Meet Hannah, a Sea Heart on a mission to go surfing in Asia. Learn about her journey as visits lesser known surf countries like China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. If you’re sick of the same old trip to Bali or Mexico, it is time to start exploring, be sure to check out these Bali alternatives.
Bio: Mid-aged Western woman
Surfing experience: 20+ years, short boarder learning how to longboard, surfed around the world
Home break: Beach/rock combo with an aggressive local crowd
Current goal: Solo-traveler exploring surf spots and surf cultures across Asia
- First stop: HAINAN, CHINA – The Unexpected Paradise
- Surfing in China At A Glance
- TAIWAN – Diverse, Welcoming, Slightly Naked
- Surfing in Taiwan At A Glance
- MIYAZAKI, JAPAN – WHERE MY HEART STAYED
- YANGYANG, SOUTH KOREA – Wedgy waves
- Surfing in Korea at a Glance
- Final Thoughts about surfing in Asia of this solo-traveler:
First stop: HAINAN, CHINA – The Unexpected Paradise
Breaks: Mainly beach with several peaks
Locals: Friendly
Forecast: Surfline App worked
Where to stay to Go Surfing in China
Haitang Bay (not Riyue Bay in May). (trip.com) Floral Sea Surfing Design Homestay. The homestay is around the corner from what google map says, it is only signed out in Chinese. Contact host if you can’t find it.
I started my solo journey in Hainan. Surf in May is in-between season—no winter or typhoon swell—but I scored waves everywhere I went. Hainan, often called the “Hawaii of China,” is just south of Hong Kong. I was curious about China’s lesser known surf culture. Navigating China as a Westerner isn’t easy due to app restrictions and language barriers. I learned some Mandarin, but locals typically didn’t understand me. Still, once you adjust, it’s hard to leave again.
Travel Prep for Surfing Hainan Island
Get Alipay and WeChat/Weixin Apps- it is a must! Weixin is for private pays and communication. You can book taxis and other things with Alipay or on trip.com. Cash works in rural areas, it worked in Hainan (cash is rarely accepted in the bigger cities!). Get the Papago App to use for image translation. Make also sure to get unlimited or enough data as everything is done over the phone. I ordered my international sim-card from Amazon beforehand. Make sure to have all hotel addresses in mandarin for taxis or local help. Tipping is not custom, don’t do it.
How to get around
Travel by train, bus and taxi. Easily booked on trip.com and Alipay. Main signs are written in both, Mandarin and English. The car and scooter traffic might be a little crazy for a Westerner (similar to Bali or Vietnam). Always get meter taxis or pre-paid prices if you don’t want to get ripped off. But even a rip-off might still be cheap.
I stayed in Haitang Bay, a quiet, car-free village with surf shops, restaurants, and friendly locals. Renting a board wasn’t easy—due to regulations, you had to proof your surf skills or take a class. Despite 20 years of surfing, I had no “proof,” so I hired a coach—a teenager with yellow teeth from chewing betel nut, common in Hainan. The lesson usually costs around 120 Chinese Yuan (around 20 USD), no time restriction.
I urged the coach to walk to a point break, where there weren’t any surf schools. He hesitated, but we had no phones with us to communicate. I was the paying customer, so off we went. I only found out after that there is actual regulations that surf schools aren’t meant to surf this spot as it was for the locals only.
China Line-up Vibes
Mixed Freedom. Locals wear everything from full-body suits with hats and face masks to just board shorts or cheeky bikinis—anything goes. The guys in the line-up pleasantly focused on themselves, the girls were encouraging and friendly. Easy going crowd, the coach was frustrated when I didn’t drop in.
I loved this local-only zone idea. Let us be honest, beginners being one of the biggest risks in a line up, this idea offered safer surfing for everyone. May be something other beaches could consider. That day I surfed perfect 3ft peelers tumbling onto yellow sand with green hills as backdrop. (Note: Longboard spot in May.)
I also visited the famous Riyue Bay for a day (Wanning train station, take taxi to beach) —touristy, more Westerners, expensive, underwhelming in May. But renting boards was easier: tourists can just grab a board without classes. It is a long stretch of open beach, ending in a left hander cliff.
Surfing in China At A Glance
Fun fact: I was interviewed by local news! So was my coach. We didn’t quite reach celebrity status, though
Solo traveler rating: 7 out of 10. Easy to get in touch with local, relatively easy to find your way around. Not many speak fluent English, hence a little hard to have proper conversations.
