Sanya

Sanya (三亚 Sān​yà​ in Mandarin; Ta-ah in Hainanese) is on the southernmost point of China, at the tip of Hainan island. Billed as "China's Hawaii", Sanya has 20-km stretches of beach. As the only tropical city across the coastline, it is definitely booming and packed with a lot of water sports such as snorkeling and jet-skiing, rainforest hiking, and innumerable hotels ranging from zero to five stars.

With sunshine all year around, temperatures hover around 25 °C even in January and 30 °C in the summer time. Its islands and beaches are beautiful and the water in Yalong Bay and Dadonghai are clean enough to have a good swim, but you may also want to head to Wuzhizhou Island or further north to visit unspoiled and natural scenery.

Districts

 * Sanya Bay Beach – stretches for around 25 km, but is rather polluted and devoid of swimmers. It is lined with seafood restaurants and hotels costing ¥50-5,000.


 * Sanya city – filled with souvenir shops and street grills at night. You will see locals dancing along the beach in the evenings, and a range of people selling souvenirs, street food and fairground games. Try the outdoor public karaoke if you dare! Cross the Sanya River (三亚河 Sānyà hé) to reach a less touristy, cheaper, and more fun part of town.


 * Dadong Hai (大东海 Dàdōng hǎi)—has Sanya's best balance between development and natural beauty. It is the tourist and foreigner hangout of the city. The area is more touristy and expensive than Sanya, and has many seafood restaurants and a gorgeous beach (however, as of 2023, access is restricted much of the time, and there is no swimming near and after dark, and often during the day as well). The shopping is not as good as Sanya city's, but has many touristy things such as the ubiquitous 大哥 Chinese-Hawaiian style shirt and shorts combo. The dominant languages in this area, both spoken and written, are Chinese and Russian -- although most of the Russian tourists have not returned since COVID. As of 2023, a private company bought the DaDongHai beachfront and is trying to restrict access to this beach and others nearby. When using the beach, expect to be hassled by local authorities wearing orange shirts telling you to get out of the water or off the beach entirely.
 * Xiaodonghai (小东海 Xiaodōng hǎi)— used to be the best area in Sanya City to get away from hordes of tourists, as the area it is a part of (Banshan Bandao 半山半岛) is mostly high-priced apartments and hotels. However, since COVID, this sandy and coral area has been swarmed by tourists looking to get away from mainland cold and have a "tropical vacation". The government and a private compan are, as of 2023, trying to close the area as a nature preserve, claiming it's to protect the environment (which stands to reason), but likely this is simply a clever plan to continue the gentrification of the area. There is a nice beach with views of the sunset on the opposite side of the peninsula, but you have to find a way through the half-abandoned village area of ' LuHuiTou Community ', as this beach is also being blocked by government and business. Swimming is mostly prohibited anywhere in Sanya city, as of now 2023.
 * Yalong Bay (亚龙湾 Yàlóng wān) – is farther from Sanya city than Dadong Hai and is 45 minutes away from Phoenix Airport. The destination has been developed into an international holiday center with several 5-star resorts, golf, etc. The long beach is well taken care of by the various hotels. You will find many restaurants in the new shopping area. Definitely worth a visit, but be prepared for higher prices with respect to Sanya.
 * Haitang Bay – Not as crowded as Yalong Bay. 35 minutes away from Phoenix International airport by G98 Highway. Future home of the largest Duty Free Shopping Mall in China. Several luxurious resorts of note already operating as well as a multiplex and show center.
 * Yacheng Town (崖城镇) – Formerly known as Yazhou (崖州), this is the oldest town in the Sanya region with a history dating back to the Song Dynasty. It's about 46 km west of Sanya City and accessible by bus (Bus Route 58) and high speed rail (alight at Yazhou Station). While in no way comparable to any of the more famous ancient towns on the Mainland, it may be worth a visit if you happen to be in Sanya and have a day to spare. The main points of interest are the restored Wenming Gate (文明门) and the Yacheng Confucian Temple (崖城学宫). There are also a number of interesting villages in the area, most notably Baoping Village (保平村), which contains many examples of Ming and Qing-style residential buildings.

