I live about 15 minutes from both Nanwan and Baisha, the two most popular beaches in the area. There are of course other beaches in Hengchun, notably the beaches closer to Kenting's night market, but Nanwan and Baisha are where most tourists get in the water.
What you read below is true for Nanwan and Baisha, the places where most people go to show off their new bikinis, ride a jet ski, or attempt surfing. What you read below isn't as true for other places near the ocean, so don't lose hope, OK?
Lame Things About Kenting Beaches
Getting There
For most of Taiwan just getting to Kenting is difficult. First of all there's the distance to contend with: 2 hours from Kaohsiung, 4 hours from Taichung and 5.5 hours from Taipei. Second of all there's the traffic, which can grow very intense on weekends. Third of all there are the transportation options. The closest train station to Kenting is in Fangliao*, about an hour north, and taking a bus from either Fangliao or Kaohsiung to Kenting takes 1-2 hours.
Does all of this mean that I hope they build a new train line or expressway to Kenting? HELL NO. This area is only scenic because it's hard to get to, and I'd rather leave the remaining trees in Fangshan, Shrdze, Checheng and north Hengchun where they are.
Finding a Place to Park
Parking at Baisha isn't so bad unless you're arriving there on a Saturday afternoon. Even if the parking lot across from the beach is full, there are plenty of auxiliary parking lots to the south.
Parking at Nanwan, however, can be an extreme challenge. As you approach the beach from the north the main parking lot is on your right, and yes, you have to pay to park there. This isn't normally a problem for me, but on weekends that parking lot is dangerously full of cars and buses, and getting in and out of it is hard. On busy Saturdays and Sundays the attendants ignore the parking lines drawn inside the lot, and instead regard every open space as fair game. To make matters worse there are countless tourists walking between the parked cars, and very few of them pay attention to what's going on around them.
There are auxiliary parking lots in Nanwan too, but most of these will be full of cars before you get there. These auxiliary lots are used by the hotels and homestays on the main road, and getting in and out of them usually isn't worth the trouble.
Parking on the sidewalk is possible on weekdays, but on weekends it's unlikely.
Too Many People
What's that you say? You don't like crowds? If so, it's probably better if you avoid both beaches. But if you're in town, and you or someone in your party is just dying to go to the beach, you definitely want to go to Baisha instead of Nanwan. Baisha can be crazy sometimes too, but it's not as consistently crazy as Nanwan.
I live in such a rural area that I don't really mind crowds. For me it's a nice change of pace. In the middle of summer weekends there are so many rented umbrellas open on Nanwan that you'll have trouble seeing the sand, and forget about trying to surf there. Baisha during the same summer weekends will be busy but tolerable.
Keep in mind, however, that one of the reasons Nanwan is more popular is the number of facilities there. There are restaurants right on the beach, a shower/bathroom not far away, and a 7-11 across the road. Baisha is farther from the tourist trail, and thus more rustic in character.
For my part I like sitting on the deck in front of the Nanwan restaurants and listening to people talk. I like hearing kids play in the sand. I'd avoid Nanwan on the busiest days because of the parking situation, but on moderate days I still like it.
Renting an Umbrella
If the sun is out, and you're staying at Nanwan or Baisha for any length of time, you'll need an umbrella for health reasons. That much UV radiation isn't good for anyone.
If you're ordering drinks, eating lunch or eating an early dinner at Nanwan, the umbrellas on the deck are free for paying customers provided the wind isn't too strong. If you want an umbrella on the beach it'll cost you 300 NT. I've never rented an umbrella at Baisha, but I assume it's the same price.
The lame thing about renting an umbrella? Some of the people renting them. They'll often idle their ATVs behind or in front of where you're sitting, oblivious to the fact that you might not want them there. But more on ATVs later...
That Damn "No Swimming" Flag
Imagine: you've driven to Nanwan or Baisha from Taipei. You got up super early that morning, with visions of beach fun running through your head. Then, when you get there? You find red flags flying in the sand, meaning that the lifeguards have arbitrarily decided that the undercurrent is too strong, or that the waves are too big.
Few things make me more frustrated than seeing those flags. I literally see red. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to why the lifeguards put them out, aside from a vague notion that a typhoon might be coming or that conditions are dangerous. They don't even go in the water to check. They just assume, and it's infuriating.
If you find yourself confronted with red flags, just know that there are other beaches in the area where you can probably still swim. Obviously if the water's really dangerous you should stay out of it, but those flags don't always mean anything. The other beaches I speak of aren't designated as swimming areas, but if you ask around you can find them relatively easily.
