Manzhou - The quiet and wild side of Kenting National Park in Taiwan

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The laid-back side of Kenting National Park

manzhou fields kenting — Fields and mountains in Manzhou

manzhou kenting national park taiwan — View of Manzhou Town from the sky

Manzhou is a beautiful countryside township in the north-eastern part of Kenting National Park. I know this area very well because that’s where Ruby and I live part-time. In the summer of 2017, I decided I’d had enough of living in the nasty pollution of Taichung, and got a house here, in a tiny community called Binlang, mid-way between Manzhou village and Jiupeng, along the East Coast.

jialeshui kenting beach 佳樂水 — Jialeshui and road #26 viewed from above Longpan Park

taiwan house countryside — My “basecamp” in Binlang, Kenting National Park

Moving to the southern part of Taiwan has been the best decision of my life! I really, really love the slow-paced, relaxed lifestyle down here. And there is SO MUCH stuff to do in this area. It’s a true paradise for nature lovers!

binlang house in manzhou — My “office” on the balcony where I work on this website

taiwanese monkey macaque — Riding or walking around Manzhou, you’ll probably stumble upon some Taiwanese macaque. They are not aggressive, and will most likely run away in the jungle as soon as they see you.

Who goes to Manzhou?

Not many people visit Manzhou and that’s a great thing if you ask me. This is the quiet part of Kenting National Park. No traffic jams, no problem parking your car, no lineups at restaurants, and best of all, no noise pollution! Prices are also much cheaper than in busy Kenting Village, Nanwan, and Baisha.

Manzhou drone shot taiwan — Drone view of Manzhou

My favorite guesthouse / B&B in Manzhou: Wild East! Take a look…

Orientation

Some people get confused, because Manzhou is both a township and a village. The township is a large area of Pingtung County which contains many small villages. One of those villages is called Manzhou. This village is the second biggest in the area after Hengchun.

Manzhou village is surrounded by mountains. You can see the southern tip of Taiwan in the distance.

In central Manzhou, the main “downtown” part is at the big tree, next to 7-11. This is where you can find some of the best (and cheapest) food in all of Kenting National Park. Don’t expect anything fancy though… “local” is the keyword here!

Manzhou town is 15 minutes away from Jialeshui, 15 minutes to Hengchun, and 25 minutes to Nanwan. It is a great spot to establish your basecamp, as it’s somewhat central and makes it convenient to visit different parts of Kenting National Park.

manzhou village, pingtung county, taiwan — The big tree in “downtown” Manzhou. You can see the restaurants behind.

zhongshan harbor in manzhou — Zhongshan Harbor along the East Coast on Road 26

Things to do in Manzhou / Attractions

hike to waterfalls
chill by the pool at Kentington Resort
surf or chill on the beach at Jialeshui
walk around (or ride a jeep) on the Jiupeng sand dunes
visit Zhongshan Harbor with beautiful sea & mountain views
cycle or ride a scooter along country road 200
take pictures of very old houses / ancient Taiwanese architecture in Manzhou Village
visit aboriginal Paiwan villages
swim in the ocean!
eat at one of the excellent local restaurants

hiking in kenting — Manzhou, viewed from Buffalo Hill, one of the best spots to do a short hike.

Kentington Resort Swimming Pool

If you’re in the mood for a swim, but don’t fancy the ocean, there’s always the beautiful clovers-shaped swimming pool at Kentington Resort 小墾丁, at the northern end of Manzhou village. Access fee for the pool and lounge chairs is 100NT$ per person. You’re supposed to wear a swimming cap to enter the pool. This is one of the most popular spots in Kenting for kids, so it can sometimes be loud on weekends, especially during summer.

kenting manzhou swimming pool — Kentington Resort swimming pool

Qikong Waterfall 七孔瀑布

Qikong means 7 holes, so the best translation would be “7 Pools Waterfall”. As the name implies, you’ll pass 7 “pools” as you follow the stream. Depending on the season and the amount of rain that fell in the area in the previous days, the depth of the pools and the size of the waterfalls will vary.