Understand
While tourists come in every season, the peak season starts from 1 October to the end of winter. During the winter, Sanya is a popular escape for Russians who primarily stay at Dadong Hai (大东海 Dàdōng hǎi) and Northern Chinese to escape freezing weather. In the Chinese New Year, the city will be flooded with tourists and expect everything to be extremely expensive.

As the southernmost city in China, Sanya along with Yangshuo often serves as the last stop for backpackers who wish to spend the remaining days of their visa in China.

Talk
Hainanese is the main local language spoken in Sanya. The dialect of Hainanese differs somewhat from the standard Hainanese spoken in Wenchang, making it a little tricky to understand even if you are fluent in standard Hainanese. That said, most locals are able to understand standard Hainanese too.

As with elsewhere in China, Mandarin is the main language taught in school, and spoken by virtually all non-elderly locals. Sanya is also home to many migrants from other parts of China who speak Mandarin but not Hainanese. This is particularly true in the winter, when many wealthy Chinese from the northern provinces move here to escape the bitter cold in their respective hometowns.

As with most other parts of China, English is not widely spoken, though staff at the more expensive hotels and resorts can usually speak some basic English. As Sanya is a popular destination for Russian tourists, staff at some tourist attractions may be able to speak some basic Russian.

By plane


You may be able to save money by first taking a bullet train to Haikou and flying out of the provincial capital's larger airport. The Meilan high-speed rail station is in the same building complex with Haikou's international airport. For intercity bus, ticket and overnight lodging can exceed the difference and you should account for travelling 3–4 hours each direction. In addition to the bus, you will easily be able to find "heiche" (黑车 hēichē) taxis that will take you between the two cities, for ¥350-500 per car. Although it's illegal, you can find drivers that are courteous, safe and reliable, although this is much more difficult without being able to speak at least basic Chinese.

By bus


The 3½-hour bus ride from the East Bus Station in Haikou will cost about ¥50. Buses between Haikou and Sanya generally depart about once every hour, though there is a two-hour gap between the 2nd last bus and the last bus; the last bus from Sanya to Haikou departs around 18:00.

By train
Sanya can be reached directly by train from Beijing (35 hours), Shanghai (36 hours) and Guangzhou (15 hours). The whole train is loaded on to a ferry for the journey from mainland China to the Island, then continues its journey around the west coast as far as Sanya. As trains leaving the island originate in Sanya, tickets from this smaller town are easier to obtain than if leaving from Haikou.

High-speed trains connect all major cities and towns on the eastern and western coasts. It takes 1½-2 hours from Haikou, travels up to 250 km/h.



Maps of Sanya also show a station near Nanshan Temple called Nanshan North Railway Station (南山北站). This station, however, is no longer in use.

By foot
Many people stay in beach areas with more-or-less everything within walking distance.

By bus
Darting in, around, and between Sanya city and Dadong Hai is best done by the city bus lines 2 (fastest) or 4 (adds some stops around Sanya River) for ¥2. The buses run along Sanya city's Jiefang Road (解放路), which is the street McDonald's is on, and hit Dadong Bay at Luling Road (鹿岭路), just one stop past the Deer Turns Head Square (鹿回头广场)

For trips farther out of town, you can buy bus tickets at Sanya city's bus station or just hail buses on the road that runs along Sanya's beach. Tickets to most destinations will be ¥1-30. You could also hire a van with (or without) an English speaking guide from hotels or people with white and blue displays on the streets of Sanya City or Dadong Bay. If you go with a Chinese tour group, there may likely be several hours of scheduled stops at "infomercial" centers, complete with microphone delivered advertisements.

