Catshanghai

Going to Hainan may not be as intrepid as naked breakdancing in a Laotian minefield, but it’s easier, more relaxing and probably cheaper. Don’t expect more than a relaxing beach holiday and you will not be disappointed. Here are a few pointers to get you started.

About Hainan

Hainan is China’s most southerly province and is warm or hot all year round.

Seasons and Money

Hainan is most popular in the winter when it becomes busier and more expensive. A good time to go is in the spring and summer. We went in August and got a four night deal at a really nice four star hotel called The Golden Palm for 2850 RMB including a return flight to Sanya with Spring Airlines.

Resorts

The main beach resorts are in the South near Sanya: Sanya Bay, DaDongHai Bay and Yalong Bay. Sanya Bay and DaDongHai are good for budget minded travellers who want to be near restaurants and amenities without expensive taxi fares. They also like the Chinese equivalent to Marbella.

Yalong Bay

Yalong Bay has more beautiful, sparsely inhabited beaches although the hotels are more exclusive (pricey) and you have a 20 minute taxi ride to the nearest town (DaDongHai).

Popular hotels in Yalong Bay

include the Holiday Inn, The Sheraton, The Marriott, The Crowne Plaza and The Golden Palm. The Golden Palm may only be four star, but it is really relaxed, has wonderful natural views and friendly, helpful staff.

The beaches in Yalong Bay are closed after dark.

The Crowne Plaza is a big complex that is full of expensive, gaudy shops and restaurants. Think of it as a tasteless collision between Xintiandi and Las Vegas.

Food

Hainan has wonderful seafood that is fresh and reasonabley priced, but we also ate some expensive and mediocre food. A small family roadside restaurant gave us the best seafood we have ever eaten at 2 am. It was only 100 RMB for two. You choose the fish and seafood from a tank, before it is weighed and cooked. Check the prices before rather than after you eat.

Hainan also has great fruit markets full of small bananas, mangoes, lychees, jujubes and others we have never seen before (let alone name). Hainanese fruit is much cheaper and fresher than offerings in Shanghai, but take a Chinese speaker to avoid getting ripped off.

Wuzhi Zhou Island

Wuzhi Zhou is a small island off Hainan where you can go for watersports and sight seeing. It costs 128 RMB to take the ferry across and it has the clearest water in Hainan. We paid 580 RMB each for a package of diving, paragliding and powerboating. It was worth every penny.

Nantian Hotspring Resort

Nantian Hotspring Resort offers 37 different spa pools. If you like the idea of stepping into a hot open air tub that hundreds of sweaty holiday makers have wallowed in only moments before then this is a great place to relax for a few hours. We enjoyed the coffee bath. The fish bath was also memorable, because they chew the dead skin off your body. It tickles. Many hotels have arrangements for bookings including free transport to and from the resort. Our ticket cost us about 130 RMB each.

The Sun

Be careful of the sun, because it is very strong even when it is cloudy. I got caught out when I sat on the beach for 3 hours and failed to reapply sun block on my legs scrupulously. They were burned so badly that I am still hurting five days later.

Diverting Planes

Planes may be diverted from Sanya to Haikou if the weather is too bad. We had to go on an extra three hour bus journey to get on a return flight after strong winds prevented flights from taking off in Sanya. Watching angry Shanghainese holiday makers maul a holiday rep is quite entertaining.

Booking from Shanghai

Chinese speakers tend to find holiday package deals in the local papers and there are several travel agents in Chengu Bei Lu by Huai Hai Lu. Spring Airlines has a sight at http://www.air-spring.com/.

I have bought tickets from an English speaking agent at http://www.gohappytravel.com/ , but they were never the cheapest and I now have a Chinese wife to help me talk to local agents.