Safety: Unmatched. There are cameras, police patrols, drones, and even military nearby. People leave valuables on the beach without worry.
TAIWAN – Diverse, Welcoming, Slightly Naked
Breaks: Beach, multiple breaks
Locals: Very friendly and respectful
Forecast: Surfline App worked, break: Waiao beach
Where to stay to Go Surfing in Taiwan
Taipei offers multiple options. I stayed near the main station in the Beimen City Suites which was nice. Jiufen: Absolutely recommend the Ocean Theory Guesthouse – beautiful Japanese-style accommodation with ocean views. Toucheng: stay at hotels near beach such as the OA Hotel or Archipelago on booking.com. Toucheng (closest surf town to Taipei). I stayed at the more budget friendly lambo homestay, a little far off the surf.
TRAVEL PREP FOR SURFING TAIWAN
Google/Apple pay works. Again, the Papago App comes in useful for image translation. A little cash needed. Tipping is not custom, don’t do it.
use train and buses. Everything is signed out in English. Get an easy-card at the airport (usually sold at the sim-card stands), any transport can be paid with it. Traffic is crazy, especially with a million of scooters.
I had limited time in Taiwan, so I packed in key sights: Taipei, booked a tour on getyourguide for Jiufen (lantern-lit alleyways, Japanese teahouse vibes, Gibhli’s spirited away resemblance) and Shifen (floating lanterns, rail tracks), Surf close to Taipei: Toucheng
I had limited time in Taiwan, so I packed in key sights: Taipei, booked a tour on getyourguide for Jiufen (lantern-lit alleyways, Japanese teahouse vibes, Gibhli’s spirited away resemblance) and Shifen (floating lanterns, rail tracks), Surf close to Taipei: Toucheng
HOW TO GET AROUND
Taiwan was a relief after China—more English speakers, fewer translation issues, a lot more western tourists and therefore a lot more directed towards the western tourists, which makes things easier. After Shufen and Jiufen (a booked guided tour on getyourguide.com) I took a bus (Jiufen Police station to Riufeng station) and then train (with easy- card no ticket needed, just swipe the card and go to platform, otherwise ticket vending machine or ticket office) to Toucheng, a small surf town with black sand beaches and lush hills. Water was 22°C. My homestay was 30 min walking distance from the surf. Loads of surf schools and a surf skate park by the beach. Board rental costs around 600 TWD (20 USD) for the day and comes with a table and umbrella.
TAIWAN LINE-UP VIBES
Super easy going, very mixed. Locals and a few Westerners. Once I showed I could surf, the better surfers respectfully shared waves with me. I swapped a clunky longboard for a shortboard (board quality in China was better). Then—a butt-cheek moment! A guy zipped past me in a thong. His friend apologized: he’d lost a bet. Classic.Later, I stepped on a dead spiky fish. I would have gone home and died in peace when I remembered, that I’m in a different country and don’t actually know the wild life very well. Lifeguards handled it well—in fluent English, of course. He said he had stepped into those before and had just ignored it himself. Guess I had found my person.
Surfing in Taiwan At A Glance
Solo traveler rating: 10 out of 10. Are you kidding? Just go! Everyone is very welcoming, helpful, and many speak perfect English. It is super easy to get around.
Safety: I felt safe throughout, despite fewer cameras or police patrols and more homeless
MIYAZAKI, JAPAN – WHERE MY HEART STAYED
Breaks: Beach, multiple peaks
Locals: Very friendly
Forecast: Surfline worked
TRAVEL PREP FOR SURFING Japan
Get cash! Google/Apple pay works in convenient stores, but not everywhere. Get the Papago App for image translation. Tipping is not custom, don’t do it.
HOW TO GET AROUND
Use train and buses, try to avoid taxis. Public transport is very cheap. You can get a transport card at the station for everything, or pay cash. Tickets can be bought at a station. In rural areas, you pull a number (or take a screenshot of a QR Code) for proof of the embarking station and pay the staff. Same for buses. When getting on you take a number, when getting off you pay a certain amount shown on a screen near the bus driver. Taxis are rather expensive and barely around once you leave the airport or city area. They are being called by phone, ask the host if you need one, they will help. Don’t bother with a taxi app in rural areas.
