Our Guide to Pingtung 屏東旅遊懶人包

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Pingtung is Taiwan's southernmost county, and includes the best beaches, the best outer island, some of the best mountains, rivers, and waterfalls, and also interesting historical and cultural sites. It should definitley be on your list on your next visit to Taiwan. 

When to go:
Pingtung is great year round, but it can get a little hot in the summer, and Typhoon season and the heavy rain season lasts from about May to October. If you are afraid of the heat and rain then you can visit during winter when the temperatures are mild and the climate is dryer.
Winters are windy and colder, but the water is still warm enough to swim in. Winter is a better time for activities like hiking and surfing.

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 1 south to the bottom of Taiwan until it becomes Pingtung. 
Looking for scooter rental in Pingtung? Click here or here to search for options.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search here. 
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. ​
By Bus: You can book tickets to Pingtung via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here. You can book tickets to travel to Pingtung via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
By Plane: There are direct shuttle busses to Pintung from Kaohsing's Xiaogang (KHH) Airport. You can search for cheap flights in Taiwan here. 

You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here.  

Accommodation:
Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
I have stayed at many hostels and hotels in Kenting, and even almost bought a house here. Some places that I have stayed at and can recommend are Nanwan Kiki (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here), a B&B next to Nanwan Bay, Kenting's most popular Beach. There are also a few decent hotels near Kenting Street Night Market like Kenting Star Inn 888 (book on Agoda here, Klook here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Booking.com here), or Kenting Dajianshan Hotel (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here). You will notice that none of these hotels are five star resorts (I do not come to Kenting to waste my time at a resort, but you can still search Agoda, Booking.com, Hotels.com, or Expedia for those) but they are in my opinion the above have the best value for the money. 

How to get around in Pingtung:
1. Rent a scooter - the best way to see Taiwan. Electric scooters that do not require a license are also readily available. For better range and speed, rent a gas scooter. You can search for scooter options here or here, and you can check out our scooter rental guide here. 
2. Rent a car - more expensive than a scooter but may be more suitable for a large family. You can search for car rentals here or here, or check out our car rental guide here. 
3. Take the bus - cheap but slower than your own transportation, and it doesn't stop everywhere. 
4. Cycle - you can rent a bicycle or bring your own. This is a great way to enjoy the scenery at a slower pace. 
5. Hire a taxi - more expensive than a rental car but perhaps more convenient. You can also search for a car charter service here or here. 

Tours and Activities in Pingtung:
There are many activities available in Kenting, such as snorkeling, diving, SUPing, surfing, submarine riding, and river tracing. 
You can find more tours of Kenting on Klook here or KKday here. 
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Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. 

Here is a current list of places we have visited in Pingtung. Please note this blog is still a work in progress. For the most recent list of our blogs on Pingtung, click on the category tab here. 
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Xiaoliuqiu Island 小琉球

Xiaoliuqiu (aka Little Liuqiu, Lamay Island, or Lambai Island) is a small island paradise off the southwestern coast of Taiwan. The island is known for its clear water, amazing coral reefs, white sand beaches, and quiet laid back atmosphere. Only a short half hour boat ride from the Taiwan mainland, the island is easily accessible. In addition, the island is small enough that you can round the entire island by scooter in a matter of minutes.

You can read our entier guide to Xiaoliuqiu here.
You  can also check out our guide to Taiwan's outer islands here. 

Kenting 墾丁

Yes, you should go to Kenting. Kenting has some of the best natural scenery in Taiwan, from beautiful white sand beaches that are warm year round to limestone mountains with hundreds of caves and waterfalls to explore. Although it may not be a world class beach resort destination yet, it should definitely be on your list on your trip to Taiwan. 
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See our full guide to Kenting here.

Donggang Huaqiao Seafood Market 東港華僑魚市場

Donggang's Huaqiao Seafood Market is a popular place to shop and eat in Dongang Township of Pingtung. It is also right next to the ferry terminal to Xiaoliuqiu (Lamay Island) which is just a few kilometers offshore. Because of this, the seafood market is usually packed with people. Popular foods here include sashimi, fried fish balls, oyster omelets, and crab cakes. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Pingtung, or on the way to Xiaoliuqiu. 
See our full guide to Huaqiao Seafood Market here. 

Donggang Huaqiao Seafood Market 東港華僑魚市場

The Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park in Machia Township of Pingtung is a large area in southern Taiwan that has traditional aboriginal villages, museums, exhibitions, live performances, artwork, and indigenous cuisine, as well as amazing mountain scenery. If Taiwan's biggest tourism draw is indigenous culture, then this place is a must stop on your trip to Taiwan. 
See our full blog to Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park here.

Checheng Zhenan Temple 車城鄉統埔村鎮安宮

Checheng Zhenan Temple is an important place for Taiwanese fold religion and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Checheng Township of Pingtung. It is dedicated to Guanyu, a deified military general from the Eastern Han Dynasty of China. It is the most prominent landmark on highway 199 from Taitung to Pingtung. 
For our full blog on Checheng Zhenan Temple, click here. 

Gaoping Old Iron Bridge 高屏舊鐵橋

The Gaoping Old Iron Bridge (aka Lower Tamsui River Iron Bridge 下淡水溪鐵橋) is a disused railway bridge across the Gaoping River, formerly connecting Kaohsiung to Pingtung. The bridge was retired in 1987 in favor of a new electrified bridge, and the center section of the bridge was washed away during Typhoon Haitang in 2005. At the time of construction, it was the longest bridge in Asia and the first overland pathway created between Kaohsiung and Pintung. Originally planned to be torn down, it was saved by concerned residents on both sides of the river and now stands as a monument to the past. 
​For our full blog on Gaoping Old Iron bridge, click here.

Like the Gaoping Old Bridge, this blog is still a work in progress. For the most recent list of our blogs on Pingtung, click on the category tab here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.