The Best Hostels, Resorts, and Hotels in Kenting National Park

Kenting National Park in Pingtung county at the southern tip of Taiwan has some of the country’s best beaches and is one of my favorite places in Taiwan.

Choosing where to stay in Kenting can be a little tough. You’ll first need to narrow it down to which beach before you choose your hotel, resort, or hostel in Kenting.

In this article, I’ll introduce the main beaches in Kenting to help you decide. I’ll then give my recommendations for each accommodation type at each of those beaches.

For more general information about the sights in Kenting and how the get there, see my guide to Kenting National Park.

My Top Picks

Here are my most recommended hotels in Kenting from each category of accommodation.

Which Beaches to Stay at in Kenting

There are six beaches you could choose to stay at in Kenting National Park.

1. Kenting Main Beach: best selection of hotels and food (including Kenting Night Market), nice beach but can’t swim
2. Xiao Wan (Little Bay): right next to Main Beach, has two resorts, can swim
3. Nan Wan (South Bay): Closest to Kaohsiung, can swim, but has ugly nuclear plant beside it
4. Chuanfan Rock Beach (Sail Rock Beach): Further from Kaohsiung, can swim
5. Baishawan (Baisha Beach): More remote and limited amenities
6. Gangkou Beach: Very remote, surfing beach but no swimming

The Kenting Express bus from Zuoying HSR Station (Kaohsiung) makes stops at Nan Wan, Kenting Main Beach, Xiao Wan, and Chuanfan Rock.

There are also four colored shuttle lines operating inside the national park. For Baisha Beach, you’ll have to transfer to the Blue Line in Hengchun or Kenting Village. For Gangkou Beach, you’ll have to transfer to the Green Line in Hengchun. Here’s a map of the shuttle bus lines.

Best Hotels at Each Beach

I will now introduce each of the above beaches in more detail with my personal recommendations for where to stay at each one.

Kenting Main Beach

Kenting Main Beach (墾丁大街 kending da jie), also called Kenting Main Street or Kenting Village, is the thumping heart of Kenting National Park.

This is where you will find the highest concentration of accommodations from all price categories.

The beach here is the longest in the national park, but swimming is not technically allowed (you may be able to discreetly enter the water with no issue).

At night, Kenting Main Street comes alive with Kenting Night Market. Besides the usual treats, this is the most party-esque night market in Taiwan, with multiple cocktail stalls blasting electronic music. It’s nothing too wild, though, and still kid-friendly.

Best Hostel: Kenting Space Capsule (see on Booking / Agoda) has capsules for 1-2 people and private quad rooms available, right on Kenting Main Street, at the Western end of the night market.

Best Mid-Range Guesthouse: Kenting Moon Bay Hotel 月彎灣渡假旅店 (see on Booking / Agoda) I had a great stay at this lower mid-range hotel with rooms facing the sea, on a quiet street just off the night market. Search 月彎灣渡假旅店 to find it on GoogleMaps.

Best Family Resort: Chateau Beach Resort (see on Booking / Agoda) is the only hotel in Kenting Village which is right on the beach. It has a pool and chill bar facing the beach. However, for families, there are better choices in Xiaowan (see next section) at the opposite end of town, which are actually closer to the night market.

One of my Facebook group members also strongly recommended Mamalulu Guesthouse (see on Booking / Agoda). It has rooms in a large modern house just a short walk north of the night market.

Best Luxury Hotel: Gloria Manor (see on Booking / Agoda) is the most luxurious resort in Kenting National Park and one of my top-3 luxury hotels in all of Taiwan. It’s in a secluded location five minutes’ drive north (and uphill) from town.

Xiaowan (Little Bay)

Xiaowan is a very small but swimmable beach just a few steps east of Main Beach. You could consider it as part of Kenting Village and it is only five minutes’ walk from the eastern end of Kenting Night Market.  

There are only two resorts at Xiaowan and nothing else. Both resorts have private walking paths to the beach. However, the public can also use the beach.

There are beach umbrellas for rent and Beach Bar, one of the few proper beach bars in Kenting (and all of Taiwan, really). It’s especially romantic for sunset and at night.

Because of the beach access and two kid-friendly resorts, I consider this beach the best place to stay in Kenting for families.

Best Family Resort: Caesar Park Kenting (see on Booking / Agoda) is my top pick between the two resorts at Xiaowan, though it’s almost a tie. It’s just a little newer and nicer than the other one, although both are showing their age.

The resort has a children’s playroom, rock climbing wall, large pool, various activities on offer, and some rooms have hot tubs on the balcony.

Howard Beach Resort Kenting (see on Booking / Agoda) is a close second at Xiaowan and it’s really not a bad choice. It also has tons of children’s facilities including pool and mini spray park, playrooms, activities, them room options, and so on.

Howard also has a few rooms which are higher up, offering great sea views. It also has the option of the more exclusive Howard Beach Villa (see on Booking / Agoda), which is the most private and luxurious accommodation on this beach, if you have the budget for it!

Nanwan (South Bay)

If you’re looking for a quick and easy beach getaway from Kaohsiung, Nanwan is the first beach which the Kenting Express shuttle bus from Kaohsiung will reach in Kenting. It’s only a 10-minute drive before Kenting Main Beach.

