Here at last!
Like any Asian student who visits Asia, the first priority is still bubble tea and food
While I visit Taiwan often enough that I don't see myself going on vacation, but rather, just going to live at my second home, I never get tired of these streets. I keep a book full of name cards of the restaurants I like, and every year, I sort through a stack of cards the height of my iPad to see which restaurants have closed/moved etc. In a competitive food/restaurant industry in Taipei, if you ate at a new restaurant this year that you thought was very good, but just not perfect, chances are it will be closed by next year.
I had a couple of days worth of free time, and after readjusting my biological clock, I was off to Kenting. The entire trip was booked with the travel agency of THSR (Taiwan High Speed Rail). It included the transportation costs from Taipei all the way to Kenting, two nights stay at the Caesar Park Hotel including breakfasts, and various other small things. This took a hefty discount off the High Speed Rail economy tickets. The Y and J classes of the HSR vary to some minimal extent, with the latter having slightly wider seats and free hot tea/coffee etc. All food is for purchase, and neither class offers free food. Economy class for a sub 2 hour trip is more than comfortable, as all the seats are like 5 extra inches more pitch than the exit row seats on AA's 738s.
We took a detour for some family business before we reached Zuoying, and switched to a traditional train at that point. Pictures will do most of the talking here.
The train
The
TIDs =)
A boarding pass..
"Check in" area
"Jetbridge"
Door 4R!
Legroom. Like I said- easily 5+ inches added onto the pitch of an exit row seat. The recline is also much better compared to a normal airplane Y seat. HSR is actually comfortable!
We detoured at Chiayi for some planned family business, and then continued on with a traditional train, back to the days when both my parents were students.
A '60s style Taiwanese train station
Ticketing Counter
Platform
Actual train
Interior
We arrived in Kaosiung Train Station, and had to make our way to Zuoying HSR station for another 1.5 hour bus ride to Kenting. Yea..Kenting really is tucked away
The bus ride, however, offers some excellent views of the country side. Curving around the southern tip of Taiwan on a bus, you will naturally see the endless ocean.
Here at last!
The entrance
Our room.
Bathroom
Bathroom was also spacious, and has these awkward sliding doors in place of a traditional door that closes and locks! But this made the floor plan truly open floor, including the bathroom!