By light rail
A light rail network is under construction. The first line officially began operations in October 2020. It runs from Sanya Railway Station to the city center. Stops include Sanya Railway Station (三亚火车站), Yuxiu Road (育秀路), Fenghuang Road (凤凰路), Shuicheng Road (水城路), Sanya River East Road (三亚河东路), Jiefang Road (解放路), Jinjiling Street (金鸡岭街), Youyi Street (友谊街), Yingbin Road (迎宾路), Jixiang Street (吉祥街), Tuanjie Street (团结街), Xinfeng Street (新风街), Guangming Street (光明街), Yuejin Street (跃进街) and Jiangang Road (建港路). The fare is ¥3 and it takes 35 minutes to reach the end of the line.

By taxi
Taxi fare starts from ¥8 for the first 2 km, and ¥2 for each additional kilometer. Due to the cheap fare, taxi drivers like to hover around anywhere outside the downtown to avoid short-ride passengers. This makes getting a taxi in the downtown a bit difficult. Taxis are quite well regulated and they are mostly okay with using a meter, but drivers are mainly immigrant workers who may not be familiar with every place. Some of them also try to fool tourists that the place they want to go is closed, and try to take you farther. Another problem is that since Sanya is only crowded during winter, there are enough taxis to go around. And the government doesn't hire more taxis because during the summer, there would be too many taxis and the drivers would not make any money. To help with this problem, the government has commissioned another class of yellow taxis that can hailed by phone. Dial 96789 tell them your location and they will pick you up if there is a car nearby you and the rates are the same as regular taxis.

There are also numerous motorcycle and sidecar taxis. You must negotiate the price before leaving. Prices are slightly lower than regulated taxis but it depends on your negotiating skills and knowing what the locals pay for the same trip distance.

By car or motorcycle
You can also rent a motorbike or a car of your own. There are several places to do this, with prices per hour (¥60), 4 hours (¥150), 8 hours (¥350) or by week (¥1,500). Discounts are available outside peak times. However, any driver who is not familiar with the traffic norms in Sanya should think twice about renting a motorbike. Traffic rules are practiced half-heartedly and road condition can be dangerous even if you are a good disciplined driver. When you crash into a pedestrian, you as a driver are likely the one to pay the compensation.

When renting a car or motorcycle, you need a valid Chinese driving license (International Licenses are not valid). There is no exemption to this rule and you can be jailed for up to 15 days by driving without a license. In most cases, you will be fine without it, but in the event of an accident, this will be a major issue.

English Corners
An English Corner is an informal regular gathering where locals meet to practice their English. If you show up and are visibly foreign, people will be eager to talk to you. This gives you a chance to meet some locals and socialize even if you don't speak much Chinese.


 * English Corner, at YoungBar (DaDongHai—beside Dolphin Bar). Every Sunday at 15:00.
 * English Corner, at YoungBar (DaDongHai—beside Dolphin Bar). Every Sunday at 15:00.

Biking
Sanya is a popular destination for pro-amateur bikers who are eager to hover around the whole island. However, almost all bikers take their own bike. Bike rental service is not as omnipresent as other touristy places such as Yangshuo or Lijiang. Most bike shops are located at Sanya Hexi Lu (Sanya River East Road), you need to pay ¥1000 for deposit and prices start from ¥40 for 1 day hiring. Several hostels also have a bike rental service. A route from Dadonghai to Yalong bay, then to Haitong Bay has a well-constructed, -lit and smooth road which stretches over 30 km and make it ideal to ride. However, the urban area of Sanya has some of the worst traffic in China and the local police are notorious for being impotent on cracking down traffic violations.

Golfing
Sanya is home to numerous practice range, suitable for beginner and several demanding golf courses for more challenges. Some international tournament take regularly place in different Sanya golfing venues. Hotels offer weekly package where you can golf every day on a different course.



