Top 10 Things to Do in Hainan 2024/2025

• Best places to visit in Hainan: Sanya Bay, Yalong Bay, Dadonghai Bay and Haitang Bay in Sanya, Fenjiezhou Island in Lingshui, Shimi Bay in Wanning…

Being an island surrounded by water by all sides, Hainan Island is no shortage of beaches. Sanya, on the south coast, enjoys the largest group of beaches whereas neighboring Lingshui and Wanning also boast some relatively secluded options. Best beaches are in Sanya, including Sanya Bay Beach, Yalong Bay Beach, Haitang Bay Beach, Dadonghai Beach, etc. Sanya Bay Beach is home to numerous restaurants and plentiful accommodation options from budget to luxury facing the sand across a driving road. Yalong Bay Beach has the finest soft sands, with easy access to upscale resorts and hotels by the side. Dadonghai Bay Beach is very close to Sanya downtown. Haitang Bay Beach enjoys a secluded location that far away from the bustle and hustle and the world's largest duty-free shopping mall is settled on the northeast end whereas Wuzhizhou Island, the best diving paradise in China, is also in this bay area. On any of above beaches, you can spend a day just sunbathing and swimming, or partake in any manner of water sports, from jet skiing to wakeboarding.

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• Best Places to Visit in Hainan: Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park, Nanshan Cultural Scenic Area, Yanoda Rainforest Scenic Area, Binglanggu, Wuzhishan (Five Fingers Mountain) Rainforest Scenic Area…

Lush jungles spread Hainan Island. Imagining rushing into an emerald world with lush tropical trees, tranquil river, low-key trails and hanging strip bridge, isn't it an unforgettable experience? If you want some fresh experiences besides the beaches and sunshine in Hainan, jungle adventures will then be a good alternative. Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park, which is located on the east end of Yalong Bay Beach, is the most convenient and popular choice. Nanshan Cultural Scenic Area about 40 kilometers west of Sanya also has a jungle forest for you to explore, which is not very far away from the Guanyin Statue. This scenic area and the nearby Daxiaodongtian Scenic Area are good choices for those who are both fan of nature and Buddhist culture or Taoist culture. Yanoda Rainforest Scenic Area and the nearby Binglanggu in Baoling Li and Miao Autonomous County are a little bit far from Sanya. However, their secluded locations reward them a charming peaceful vibe, plus the interesting performances of Li and Miao ethnic groups, they are also great places to go. Wuzhishan Rainforest Scenic Area, which is featured by Five Finger-like Pillars, is also recommended.

• Best Places to Visit in Hainan: Yalong Bay Golf Club, Luhuitou Golf Club, Shenquan (Gold Spring) International Golf Club, Haitang Bay Haizhonghai Golf Club…

Each of the bay area in Sanya, including Yalong Bay, Sanya Bay, Haitang Bay and Dadonghai Bay, also operates some fine golf clubs for you to have fun. The yearly around pleasant weather, which let Sanya bathing in sunshine nearly 300 days per year, making Sanya a great place that available for golf games at any time you like.

Yalong Bay Golf Club, which is close to Yalong Bay Scenic Area, tops the ranking list of best golf clubs in Sanya. Besides that, there are Luhuitou Golf Club by the seaside between Dadonghai Bay and Sanya Bay, Shenquan International Golf Club hidden in the northwest edge of Binglanggu Li and Miao Cultural Scenic Area, Haitang Bay Haizhonghai Golf Club surrounded by water by three sides...

• Best Places to Visit in Hainan: Sanya International Duty-free Shopping Mall, Sanya Phoenix International Airport Duty-free Shopping Store, Haikou Meilan International Airport Duty-free Shopping Store, Sanya International Duty-free Shopping Park…

Shopping enthusiasts? Welcome to Sanya! As all you know, Sanya International Duty-free Shopping Mall, which is the largest of its kind in the world, opened in Sanya in 2014. This large shopping mall covers a large area of almost 70,000 square meters and gathers nearly 300 international famous brands from clothes to bags, perfumes to cosmetics... If you have no time to this largest one in Haitang Bay, you can also shop at other 3 duty free shopping malls, including the one in Sanya International Phoenix Airport and other 2 in Sanya downtown. If you are in Haikou, you can also shop in Haikou Meilan International Airport.

Please note: the unit of the goods you buy and the accumulative price of all the good you buy should not be more than CNY 8,000. Besides, every buyer (above 16 years old is required) can only shop in Sanya DFS twice a year. Take your chance.

• Best Places to Visit in Hainan: Haikou, Sanya…

A trip to Hainan without trying its specialties is never enough. Hainan cuisine is no like Sichuan Cuisine or Hunan Cuisine that emphasize a lot on seasoning but more focus on the original tastes of the materials. Thanks to the coastal locations, Hainan cuisine is rich in seafood products like prawns, crabs, etc. Almost every restaurant in Hainan, including its high-end ones in the upscale resorts and hotels, small restaurants by the beach side, and also the local restaurants hidden in the alleys, all serve up delicious seafood dishes.

Famous Hainan dishes include Wenchang Chicken, Coconut Chicken, Hele Crab, Jiali Duck, Dongshan Lamb, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Baoluo Rice Noodles… Xilong Coffee is also famous.

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• Best Places to Visit in Hainan: Sanya Legend Show Scenic Area, Bars, Clubs and Night Markets…

Being a holiday paradise, Hainan, especially its Sanya City, offers alive nightlife. From night shows to night markets, bars to clubs, there are tons of options. Sanya Legend Show Scenic Area, where you can admire grand dance and sing performances up close, is recommended to those who want to know more about the history and culture of this region. Next to the scenic area is also a duty-free shopping store, which won't be closed until 22:00. If you are in Sanya and will stay overnight near the bay area, don't forget to step out of your hotel or resort to get some cheerful moments at a bar or club. If you like, you can also visit Sanya No.1 Market to buy some seafood for midnight snacks.

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• Best Places to Visit in Hainan: Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone...

The beautiful Hainan Island is home to Han, Li, Miao, Hui, Zhuang and several other ethnic minorities. Those different ethnic minorities live in Hainan in a harmonious way. Each of them has their own festival and custom. The most famous festival in Hainan is the March Fair of Li ethnic minority. Every third day of the third lunar month, Hainan people will gather in groups to dance and sing together to pray for happiness and sacrifice to ancestors.

In addition to the ethnic festivals, the 29th day of the 2nd lunar month, the 19th day of the 6th lunar month and the 19th day of the 9th lunar month are considered as Guanyin's birthday, the day to get enlightened and the day to be a nun respectively. If you are going to visit Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone during these days, you can celebrate the festivals with locals.

• Best Places to Visit in Hainan: Hainan Coastline

The entire Hainan Island in oval shape, allowing you to enjoy a round cycling along its coastline. However, no matter you want to conquer its east coastline or west coastline, it is never an easy task. The east coastline measures about 323 kilometers. Because part of this cycling road is adjacent to the South China Ocean with amazing sea view, this route enjoys the best popularity amongst cyclists. To finish this route, about 2~3 days are required. Compared to the east coastline, the west coastline of Hainan is much longer, about 429 kilometers long, while the landscape is not that good. Therefore, the east line is more recommended. If your energy and time allow, you can conquer the entire east route, or you can try a short section from Haikou to Wenchang or Xinglong to Sanya.