Kenting

Kenting is the beach town inside Taiwan's oldest national park, at the island's southern tip. It is Taiwan's warmest corner — swimmable most of the year — and suits travellers who want to end a Taiwan loop with sand, snorkelling and a night market. October to April avoids both typhoons and peak heat.

• Swim or surf at Baishawan (White Sand Bay) and Nanwan beach
• Snorkel the coral at Houbihu — glass-bottom boats for non-swimmers
• Walk to Eluanbi Lighthouse at Taiwan's southernmost point
• Kenting Street night market for grilled seafood after the beach

The sights spread along about 20 km of coast and public buses are slow, so rent a scooter or hire a driver to hop between beaches. Day tours from Kaohsiung bundle the transport if you'd rather not plan it.

There is no train to Kenting. Take the high-speed rail to Zuoying station in Kaohsiung — around NT$1,490 ($47) from Taipei — then the Kenting Express bus down the coast, about 2 to 2.5 hours and roughly NT$400 ($13). Shared shuttle vans cost a little more and drop you at your hotel door.

Kenting sits at the end of the line, so treat it as a 2-night finale rather than a day trip. The natural route runs down the west coast: Taipei first, then Tainan or Kaohsiung, then Kenting before flying out of Kaohsiung airport. See the Taiwan guide for full route ideas.