Sanya in 3 days

China's tropical south, where Hainan's beaches meet duty-free malls. Best time to visit: November-April. Average daily budget: $60 to $200 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Yalong Bay, The five-star strip: clean sand, calm water, resorts with private beach sections.

Morning: Yalong Bay beach day. Swim the clearest water in Sanya on an eight-kilometre curve of white sand.

Afternoon: Explore Yalong Bay, The five-star strip: clean sand, calm water, resorts with private beach sections.

Evening: Wuzhizhou Island. Snorkel and dive off a small island 30 minutes from shore, best on a weekday morning.

Eat: Wenchang chicken, Hainan's poached original of the Singapore dish

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Dadonghai, Central, walkable and cheaper, with the liveliest beach and most restaurants.

Morning: Nanshan Temple. See the 108-metre Guanyin statue standing out in the sea on a causeway.

Afternoon: Explore Dadonghai, Central, walkable and cheaper, with the liveliest beach and most restaurants.

Evening: Sanya seafood market. Buy your own fish and crab at First Market and pay a stall to cook it.

Eat: Coconut chicken hotpot simmered in the water of young coconuts

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: Sanya Bay, A long city beach lined with coconut palms and mid-range hotels, good for sunsets.

Morning: Houhai village near Tenghai, a scruffy surf town where beginners learn on soft waves. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Sanya Bay, A long city beach lined with coconut palms and mid-range hotels, good for sunsets.

Evening: Luhuitou Park at dusk for the whole bay lit up below the deer statue. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Jiaji duck, sliced and served with a ginger-garlic dip

Hidden gems

Houhai village near Tenghai, a scruffy surf town where beginners learn on soft waves
Luhuitou Park at dusk for the whole bay lit up below the deer statue
Yanoda rainforest early on a weekday, before the group tours arrive
Xidao Island's quieter west side, skipped by most day-trippers

Getting around

Sanya sprawls, so plan around it. Didi is cheap and widely used, with rides between bays running 40-90 yuan. Buses connect Dadonghai, Sanya Bay and Yalong Bay for 5-10 yuan but crawl in traffic. The Hainan high-speed rail loop reaches Haikou in 90 minutes and stops at Sanya station, 15 minutes from the centre.

Safety

Sanya is very safe, with tourist scams the main annoyance: agreed prices at the seafood market, metered or app-booked taxis, and inflated boat-trip commissions. Typhoon season runs July to October. Jellyfish appear in summer, currents are strong outside marked swim zones, and you will need a Chinese payment app or a card that works with Alipay's tourist function.

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