While I’ve been absolutely addicted to my weekends in Taipei - thanks to the inviting craft beer scene and hipster neighborhoods the city is packed with - it was time to haul myself to the other tip of this wonderful island. To a region renowned for its sun-drenched beach playgrounds and ancient forests. Since we were strapped for time, we decided to take the High-Speed Rail(HSR) -which is the Taiwanese equivalent of the Japanese Shinkansen(Bullet train), making the journey itself as memorable as the destination.
Kaohsiung: Confucius & Craft Beers!
Our first stop on the trip was at Kaohsiung, where the High-speed rail ended its journey. As Taiwan’s second largest city after Taipei, Kaohsiung is the lesser-known travel destination most people overlook in favor of the capital. But beneath the cover of this sleepy seaside city lies a treasure trove of undiscovered gems. But since we were here only for one night as a stopover, - and we had our priorities set - we chose to do just one of the many sightseeing points and dedicate the rest of the evening to exploring the blossoming Craft beer scene in this port city!
Lotus Pond - Reverse your Fortune
The scenic pond in the north of the city has been a popular destination since the Qing dynasty and is well known for the 20 or so temples dotting the shoreline and nearby alleys. The majority of these structures are garishly kitsch, but picture-perfect for your Instagram wall! At night they're illuminated, creating multicolored reflections in the water. Since we didn't have too much time at hand, we stopped at the most scenic spot - that was extending out onto the pond itself - The Dragon & Tiger Pagodas. According to local belief, you will be blessed with good luck & fortune if you Enter the Dragon’s mouth and Exit the Tiger’s mouth. This auspicious custom has got locals and tourists running straight into the mouth of the dragon and out from the tiger’s mouth to reverse one’s fortune from bad to good. And being fans of Bruce Lee and Sylvester Stallone, of course, we fell for this exercise too! :-)
Craft Beer Crawl
While there were more than half a dozen places to sample fine ales from the region as well as around the world, we hand-picked four of the best joints most preferred by locals as well as expats alike. They were Hoppy Craft beer, Craft Bar, Zhang Men Brewery, and Foster Heweitt’s. All of them lived up to our high expectations and we were delighted to be treated to some of the finest hops and malt before hitting the road south where Taiwan beer was most probably going to reign supreme! Our personal favorite was the Zhang men's brewery - not only because of the wonderful selection of brews but also because of the lovely ambiance and mood. Highly recommended pitstop for all lovers of beer!
Hengchun - A dose of History, Heritage & Hops
After a good night’s sleep, we hit the road in a private chartered taxi to the Southern Peninsula of Hengchun. The first stop was in Hengchun Old Town - which labels itself as an “Ancient Town”. Built-in 1873 during the late Qing Dynasty - the town was occupied by the Han Chinese during the Dutch occupation earlier. The brick-façade city wall - was built by the Qing Dynasty government for protection against anticipated attacks by the world’s colonial powers and to intimidate the region’s rebellious indigenous population one of the best-preserved ruins of its kind in Taiwan. A total of 2.7km of the wall and gates has been preserved.
Among all the gates, the East gate is the best preserved of the four.
You can also stop by at the Southgate and do a pit stop at the nearby lovely Cafe 1918 - which is housed in a heritage building originally built in 1918 to house a credit union - for a hot cup of Java before proceeding further.
3000 Brewseum
The next stop was at Taiwan’s only beer museum, on Hengchun’s west side, which is also home to a craft beer brewery. Even though I had read enough about it, I was quite stunned by the soaring wall lined with 3,000 beer mugs/steins sourced from around the globe, and another with a giant Mona Lisa made of only beer-bottle labels! You can also taste the brewery’s numerous creations on tap, all named after Hengchun-area places, or drop by the upstairs museum that covers the history of beer with invaluable beer-related souvenirs from Egyptian mead-making period to WW-II era beer stuff! #BeerBliss #HoppingHappiness.
Kenting: Get a dose of Vitamin Sea!
The tropical coast of Kenting might probably be the reason why the Portuguese named this island “Formosa” - which means ‘Beautiful Island’ literally. Loaded with stunningly beautiful beaches, ancient forests, lush green parks, mystical mountains, and fishing harbors - the whole area (called Hengchun Peninsula) is one of the most picturesque on the entire island! And my pictures below don't do enough justice!
With white beaches, palm trees, and gorgeous tropical water, Kenting is the pulse of Taiwan’s beach scene, making it a popular tourist spot in every season. Apart from just chilling on the beach or taking a dip in the warm waters, there are plenty of beach activities too like jet skiing, tube rides, or bopping about on a banana boat. Unfortunately, since we didnt have too much time at our disposal to enjoy all these we just drove through the spectacular coastline, stopping at a few select sites called out below.
Baisha Bay
Our first stop was at the Baisha Beach, located in the Baisha Bay. ‘Bai’ means white and ‘sha’ means sand. So Baisha Bay means “White Sand” Bay - so named because of its long white-sand beach with a couple of beach bars and simple eateries at its northern end, and water-fun rental facilities at different points. Be prepared to be overwhelmed by the tourist crowd as this is a popular spot not just for local tourists but also a big favorite of the Mainlanders!