Lifeguards Who Can't Guard Lives
I'm importing a lot of my experience of Taitung beaches (Shanyuan) into this part of the conversation, but have you ever noticed that a lot of Taiwanese lifeguards can't really swim? Just watch them out on the water, and their anxiety is plain as day.
A lot of them are like a lot of other Taiwanese people, in that they learn to "swim" in swimming pools. Trouble is that there are no waves in swimming pools, and also no undercurrent or coral.
If you're out in the water it pays to know the conditions, and to know your own swimming ability. Don't expect any lifeguard to save you if the current starts to pull you out. Honestly, they might not even be paying attention. I'm sure some of them know what they're doing, but a lot of them clearly don't.
Inexperienced Surfers
If you're in the water, watch your head. This isn't a problem with Baisha, but Nanwan is THE place where people surf for the first time. Many of them have no idea what they're doing, and many of them have little or no control over their surfboards. They tend to cluster close together, and once a wave picks them up their actions become increasingly unpredictable.
At Nanwan they tend to gather near the north end of the beach, closer to the reactors. I'm a terrible surfer myself - so they have my sympathies - but if you're in the water and you're not surfing give them a lot of room.
Jet Skis and ATVs
For me this is the #1 lamest thing about Baisha and Nanwan. Were I running Taiwan, I would ban both kinds of vehicles from the entirety of the island.
Jet skis are loud, obnoxious vehicles that impact the environment in a number of ways. There's the noise for one, but also the fuel they inevitably leak into the water. There's also the damage their outflow can wreak on fragile coral reefs. The Nanwan reactor's impact on a very fragile ecosystem is bad enough, but the jet skis are just adding insult to injury.
Add to this the fact that they're just irritating. The workers renting or riding them invariably stray too close to shore, often endangering lives in the process. Do you even need a license to own or operate a jet ski? I highly doubt it.
ATVs are an added irritant. Their tires churn up the coastline, and people often drive them where they shouldn't. I believe they were recently banned from Haikou, up the coast in Checheng Township, and I'd love it if they were banned everywhere.
I've seen, by the way, people driving ATVs into protected areas of Kenting National Park. As long as people in the area are renting ATVs there will be a temptation to do this. And where else would tourists ride them?
Trash
Trash is a problem everywhere in Taiwan (and most of the rest of the world), but at least the people working in Nanwan and Baisha are making more of an effort to clean it up now. 10-20 years ago the situation was much worse.
This said, you'll likely find trash in the water or on the beach in either place. With so many visitors this is unavoidable. We're all swimming in the same oceans after all, and in Taiwan's case China is just across the water.
In a way the number of beachgoers in this area works in the beaches' favor. Because so many more people are visiting these areas, because they're a valued source of revenue, there's more incentive to keep them clean.
Paying Too Much for Food
If you're looking for a meal in either place prepare to pay more money for it. The restaurants in Nanwan and Baisha aren't exorbitantly expensive, but you'll definitely pay tourist prices for that hamburger, barbecue or seafood meal.
If I'm eating at Nanwan I always go to the Cowboy Bar and Grill, but in my opinion the only good thing on their menu is the burger. I've also eaten at Wild Kid across the way from there, and while it's better it's also really slow and really overpriced (like just about any barbecue restaurant). If you're in Baisha The Fisherman Restaurant is really good. The other places down that road offer snacks. I'm not sure if the restaurant on the other side of the beach is still open.
Can You Really Swim?
The problem with lifeguards is related to the general problem of most Taiwanese people being unable to swim. Have you seen any swimming classes in Taiwan? They practice in a pool that's at best only waist height, and very small to boot. Most people here, when ebb comes to flow, really can't swim.
I once had to rescue someone in the midst of Taitung's Flowing Lake Triathlon because the lifeguards weren't paying attention. I once had to swim out and rescue a kid in Baisha. The kid in question was attached to a swimming ring, and his father, who asked me to bring his son back, was unable to bring him back in.
You'll see a lot of people at Nanwan and Baisha who came to "play with water" more than they came to swim. This is fine as long as they know how well they can swim. Unfortunately you'll see a lot of junior and high school students throwing each other into the deep water as as a way of impressing the opposite sex. Sometimes they have to be rescued, and sometimes they even drown.
