By Nancy T. Lu / Taiwan News, Staff Writer
Flying directly from Taipei to Hengchun is the fastest way to get to Kending. But from time to time, the Fokker flights are diverted to Kaohsiung due to extremely strong winds. Passengers must then continue the journey by bus. The ride to the vacation paradise on the Hengchun Peninsula takes about two-and-a-half hours.
Tourists, therefore, mostly arrive via Kaohsiung. There are many more flights between Taipei and Kaohsiung. Bigger aircraft are used, too. Just outside the Kaohsiung airport, there are buses heading for Kending every 5 to 20 minutes.
When touring and exploring Kending, transportation availability makes a lot of difference. Tourists arriving in big groups are conveniently taken around by tourist buses. Families often prefer to drive around in private cars.
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| Tropical fish/Jasmine Huang |
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Hotels provide information on car rental and pickup locations. A good number of those who descend on Kending by public bus - especially young people - choose to rent motorbikes for practical reasons. The two-wheeled means of transportation rented at an average of NT$500 per day is a cheap way to go around. Pedal-pushing on the main road is not recommended for it is too dangerous. Scooters occasionally get thrown off the road by strong gusts in the windy Hengchun Peninsula.
A trip to Kending lasts usually for three days and two nights on the average. Better yet, choose a tour package requiring four days and three nights to have more time for leisurely sightseeing as well as water activities.
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| Rock waves /Tourism Bureau |
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The better-known hotels like Caesar Park Kenting and the Howard Plaza Kenting, with the Dajianshan Peak in the background, are located in the Siaowan area with its stretch of white beach. Right along the main road in Nanwan is the Swan Lake Resort Hotel Spa with ivy-covered
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swans, white or black, swim gracefully alongside boating guests. The rather rare natural hot spring at the site is its big come-on. Many private homes facing the sea also offer lodgings to visitors in Kending.
For dining, tourists can try the different places which line a portion of the main boulevard in Nanwan. But food, which goes the range in variety in Kending, can be more expensive here. Houbihu, only minutes by car from Nanwan Road, is famous for seafood freshly hauled in by the fishermen. Sashimi lovers easily satisfy their food cravings while visiting the fishermen's harbor. Some tourists buy dried flying fish to bring home from this place, too.
Nearby Hengchun likewise has restaurants serving fresh lobster and fish (such as sumei and cisingpan) at very reasonable prices. Pingtung residents, in fact, recommend meals at this town's row of eateries. Goose meat is a favorite local delicacy.
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