National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium

The aquarium at Checheng sits just north of the Hengchun peninsula and is one of the largest in Asia, run in association with a marine research institute rather than purely as an attraction. It is organised into three linked halls. Waters of Taiwan follows a drop of water from a mountain stream down through estuary to reef. Coral Kingdom holds the reef tanks and an 84-metre walk-through acrylic tunnel, one of the longest in Asia, where reef fish pass overhead. Waters of the World covers open ocean and cold seas, with a towering kelp forest tank and a large chilled hall with polar species. Overnight programmes let families sleep on the floor beside the tanks, which is heavily booked. Feeding times are posted at the entrance and worth planning around.

What you actually see

• The underwater tunnel - an 84-metre walk-through acrylic passage with reef fish moving overhead.
• The coral reef tanks - large reef displays covering species of the surrounding southern waters.
• The polar hall - a chilled section of cold-water and polar species, a cold shock in a tropical climate.
• Waters of Taiwan - a sequence following a river from mountain stream to estuary and reef.

When to go

It works in any weather, which makes it the standard rainy day or typhoon fallback for anyone staying in Kenting, and on such days it is correspondingly full. Weekday mornings are quietest. Check feeding and show times when you arrive and build the visit around them. Allow half a day for all three halls without rushing.

Honest expectations

It is a long way from anywhere except Kenting, and by public transport it is a slow bus each way. Tickets are not cheap for a family and food inside is limited. The site is very large and covering all three halls involves a lot of walking. It keeps cetaceans in captivity, which some visitors will find uncomfortable, and school groups can make the popular tanks impossible.

Nearby

Kenting National Park and the Hengchun peninsula beaches are south along the coast.