Instagram "Beauties"
I'm not going to complain too much about beautiful women in bikinis, but I sometimes see them at Nanwan and wonder why they're there. They very carefully walk to the edge of the water - never actually going in - and once there they take selfies for an astonishing length of time. As lame things go this isn't that lame, but married men beware - staring at them can be a source of trouble at home.
Sunburn
Wear sunscreen. It helps. I can't tell you how many times I've been sunburned at either of these beaches. 30 minutes of Kenting summer sun and most Caucasian people will be a worrying shade of pink. An hour of Kenting summer sun and you'll be a nice deep red the following day.
Going Nuclear
Yes, there's an active nuclear reactor north of Nanwan. It diminishes the view a bit, doesn't it? It's an old, hulking thing, but as far as I know it's not dangerous. As it happens I live right on the evacuation route for the reactor, so if anything goes down I'll be sure to write about it here... if I survive.
Sexual Frustration in the Age of Phone Addiction
I feel sorry for my daughters' generation. For that matter I feel sorry for anyone looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend at Nanwan or Baisha. People live so deep inside their phones now, and getting them to come out and interact with an actual human being is difficult. In the summer there are many beautiful bodies at these places, but getting to the people that inhabit these bodies in an age of Facebook, Line and online games is a tall order. I've seen plenty of the above-mentioned Instagram beauties completely engrossed in their own Facebook posts, to the point that they fail to realize that it's a sunny day, the water's perfect, and some handsome, lovestruck guy is trying to work up the courage to talk to them from a nearby table.
Personal Challenge: Leave your phone in the car next time.
Segregation?
This is something I only noticed recently. It doesn't happen all the time, but on occasion the patrons at Nanwan will segregate themselves by race, with all the foreigners on one side, closer to the Cowboy Bar and Grill, and all the Taiwanese people on the other side, closer to Wild Kid. Of course this perceived "segregation" has a lot to do with food preferences, and such preferences are more cultural than racial in origin, but still, it can be kind of sad to see at times. Perhaps one day we can all come together over hamburgers, or barbecue - whatever the food might be - but that day is not yet, and we are not ready.
Coral
No joke, some of the coral is SHARP. Not long ago I swam out from Baisha during low tide, put my hand down into some coral, and when I pulled it out it looked like I was holding a fistful of razor blades. Of course the salt water made the bleeding worse, but it scared the hell out of my wife just the same.
Another thing to watch out for is jellyfish. In the greater scheme of things they're relatively harmless, but swimming into a cloud of them feels like someone putting out cigarettes on your skin.
Obsessive Mask Wearing
Modern life, or another manifestation of Taiwanese hypochondria? At Nanwan and Baisha you'll see people wearing masks in the parking lot, people wearing masks in the concession area, and people wearing masks on the beach. Will you see people wearing masks in the water? Yep. They will wear those masks while riding surfboards, while riding jet skis, and while riding banana boats while thinking little of it.
This one makes me sad more than anything. I'm just not sure when people are going to feel safe again. I'm not sure when they'll be able to let the COVID paranoia go. I'm not trying to start a debate over national COVID policy, but hey, COVID isn't going anywhere and life is short.
The Bosses From Out of Town
This isn't something that most visitors are likely to notice, but I've observed several tourists behaving in a domineering manner toward local people. I guess they figure that they're on vacation, they have money to burn, and everyone is either there to serve them or ready to get out of their way.
If you're at the 7-11, wait in line like everyone else. If the cook at the restaurant is slow, give him more time to cook your food. If the old guy on the scooter is in your way, pass him in a safe manner. It probably goes without saying, but it's best to treat people the way you'd like to be treated, and to not regard them as a means to an end.
See You at the Beach?
In conclusion, I hope this entry hasn't put anyone off visiting the area. I just wanted to vent. For every lame thing above there's something good, and Nanwan or Baisha can be fun places to visit if you've come with the right set of expectations. Maybe I'll see you there, under a nearby umbrella or out among the waves.
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*There are actually three train stations south of Fangliao: Jialu, Neishr and Fangshan. These train stations are very small, only the local (slowest) trains stop there, and taking the bus from those stations would be a problem. There are no places renting scooters near those stations.
UPDATE 3/13/23: The Fishermen Restaurant has since moved. The other larger restaurant, the one next to the bar at the other end of the beach, is also closed for remodeling. At the time of writing the only place to get food in Baisha is the shack just in front of the entrance to the beach. Their menu consists of fried rice, fried noodles, instant noodles and burgers. I've had the fried rice. It wasn't awesome.
