, good for you! From all your exploring, I’m surprised you didn’t spend some time on the beach which is one of the main reasons why we come here. Kenting main beach and Little Bay are all walking distance from the main area. Sunset at the main beach is awesome! To those who wanna save on scooters, there’r shuttle buses. Just be wary of the schedule. Day pass is $150nt if you wanna hop on and off. Later than 7pm, no more buses! Cheaper than scooters also are bicycles. More exercise for you though. So it’ll depend on what type of traveler you are. Cheaper food? 7-11, Hi-Life, and Family Mart are all here. I wanna try that sashimi you had though. Looks so good! I’m spending 45 days in Taiwan. It’s not enough! Do the 90 days if you can. I don’t speak Chinese so the experience becomes more authentic, funny and adventurous at times. The Taiwanese are so friendly. It’s also a very safe place to visit. And the food, Omg! I love Taiwan!
Thanks Rich! Thanks for sharing your experiences over at Kenting now!
Hi,
Will the bus announce that you have reached xiao wan? It’s a bustop? or a station? Also, may I check once you alighted at ?? after boarding the KT express bus, how did you travel to the minsu (Xingji)? Is it walking distance? As I am unfamiliar with the roads?
Hi Priscillia, the bus will announce when it reached Xiao Wan. The bus uncle will shout “xiao wan”, so remember to alight when you heard it! From there, it is a walking distance to the MinSu. And there’s a whole stretch of minsu for you to choose as well. If you lose your way, you can get help from the people there, as most of them are quite nice. 🙂 Have fun in Kenting!
~Marcus
Can you recommend me the place you rented your electronic scooter?
Hi Joey! I forgot the name of the place that rent scooter. We rent our scooter from a contact from our hotel, the Xinji hotel. There are other electronic scooter rental shops there also. 🙂
Hi! May i know if it is easy to navigate? Did u all use gps? Does it come together with the scooter rental?
Lastly, how long before the scooter runs out of batt? Thanks!
Hi! Thanks for writing in!
1) Easy to navigate?
Kenting is quite easy to go around. If you rent a scooter like us, it is really easy to go anywhere you want.
2) Did we use gps?
Yes, we have Google maps on our mobile phone. We did buy the Taiwan SIM card when we arrive in Taipei and that allows us to access internet anywhere in Taiwan. But if we don’t have GPS, can we still travel around? I would say yes. We do have map given by our min su. The route is quite easy. You just follow the direction, that’s wall. No complicated junctions or highway exits.
Oh, and they don’t give gps with scooter rental.
3) Scooter runs out of battery?
Yes, our scooter runs out of battery a couple of times, and its normal. It runs out about 2 hours of traveling. But we don’t have to worry about that as there are charging stations all over Kenting. Although not a lot of charging locations, I would say they are strategically located. It means I can park my scooter there to charge, and go for sightseeing or water sports. When I come back, my scooter is already charged, and I’m ready for my next journey!
Hope these tips help! ~ Marcus & Valerie
How much is the scooter rental? Per day? 3d2n?
Charging are al free?
Without scooting experience, & carrying ur gf behind u, is it safe to navigate/control ur scooter?
If i rent bicycle for nt150 instead, is there high & low in the landscape of kenting/hengchun that will make my cycling exhausting? Is nt150 per day price?
If i take bus, meaning after 7pm i have nowhere to go?
Is the kenting main beach within walking distance to main street night market?
The kenting main street night market is quite small right?
Do u suggest to stay near the kenting main beach or main street night mkt?
Many thanks marcus
Hey Kevin! Thanks for the questions! Let me help you 1 by 1 🙂
1) How much is scooter rental?
I forgot the exact price we pay, but it is about 600 to 800 TWD a day. We rent it with the minsu we are staying in. The person is also nice, in that he let us rent for a few more hours on the last day as well.
2) Charging all free?
There are charging stations at some strategic locations in Kenting. Strategic because some charging stations are beside restaurants or shops. You need to pay a small amount (about 20TWD) to charge your bike, but if you buy some small stuff (e.g. snacks) from them, then they let you charge for free. Strategic yea?
3)Is it safe?
I can say it is generally safe. If you ride a bicycle before and you can balance well, then it is safe, provided that you ride safely as well. Yea, my girlfriend is sitting behind and it is okay for her too. The scooter travels at only maximum 30km/hr, which is not very fast.
4) Bicycle rental
I’m not sure about bicycle rental as I didn’t see many bike rental shops, but instead saw lots of scooter and motorbike rental. I assume scooter and motorbike is more popular and more convenient. Kenting is ‘not that small’, and from one end to the other end, I still need like 30-40min or scooter ride (at 30km/h). If you use the bicycle, I think it may be very tiring. Mountainous wise? Not really.
5) After 7pm, you can walk along the Kenting Night market. Hengchun is quite happening at night too. You can go to Chu Huo to experience live fire!
6) Kenting main beach is not within walking distance to main street night market. If you want to walk, may take like 30 min?
7) Kenting main street night market is the only night market I know in Kenting. If compare to the night markets in other parts of Taiwan, like Taipei, Tainan or Kaoshuing, it is definitely smaller.
8) If I were to go back to Kenting again, I will still choose to stay neat Main street night market. Because it is convenient to and fro from Zuoying station. It has more life at night at the mainstreet also, compared to the beach.
Hope you enjoy Kenting!
~Marcus
Hi Marcus,
thanks for your thoughtful inputs!
i know the transportation is from kenting main station, do u know where is it?
looks like it stops at HSR Zuoying? what if i wana go to Kaohsiung airport?
thanks a lot!
Hi Kevin,
For the exact location at Kenting main station, i think you can ask the helpdesk there. I haven’t been to Kaohsiung airport before too. Sorry can’t help you here.
Hi! I’d be heading to Kenting this June, and just wondering:
1. How much time did you spend on the water sports as well as in Eluanbi?
2. Are there any things to do in Hengchun besides eating/shopping? If so, would it be advisable to head to Hengchun in the evening for dinner?
Thanks in advance! 🙂
Hi Vivian, thanks for dropping by my blogpost on Kenting!
1. For the water sports, the water games are short, about 20-30 minutes. Cos we paid for it, so it ends when the activity is over. But we do hang around the beach ourselves, sun-tanning…etc. All in all, about 1-2 hours at the beach. For Eluanbi, we took our time walking about and exploring. Also about 1-2 hours.
2. HengChun is like a small town in Kenting area. Other than eating and shopping, really nothing much. If you do rent a bike, you can explore further, but we just go there to eat or ride around for sight-seeing. If you’re looking for dining area, yes, HengChun is a good place.
Enjoy your place at Kenting! ~Marcus
Dear Marcus & Valerie,
Just wanted to thank you for your great site! Very helpful & informative. I’m going to visit this Nov.
Regards,
Cory
Hi Marcus,
Great post! It’s really cheap for the rate you got for the hotel. I wonder the price is negotiable? Just checked in agoda and the rate is double of what you got. Sound like i’ll get a better rate if i walk in. is that so?
I’m going to Kenting then back to Kaohsiung, how long would you recommend to spend in kenting?
Tony
Hi Tony, yes, you can negotiate the price in Kenting, because we walked in, and we paid in cash, not through agoda. For Kenting, 1-2 days is fun enough. Have fun in Kenting!