Tainan
Golden Beach
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Tainan city is located about 45 miles north of Koahsiung, 180 miles south of Taipei. From Taipei, using the domestic airport, not CKS, you can easily catch the 40 minute flight to Tainan.
The domestic airport is one hour north of CKS, Taipei's international airport. From Koahsiung, Taiwan's southern most international airport, you can catch a shuttle bus or taxi to Tainan.
Golden Beach is located just south of Tainan's harbor, Amping.
Scooters are available to rent near the Tainan train station for about US$20 a day. Having an international driver's licence is helpful, but not entirely nessassary.
Public transportation in Tainan is limited to buses and taxis, Taxis being convenient and reasonably priced, buses being infrequent and slow.
Tainan has been my home for the last 14 years, so I'm very well set up in my own home. There are many very reasonably priced hotels in the Tainan and near Golden beach. You can expect to pay 20 to 40 dollars for adequate accomodations.
There is much to see and do in the ancient capital city of Taiwan. Modern western living is alive and well in Tainan.
There are several expats from all over the world who have settled in Tainan and opened eateries for all appetites. Not the least of which is the local Chinese cuisine. Yum!
There are many temples and parks in Tainan, as well as a few historic Dutch sites and structures. With a Lonely Planet guide book, you should find enough interesting things to keep you busy.
30+ a day. Tainan can be a very cheap place to hang out.
We get excellent conditions, 4+ on the Beaufort and not gusty. The best wind conditions at Golden beach are between Oct to May.
It gets bloody hot and humid during the spring and summer months, and the wind at this time is not the George.
Water temperature is about 75+ most of the year. Very nice! Tainan is located on the Taiwan Straights, about 120 miles from the Mainland China coast. Very small waves most of the year, unless a typhoon happens to make a brief visit. The conditions here are excellent for beginners and advanced kiteboarders.
Oyster beds, net poles, and driftwood. But where's the spice of life without a few obstacles to steer around or jump over?
There are four expat kiteboarders who reside in Tainan.
Daniel Shuman, a very friendly and helpful South African. Shane Lalonde, an excellent kiteboarding enthuesiest from Canada, Greame, another cool South African , and myself, Joe Ruger, an American enthuesiest from Redondo Beach, California. Feel free to contact me. 886-6-292-2545
Alex Moday, an Australian windsurfing pro, has a shop in Taichung, about a two hour drive north from Tainan and he's got a shop on Punghu island, located at about Taiwan's mid point, out in the Straights.
There are times when the debri on the beach can be quite awful. I suggest wearing booties.
Tainan isn't the only place in Taiwan to enjoy good kiteboarding conditions. Juinan Beach, located about an hour and a half south of Taipei is becomming the best kiteboarding , windsurfing beach in the summer months.
Golden beach is about 3 miles long with lots of empty space to play. *Although we do have to contend with oyster beds and floating debri from time to time