Hiking
In Sanya, you may more likely do more walking than hiking. With its pretty flat landscape and well-developed roads, hiking is not particular popular among tourists. Hikers often take a bus in the Sanya Bus Station at Jiefang Road and head to Wuzhishan (五指山) to start their hiking tour. The 90-minute bus is available every hour from 07:00 to 16:00 and fare is around ¥16.

Surfing
Hainan has pretty consistent surf most of the year. In the summer, the south winds bring waves to Sanya's south-facing beaches. In the fall through winter, the peak surf season, Hainan's east coast is the place to go. Hainan does not offer world-class waves, but it offers fairly consistent tropical surf, which is almost completely empty. If you a breaking in to surfing, there are a number of companies to contact.



Water sports
Yalong Bay, Dadong Bay, Haitang Bay and Sanya Bay all have a collection of jet skiing, parasailing, paragliding, snorkeling, scuba diving, glass-bottomed boat, and beach ATV enterprises. Prices aren't generally very negotiable (save for scuba and snorkeling), but duration of the ride, however, can. Do not go too cheap on scuba, for obvious safety reasons.

Study Mandarin
With such a beautiful environment, relaxing on the beach and studying Mandarin Chinese is a fun and productive activity for those with more time. It's also easier to focus on the studying without the distractions of the big cities.

Buy
The area produces pearls in abundance and they are sold everywhere. Prices are highly negotiable; overcharging tourists is common. Tour guides get a fat (often 50%!) commission for bringing tourists to pearl shops; try to go without one and beat the price down.

Coconut powders and teas are also popular Chinese buys, but for Westerners looking for something less commercially produced... the cone-shaped hats that women wear here with pictures inscribed are only ¥5 at The First Market (第一市场 dìyī shìchǎng) in Sanya city. Lines 2 and 4 have a stop there. Don't head into the department store; instead, stick to the side of it and walk down the road filled with small shops and street vendors.



Restaurants
There are plenty of good Chinese regional-food restaurants, including many Sichuan, Cantonese, and DongBei places. There are also a few foreign / Western food restaurants, especially Dolphin and Young Bar, and of course the ubiquitous McDonald's (DaDongHai [3] and Jiefang Lu), Starbucks (in Summer Mall) and KFC (105 Jiefang Lu; Duojialian; 63 Guoxing Dadao; Renmin Lu). Seafood is of course also a mainstay in the cuisine of Sanya, and DaDongHai is filled with overpriced seafood restaurants. Inspect the tanks for freshness before eating and beware of the different charges that are often handled by different people at the restaurant (fishery, cooking fee, and sitting fee can be separate). Shellfish go for ¥10-25 per jin (half kilo).



Specialities
Hainan grows a great variety of tropical fruits. Mango, apple, pineapples, durian, jackfruit, mangosteen, lycee are very popular and their breeds are colorfully diverse. Hainan is famous throughout China for its coconuts and they are worth trying, especially the red coconuts (红椰 hóng yē). Away from the beach, expect to pay about ¥8-10 for a coconut. Prices increase as you get closer and you may end up paying about ¥15 for a coconut on the beach. Note that fruit price is fluctuating and cheating on its weight is common. Visit any big and well-established chained supermarkets in the downtown of Sanya along Jiefang Road to check the current market price.

Street food
A bit after sunset and well in to the midnight, Sanya city's streets are filled with small barbecue stands, noodle stands, and other snack vendors. There is a well-known seafood supermarket called The No. 1 Agricultural Products Market (第一市场) (See address below). You buy live seafood and then take it around the corner to a crowded street where all the restaurants will cook (Jia Gong,加工) the seafood for you for a small fee per dish. It's the most crowded night market in Sanya. You will find a constant assortment of musicians and kids that sell flowers to proposition you while you are eating. It's a great way to save money on eating seafood because there is no markup for the seafood because you purchased the seafood yourself. It's quite a lively environment with guitarists playing, saxophonists playing, customers singing, beer flowing all night long, garbage trucks to come by to pick up the garbage, and the occasional fight. This street starts dying down around the midnight and the crowds head to bar street.

