Discover Taiwan's quiet side
Escape Taiwan's bustling coastal strips and head to where the sand and water are cleaner, writesRalph Jennings
Picture 200 metres of white sand beach between a calm aquamarine ocean and a jungle of coconut palms. When film director Ang Lee saw it, he chose this beach for the scene in Life of Pi when the hero ends a treacherous 227-day journey at sea as a castaway in a lifeboat.
But most of Lee's fellow Taiwanese don't visit aptly named White Sand Bay even though it's on their island's south coast in Pingtung county just a minute's walk from the highway. Taiwanese veer more towards better recognised beaches where they can sit in cafes, buy flower-print shorts and stay at guest houses.
Local preferences for developed beaches leave Taiwan's quietest and cleanest ones with plenty of space to throw down a towel. They're also in low supply as factories, piers and rocky slopes line much of the 1,566-kilometre coastline. But they are becoming more popular with young people looking for a wilder escape.
"This beach is clean, the water clear and not too many people use it," says Tsao Hung-chang, 38, a bicycle builder from central Taiwan who visited White Sand Bay in November with four family members. "A lot of people won't come here simply because they prefer more food and drinks."
The few who join Tsao say the calm waters of the Taiwan Strait invite easy snorkelling and diving. Most of those who know about the beach already live in the fishing hamlets along coastal Highway 153.