Where to stay to Go Surfing in Japan
Aoshima Tei guest house, highly recommended. Just typing Aoshima, Miyazaki makes me happy. I spent 10 days here and fell in love. I had rented a bike with board rack and multiple boards from the host. Every morning and evening I rode my bike along the cute streets of Aoshima to the beach. Like a Ghibli film. Quaint houses, shrines, friendly locals.
Line-up Vibes Japan
Surfers smiled, greeted each other. Warm, quality waves every day. Best vibe ever. My hosts (a local surfer couple) even took me on surf trips. We used a translator app and got along great. However, Japan has many rules—I hope I didn’t break any! Japan was expensive, so I lived on convenience store food. Still delicious. Hosts treated me to two restaurant meals (1200-3000 yen) —culinary adventures on their own.
Solo traveler rating
9 out of 10. On my last day, a guy recognised me from the surf: “You’re a good surfer.” He said, I blushed—everyone here was way better. There went my chance of getting married and staying forever. Easy to speak to the locals and to get around alone. Enough tourists around if you are seeking a travel friendship. Some things might also be a little confusing because of all the rules and regulations. Safety: Utterly safe. Didn’t notice cameras or police, but knowing that anyone would help you if needed, made me feel safe beyond compare.
YANGYANG, SOUTH KOREA – Wedgy waves
Breaks: Beach, many beaches along the coast
Locals: Serious, not aggressive
Forecast: Surfline App + Wind finder (recommended by locals)
Where to stay to Go Surfing in Korea
Multiple Airbnbs in Hotels (19th floor with ocean view possible). They are well kept. Water pressure is low but that is a problem of the whole area.
travel prep FOR SURFING
Cash for transport card and surf rentals (40000 Won/ day, board inc wetsuit), otherwise not needed. Download Naver and Papago app. Google maps doesn’t work for driving or walking, Naver is a must. Get a rental car to go to the East Coast (Bus takes many hours)! Get one from the International Airport (Alamo, Enterprise) if you want the usual service, cheaper once are fine, too, just don’t be surprised if they pick you up in slippers and bring you to a parking garage where everything is being handled. It is relatively easy to drive in Korea, Koreans drive very well, sticking to the rules. A car allows you to do a wave chase, which might be necessary. There are many surfing beaches with rental options. Tipping is not custom, don’t do it.
I had surfed Korea and Yangyang before, but this time the waves were pumping. What I didn’t know: the deep ocean floor creates wedge-like waves around here. Fresh from Japan’s mellow breaks, I paddled out—confident but unprepared.
Line-up Vibes Korea
Serious. Packed, everyone staring. As the only Westerner (and woman), I felt the pressure. I paddled away to a shoulder and got caught in the impact zone. Brutal. Locals also got smashed, but their persistence impressed me. After a small success, one guy smiled: “Good wave!”
That sure was a relief and broke the ice. The guy made my day
All Asian surf shops offer showers, shampoo, and even hairdryers. I tried every popular Korean hair product available—perk of the trip!
WAVE PARK, SEOUL – Artificial, But Awesome
Still in Korea, I booked a Wave Park session near Seoul. Reviews were mixed—Westerners were frustrated with the customer service, which I understand, it is a cultural thing. But I loved it there!
The drive: It is about 30 min from Incheon, the wave park includes a parking garage, 8 hours free parking. Good to know when booking online: the left side offers lefts, the right side rights (more popular). The reef session is an easy entry with a slower and a faster part.
Yes, it can get a little confusing as there are a few registration rules to follow. But signs guide the way. I got double the waves because others tired quickly. A guy running the wave machine and I chatted while waiting for sets. He and the instructor gave me tips, I simply had a fantastic time.
Surfing in Korea at a Glance
Travel solo rating: 8 out of 10.
Surfers were nerdy, sweet, and chill—completely different from the East Coast crowd. A great end to the trip.
Korean culture is rather reserved and hard to get into contact. If you are brave to randomly chat them up, some might be able to exchange some English words. It is the easiest country to get around by metro, or car. Safety: super safe. Cameras everywhere.
Final Thoughts about surfing in Asia of this solo-traveler:
Over a month of travelling, surfing, and exploring new surf cultures—my heart is full. I met kind people, shared waves, faced fears, and laughed a lot. I don’t want to go home… but I’m ready to pack my bags again for the next foreign waves and cultures to explore.