After Bar Street closes, the crowds head to the night food market located at the 1st Lane of Shangping Road (商品街一巷) which is close to Jiefang Road (解放路). Most foods are at the fixed price but try to negotiate a bit for the seafood barbecue. The food and beer flows until the sun comes up.

Another popular after-hours barbecue place is at Wan Jun Long. Not as popular as Shangping Road, but if you are sick of seeing the same people all the time, this is another alternative (address below).

Drink
Coffee

The vast majority of coffee shops here open around 10:00 or 11:00. There is a Starbucks in the Summer Mall (in DaDongHai). The Jiefang Lu (解放路) McDonald's has thus become a morning pilgrimage for some Westerners.

Alcohol

Times Coast (Shi Dai Hai An) Bar Street

This is where all the hottest clubs in Sanya are; it's one big circle with about 10-11 clubs. The big three first tier clubs with all the tourists are Soho, MJ, and 88. The rest of the clubs are second tier clubs that have mostly locals and are less expensive. To get here, hop in a cab and say "Jiu Ba Jie". The most popular local brew is Anchor (actually Singaporean but produced in Hainan). Ask for the 'red label' or 'old' brew, which is the original. It is very hoppy and can be a great escape from Yanjing (燕京) or Qingdao (青岛) beer. Those are available, of course, as well. There are also local pineapple-based beers. Odd, but worth a try.

Most of these bars will ask you to buy many bottles at a time (standard practice in China). They are loud, flashy, often bland EDM-anthem places filled with Russians. Mostly tables with people just sitting and drinking, the dance floors are often small and shaped like a model-runway, and often have shows that take place and so everyone just goes and sits at their tables. Foreigners will not get free drinks at these Chinese clubs; you have to go to smaller cities for that (too many Russian tourists in Sanya for that white privilege).



KTV



Sleep
As a general rule, accommodation prices in Sanya are very expensive, particularly during the winter months due to the huge influx of wealthy tourists from northern China.

Budget
In Sanya city and Dadonghai there are many small, clean moderately priced inns and hotels (¥50-100, even in high season, for 1-3 beds). Some may be located in alley ways just off Sanya's beach street, sometimes several floors up without an elevator (but the view is worth it!).



Stay safe
Sanya exists solely for tourism which is accompanied by annoyances including pickpocketeting and overcharging.

Before arrival, travelers should be wary of getting the right address and most up to date telephone number for their hostels/hotels. Some hostels are located in a new district whose roads have just been laid out. Not many people, including the police, know where specific locations are in new districts. When you get lost, always ask drivers to call the staff.

Para-sailing, diving, snorkeling and boating are popular but operators may not be trained or certified. If you go for diving, always check air tank pressures before. Some Wikitravelers have reported that they received half-empty scuba tanks and found it difficult to inhale smoothly.

Sanya has a lot of local tour packages. Some tours to outlying islands may look cheap, but once you arrive on the spot, operators may charge you extra money for using their equipment. Masks, snorkels and fishing rods can be shabby and expensive to rent. Other tours are shopping traps, complete with ridiculous commissions for the tour guide. Before you join any tour, ask specifically what is included in the fee (beach chair, drinks, boat, fishing rod, snorkel, mask, transportation, admission fees, return transportation, etc.), and what is not (shopping).

Thanks to a heavy crackdown on gangsters, Sanya has become much safer than in the early 2000s. While violent crimes against tourists are rare in Sanya, be wary of pickpocketing, bicycle theft and bag snatching. There are occasional reports of professional drivers zooming alongside a tourist and grabbing their bag. Pickpocketing is common on buses. You should avoid bringing any valuables to the beach as theft is occasionally reported. Lockers on the beach, along their showers and beach chairs, are not free. They will charge ¥20-50, or more, per use.

