interesting news story, kenting has become upscale. Was there this weekend after not going there for a bit, can feel has become more expensive and more Euros there too, more like Bali, meanwhile in Naha sees a lot of Taiwanese. (Japanese also, but seems a lot of Japanese still prefer Hawaii/Guam/Saipan/Thailand.) As a side note, interesting see so many more
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Interesting take. I agree prices have gone up, but the whole area is far trashing than it used to be. I liken it to a mini phuket. Garbage, over crowded, natural areas mostly destroyed (developed), traffic, drunks etc etc. We basically don’t go anymore . I used to go nearly every weekend for years. The park is still quite nice, and around the tip on the east still has its charm. But I can’t do kenting proper anymore 
Kenting prices are up but it’s even more of the dump than it has been before. Definitely not upscale.
It’s faster and more convenient to go to Okinawa then Kenting for a lot of people. Just go to the airport and 45 minutes later they’re at the airport in Okinawa
Not some 4,5,6 hour car train taxi bus bike whatever you can find to Kenting
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Yes, some parts from Hengchun to the night market area is trash, but near the rock was more quiet and nice small Inn’s with cafes and QUIET bars.
And traffic Sunday night (last night is bad up to Fanglaio) 3.5 hours to KHH
Weather was good, not summer hot yet.
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Kending would be better if they fixed the traffic.
They gotta build a bypass around it for the highway, then have a road only for light traffic around the hotels. No busses. Close it down and make it pedestrian only after 8pm. They can also build proper resorts, but I have no faith in that.
Might as well just go to Thailand, Bali, or Boracay.
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Yep, I only stay in that little town by Nixon’s nose if I go down there.
Then, and only then, scooter to the downtown night market.
Would not want to stay around there. Too dirty, loud.
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Taiwan has a terrible record for this sort of thing. I can’t think of one example I admire. Many of the rest are corrupt developments that have broken various laws, often with the support of local politicians. 
Guy
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I don’t know what is going on in Guam/Saipan/Thailand (the other places you listed), but when I was in Honolulu earlier this year the locals kept talking about how Japanese visitors have NOT returned after the COVID emergency. I guess there is just a lot less outbound travel from Japan given how weak the yen is right now . . .
Guy
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kending upscale oh my God nooooooo it’s not…
I would describe it as the exact opposite of everything upscale.
They don’t even have one proper upscale market area there. Their bars are just truck parked on the side of the road and cocktail stands staffed by half naked young people.
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Taiwan 差不多 quality “upscale” prices. I doubt any foreign tourists will change their trips from Bali or Phuket.
Any gogo bars these days?
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Not my experience when I went there last October, but maybe it’s because I went in October.
It is definitely more expensive than Okinawa right now, but part of it has to do with how weak the yen is.
But flights there are really expensive. Cheaper to fly to Bali than Okinawa
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Try flying a family and it is not so cheap compared to Taiwan. But yeah flights in general from Taiwan aren’t priced well at the moment , only to Philippines and Vietnam are cheapo.
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“emergency”
I flew to Bali in January for 12k return on China Airlines. I stayed at a resort in Padang Bai for 8 nights for NT$8k including a small breakfast.
I went diving. Rented a scooter for around US$5 a day. Plenty of good warungs and other restaurants to eat in. My room in the resort was massive and it was great to have nice gardens and swimming pools. Was also low season so very few tourists there. I get to practice my Indonesian language skills again. Just planning another dive vacation this time to Panglao Bohol where I dive. Also good for a dive vacation and again can rent a 150cc scooter pretty cheap. I usually stay at the same private airbnb. This time may stay at a resort.
This was my Bali resort
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I think when most people imagine a resort in Bali, that probably isn’t the image they had in mind.
Not to say it looks bad, it looks like a lot of hotels in Taiwan often without a pool. It’s just people usually think this when they think about resorts in Bali.
For me a room is a place to sleep and maybe do some photo editing on my laptop. I generally do 3 or 4 dives a day. So up at 7am for breakfast, go diving all day, come back, shower, go out get some food, back to room and sleep by 10pm. . I can afford to stay in 5 star places but they often are not near the dive shops. In Padang Bai the resort is a few minute walk to the dive shop.
Just booking for Panglao Bohol atm and Philippines airlines has the best deal NT$11k return with 30kg of luggage allowance. Great for me as bringing dive gear.
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Taiwan has plenty of cheap hotels that can fulfill that requirement, especially near dive sites. Of course they will look worse than your place in Bali, and definitely won’t have a pool.
The ones people complain about being too expensive compare to hotels elsewhere costs around 3k to more than 10k a night, where they may just cost 2k to 5k a night in Japan and elsewhere.
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The only two decent resorts that I have stayed at in Taiwan are the Westin in Daxi and the Fleur de Chine in Sun Moon Lake. All other resorts are garbage, old not kept up, crap food, crap service. You name it. And Kenting is a long long way off from competing with Thailand, Bali etc.
Fleur de Chine had amazing service and included all you can eat buffet for breakfast and dinner but it was something like over $16K/night.
Westin was probably around $12-13K/night. For those prices, I prefer Thailand.
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