The best pool is by far the first one, reached after about 20 minutes of light hiking from the parking lot – which cost 20NT$ per vehicle. You can jump in the pool from 4-5 feet high above in the jungle, like Tarzan, and there’s a nice spot by the lip of the fall where you can rest and contemplate the thick forest and listen to the birds. Watch out for snakes along this trail.

Qikong Waterfall Kenting — Hike to Qikong Waterfall

stars night sky taiwan — Watch the stars on a clear night.

Jialeshui 佳樂水

Jialeshui needs no introduction, but I’ll still tell you about it. Jialeshui is mostly popular with surfers, as its vast beach has some of the best waves on the island. For people who don’t surf, there’s other stuff to see and do as well, such as a nice suspended bridge, a waterfall, kayaking, as well as restaurants, cafes, and B&Bs.

visit Jialeshui kenting taiwan — Go for a dip in the ocean at Jialeshui.

Zhongshan Harbor, kenting national park — Take pictures of boats at Zhongshan Harbor in Gangzai 港仔

deep south east coast of taiwan — Witness local art along the blue coastline of the “deep southeast”.

Paiwan aboriginal tribal culture taiwan — Learn about the Paiwan aboriginal tribal culture.

taiwan old house — Check out the old houses in Manzhou Village

taiwan water buffalo — Water buffalo at Nanren Village by the East Coast

japanese shrine in gaoshi 高士 — Gaoshi Shrine, lost in the mountains of Manzhou

Nanren Fishing Village in Jiupeng — Nanren Fishing Village

Restaurants / Food / Drinks

At the big tree, in downtown Manzhou, there’s a bunch of little restaurants that offer traditional Chinese and Taiwanese dishes at very affordable prices. You can get anything from dumplings, beef noodle soup, seafood, big plates of veggies, and beer. Just walk around and see what’s on display. Unfortunately, few places have English menus.

There is a Vietnamese place around the corner, which has quite a few good dishes. My personal favorites are the Wonton soup, fried rice, and deep fried spring rolls.

If you feel adventurous, you should try stinky tofu at #14 Wenhua Road, 2 minutes away from the big tree by scooter. The stinky tofu here is one of the best I’ve ever had in my life. The individual hot pots are also super delicious and hard to beat value-wise. Whatever you eat here, make sure to wash it down with a can of Taiwan Beer!

Fruit Juice Bar

Simply the best juice bar in the whole Kenting area! The fruit are not certified organic, but the owner lady told my wife (actually tells her every time) that her fruit are grown locally, some even on her own land, and they have absolutely no pesticide, zero chemical / GMO stuff done to them.

The juices are AMAZING! You can make your own mix or you can order what’s on the menu (Chinese only). She’ll ask you if you want to add ginger to your juice… I say go for it. It’s good for the liver! Enjoy!

This juice bar is just to the right (across the street) from the big tree when you come from 7-11. Address: #2-1 Zhongzheng Road, Manzhou Township

Juice bar manzhou — Juice Bar in Manzhou, near the big tree

Accommodation in Manzhou

Hotels, guesthouses / B&B in Manzhou tend to not be as busy as their counterparts in Kenting Village and Hengchun, because they are further away from the nightlife that so many tourists expect to enjoy here. There are some very good options in both Manzhou village and Jialeshui.

My top pick in Manzhou is Wild East Guesthouse, an amazing rustic country house villa located in a quiet part of the national park. I have stayed there with my wife Ruby, and we had the most amazing experience! We had the whole place to ourselves and could use the living room, kitchen, front yard and hot tub without being disturbed. It’s the only such guesthouse in Kenting National Park where you can get the entire place, such a massive and comfortable space, to yourself, for such low price. Check it out and book it in advance if it’s still available.