Sanya is also notorious for overcharging. Scams in seafood restaurants were heavily reported in the Chinese media in 2011. To avoid very unpleasant sticker shock, make sure you know the price of what you are ordering.

As a tourist area, everything sold close to the beach will be 30-100% more expensive than in downtown Sanya due to high rents and the law of supply and demand (lots of tourists, limited prime real estate for restaurants). Furthermore, market prices anywhere in Sanya are slightly higher than Haikou due to the cost of transportation. For seafood lovers who just traveled from inexpensive Haikou, do not expect to pay ¥10 for 4 scallops or 6 oysters.

Traffic rules apparently do not exist. Cars and motorcycles drive on both sides of the road and careen down sidewalks as if they had right of way. Irritating honking is ever-present, even when driving on sidewalks. Tourists should not trust the green traffic light and zebra crossings, because changing lights sometimes encourage drivers to speed up. As elsewhere, do not trust drivers to avoid you; you should always avoid them.

Cars will only stop at red lights. Bikes will only stop at red traffic lights if they are managed by police, otherwise you will watch them zip and weave though all directions of oncoming traffic.

The road dividers on main arterial roads are not there to stop people from running across; they are in place to stop cars from going down the wrong side of the road. Watch a road without these installed and you will see this in practice.

The tap water, even in nice hotels, should not be considered safe to drink as the tap water in Sanya is generally not potable. Bring or buy bottled water if you plan to be outside of your accommodation for long periods of time. If you have access to a kettle in your hotel room or rented apartment, boiled water is fine to drink.

Hainan is considered an active malaria and dengue fever region. Note that while there are pills to prevent malaria, there is no way to grow antibodies against dengue fever. If you plan to visit tropical forest zones, bring your own strong mosquito repellent and coil incense.

Go next
While most tourists visit Hainan for the increasingly vibrant city of Sanya, the island is large and has many other more remote locations to see.

Baoting (保亭), a county just north of Sanya, is a popular destination for its scenic and cultural attractions, including the Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone (呀诺达雨林文化旅游区), the Betel Nut Valley Li & Miao Cultural Heritage Park (槟榔谷黎苗文化旅游区), and the Mount Qixian Hot Springs National Forest Park (七仙岭温泉国家森林公园).

A little further on from Baoting, about 70 km northeast of Sanya, is the county of Lingshui. About 15 km south of Lingshui's main town is Nanwan Monkey Island (南湾猴岛), actually a peninsula, which is home to about 2500 endangered Macaque monkeys whose habitat you get to roam freely through. Lingshui is also the location of Perfume Bay (Xiangshui Bay, 香水湾), a relatively quiet and peaceful coastal area, and the scenic island of Boundary Island (Fenjiezhou Island, 分界洲岛).

The eastern city of Wanning (万宁), between Sanya and Haikou is home to Shimei Bay (石梅湾 shí méi wān) and Riyue Bay (日月湾 rìyuè wān), the former which hosts the large and very secluded-feeling Le Meridien, and the latter which has become a popular spot for surfers on a budget. The cheaper hotel is ¥480 a night, so not super budget. Take the slow (non-express) bus to Haikou from the bus station and ask to be dropped off at the respective highway turnoff (¥30, 90 min, pay on the bus). Make sure you show them your ticket first or they will take you to another town where a taxi ride back 5 km they charge ¥100. To get back, walk up to the highway and flag down a bus. Express buses won't stop to pick you up. A taxi to either location will cost around ¥300.

The Paracel Islands, known in China as the Xisha Archipelago (西沙群岛) are gorgeous, remote, and brimming with tropical life. One of this chain of islands reportedly used to be an exotic vacation spot but is now off-limits to foreign travelers due to territorial disputes. If you happen to be a Chinese national, however, you can take a cruise boat there from the Phoenix Island International Cruise Terminal (凤凰岛国际邮轮港). A round-trip takes around 64 hours and costs about ¥4000.