From Canton (Chinese name: Guangzhou) you’ll fly for an hour to the harbour city of Sanya on Hainan Island. Sanya is located on the southern point of the island and is promoted as the Hawaii of China. This is not entirely untrue since the atmosphere here is most definitely all about sun, sea and surf. Few foreign tourists come to the island; mostly Chinese come here for their holidays. Just outside of Sanya you’ll find the most beautiful beaches in China; long, sandy white beaches with palm trees. A transfer will be waiting for you at the airport when you arrive and after a short drive you’ll be at your hotel on the Hainan Island beach at Dadonghai. The hotel has a restaurant and a swimming pool and your room has air conditioning, TV and a modern bathroom. The beach and the warm sea water are waiting for you right outside of your hotel.

Since the whole point of visiting Hainan Island is to relax and unwind, nothing will be pre-arranged for these days of your stay. The sea in front of your resort is fine for swimming, however there may be Chinese signs warning you for an undertow. According to the signs you can only go swimming if you do exercises prior to swimming to avoid getting cramps. There are also diving shops on the beach where you can rent snorkelling equipment or purchase an introductory dive.

If you’d like to see more of the Hainan island besides the beaches….. 5km south of Sanya lies Luhuitou, a hilly peninsula excellent for hiking and with lovely scenery. The Hainan Marine Research Station is specialized in pearl cultivation. There are stores where you can purchase salt water and fresh water pearls for reasonable prices. Further inland you’ll find a reserve with 1000 Guanxi monkeys.

Yalong Bay lies about 20km further down the coast and is the most popular centre for tourism on the island. It has a yacht harbour, horse track and golf course. You can reach the bay by bus, taxi or by bicycle (rent a bicycle at your hotel).

There are coral reefs along filled with tropical fish, anemone and oysters along the entire Sanya coastline. The Yidao Dongdao (Eastern and Western Islands) are two coral islands near Sanya. Fishermen in Sanya harbour will take you to the islands for snorkelling or you can book a diving excursion to get there. The Sanya Living Tour Compagnie can provide you with more information.

Head into Sanya or stay in the area around your hotel for dinner in the evenings and try some of the catch of the day. Sanya is known for its fresh fish dishes.