Note: Adding to Baisha Bay’s popularity is the fact that it was a shoot location for Hollywood director and Taiwan native Ang Lee’s huge hit “Life of Pi”. When Pi finally drifts ashore on a beautiful deserted white-sand beach in tropical Mexico, He was actually here!
Nanwan (South Bay)
Nanwan is the busiest beach in the Kenting area located in a big, busy bay that you’ll see by the road as you pass Hengchun, just a few minutes before you enter Kenting town. While the place might come off as a bit beaten down, it offers the convenience of hotels, restaurants, a 7-11, as well as 2 scooter rental shops right in front of the sea. Worth a quick stop for sure.
Lunch with a View!
Apart from a quick photo-op, the main reason we pulled over at Nanwan Beach was Piccolo Polpo - a chic Italian bistro - with an unfettered beach-action view through its large windows. Of Course, Continental European entrees might not be the dining selection you want to indulge in- when in Southern Taiwan, the location and the view give you enough convincing reasons to do so.
Wander around a Lighthouse
After lunch, we continued along the coastal highway to The Eluanbi Lighthouse. Also known as “The Light of East Asia” - as it overlooks the southernmost point of Taiwan - it is one of the top 8 landmarks in Taiwan. Interestingly enough, it is also one of the few fortified lighthouses in the world. To this day, the lighthouse is armed and a trench surrounds it. If you stroll around a bit, you might even spot a few gun holes in the walls. In addition, the Eluanbi Lighthouse is surrounded by beautiful gardens and has a gorgeous panorama of the Ocean
Chuan Fan Shi - Corals and More!
From the lighthouse, we tracked our way to the main city and after a few stops on the way to click a few more Instagram candidates, we stopped at the Chuan Fan Shih. The site is famous for its magnificent piece of coral reef rock which stands solo in the midst of other coral reef rocks and ombre blue waters. What I absolutely love about this place is that the colors you see from my photos are exactly the colors your eyes see in real life. The colors of the ocean really consist of the different shades of blue. Extremely breathtaking and beautiful!
CHECK-IN - Chateau Beach resort
Since we had been on the road since morning, we were a bit tired by now and it was time to put our feet up for a bit. So we checked into our crib for the night - The Chateau Beach Resort. This famed facility stands between Highway 26 and the coast on the western edge of Kenting town. First and foremost, it is known for the quality of its beachfront. It sits on Da’wan (“Big Bay”) – as opposed to the “Small Bay” on Kenting’s eastern side – and has a 2.8km beach, privately leased for exclusive Chateau use. This soft-sand beach is considered by many to be the national park’s finest.
If you get lucky and are rewarded with an ocean-view room it is extremely difficult to pull yourself out of the room as the mind-blowing views from the balcony are wickedly seductive enough to never let you get out!
Sundowner - Chill out like a General!
Every city has its iconic landmarks. Gloria Manor’s breathtaking greenery and tranquil setting is one of Kenting’s iconic landmarks. Ever since I landed in Taiwan, I've been dreaming of coming to this place and finally, after almost half a year, managed to pull it off. Being located within the Kenting National Park on the original site of Kenting House - General Chiang Kai Shek’s vacation house in the south - makes this place even more special. The countless stories that have been created at Kenting House have contributed to the establishment’s rich history.
During the day, guests are faced with stunning views of the magnificent Mt. Dajian - a mountain that could easily compete with the Jade Mountain of St.Lucia in the Caribbean or the Needle Mountain of Maui in Hawaii for the title of “The Most Mystical Mountain”.
At night, the sky is painted with countless stars and the silhouette of the magical mountain fosters and the calming ocean fosters an atmosphere of utter peace. And with a cold beer or a well-crafted cocktail, it's easy for one to lose track of time and space and fall into a limbo of pure tranquility. And that's exactly what we did at their Mu Lounge’s outdoor deck!
Xiaowan Beach: Breezy Beachside Beers
Since we were not here to lounge at a laidback mountainside bar for an entire evening, we forced ourselves to peel away from Gloria Manor to head out to Kenting’s eastern end - to a lovely Beach bar nestled in a pretty sheltered cove called the Xiaowan (“Small Bay”) beach, Belonging to the Caesar park hotel - that is located across the highway separating them - the bar’s wide-deck wood-theme creates a romantic charm at night. The perfect place to chill with your favorite drink, while savoring the ocean breeze, and feel yourself transported to the South Pacific.
Kenting Street: Night Bender on the road!
Highway 26 acts as the town’s main street, and as the sun retires over the western horizon local residents don vendors’ hats and line both sides of the road with food stalls. Backing them are scores of bricks-and-mortar enticements, with everything from cafés, bars, and restaurants to indie-designer jewelry and craft shops.
But the most unique show unwinds at the eastern edge of the street. Boat sides of the road are filled with small trucks which, once the shutters on the back cabins are lowered, magically become bars and pizzerias by night! Owners set up seating alongside for you to chill out sipping your drink and watching the world go by. The Bar trucks are stocked with beers & famous spirits brands, and the pizza trucks have flatbed-mounted brick pizza ovens. With unique decorations, bright shiny lights, amazing cocktail lists, and thumping music, there’s no reason not to grab a cocktail or beer here. By far one of the best ‘Bar streets’ I have been to in the world and perfectly suited for a Night bender on the road - literally! #NightBendersOnTheRoad
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