Nanwan’s beach is very popular for swimming and water activities, but it can feel quite crowded on busy weekends (especially April long weekend and in summer). You can order drinks on the beach at this small bar.

The main con here is that there’s a nuclear power facility right on the bay. This can be a little unsettling, but I did my best to ignore it and still had a lovely weekend stay on this beach.

There are around 20 B&Bs across the highway from the beach, plus one 7-Eleven and a few restaurants.

Thus, you have everything you need here, but if you do want to head to Kenting Main Street for shopping or the night market, it’s just a short bus ride away.

Best Hostel: The First Nanwan Hostel (see on Booking / Agoda) has capsule-style dorms, some which even have sea views.

Best Mid-Range Guesthouse: Cat at Greece (see on Booking / Agoda) is my most recommended guesthouse in Nanwan. It has a Greek island theme, friendly owners, and is right next to 7-Eleven. If it’s full, Summer Delight, Pii Hostel, and Afei Surf Hostel are three other good choices.

Best Family Hotel: Meet You Nanwan (see on Booking / Agoda) has fun themed rooms for families, including pirates, Hello Kitty, Minions, and more. It’s in a great location right across from the beach.

There are no luxury resorts at Nanwan Beach, but if you search on Booking or Agoda you’ll find many more decent B&B options.

Chuanfan Rock Beach (Sail Rock Beach)

Sail Rock Beach (船帆石沙灘) is similar in terms of size and popularity to South Bay but it lies 5 minutes’ drive east of Kenting Main Beach in the direction of Eluanbi Lighthouse, and is thus a little further from Kaohsiung.

On the plus side, it feels a little more remote than South Bay and doesn’t have the nasty nuclear plant beside it.

Like South Bay, Sail Rock Beach has a busy beach with swimming and water activities, one 7-Eleven, a few restaurants, and 20-ish B&Bs to choose from. It also has a few resort options nearby.

The Kenting Express from Kaohsiung to Kenting goes here, as does the Orange Line of the Kenting shuttle.

However, if you want to go to places like Maobitou, Baishanwan beach, or Kenting Aquarium, you’ll need to ride the Kenting Express or Orange Line to Kenting Main Street first, then transfer to the Blue Line.

There are no hostels at Sail Rock Beach.

Best Mid-Range Guesthouse: Red Garden Resort (see on Booking / Agoda) is my most recommended hotel at Sail Rock Beach. It’s fairly close to the beach yet secluded, has gorgeous sea views, and has a Balinese vibe.

Sasa Nor Lamour B&B (see on Booking / Agoda) and Hotel Everyday Life (see on Booking / Agoda) are two other decent mid-range B&B options which are close to the beach.

Best Resort for Families: Fullon Resort Kenting (see on Booking / Agoda) is a family-friendly resort with pool, waterslides (for both younger and older kids), air hockey, arcade games, children’s library, and free shuttle to town if you want to go to the night market.

Best Luxury Guesthouse: Kenting Four Sisters (see on Booking / Agoda) has cozy, smartly designed rooms in what feels like a large private residence. Guests rave about their breakfasts and they also offer a shuttle to town.

Baishawan Beach

Baishawan lies west of South Bay, in the direction of Kenting Aquarium. It’s on the Blue Line shuttle bus but doesn’t have a direct connection to Kaoshiung.

Its claim to fame is that some scenes from Life of Pi (directed by Ang Lee, who was born in Pingtung, the county where Kenting is located) were shot here.

The beach is more remote than all the others mentioned so far and has fewer amenities. There’s no 7-11 and almost no dining options. If you choose to stay here, find out if your hotel offers any food, otherwise you may need to drive or hop on the Blue Line shuttle bus to Kenting Main Street.

Despite its remoteness, Baishawan is still fairly popular among locals. It still has some water activities and crowds on busy weekends.

Best Budget Guesthouse: Baisha 31 B&B (see on Booking / Agoda) is a simple guesthouse run by a welcoming old couple. Rooms are basic but the yard is lovely. It is super close to the beach.

Best Family-Friendly Guesthouse: SkyeBay Club (see on Booking / Agoda) is the classiest choice at Baishawan. Rooms in this modern complex have round tubs, patios with fine views, and some games for kids. It’s a 15-minute walk to the beach. There’s a restaurant on site.

Gangkou Beach

Gangkou Beach (港口海灘) is the most remote main beach in Kenting National Park. The only way to get here is a rather long bus ride on the Green Line shuttle bus from Hengchun (get off at Fishing Village 漁村公園, the last stop before Jialeshui.

The main reason you might consider to stay at Gangkou Beach is for surfing or just getting away from it all. You aren’t supposed to swim at this beach due to stronger currents, so surfing is pretty much it.

There’s a small community down the street with a handful of surf hostels and B&Bs. There’s limited food and no 7-Eleven.

Best Surf Hostel: Kenting Afei Surf Hostel (see on Booking / Agoda) is the best option at Gangkou. The capsule dorms look like they’re made of adobe. There are also some doubles with balconies and sea views. There are meals and surfboard rentals available.