“Zdravstvuyte,” said a bikini-clad young woman offering brochures for recently opened dance clubs. I shook my head.
“I don’t speak Russian,” I replied, turning to admire the nearly empty beach and the aquamarine water before flipping over on the warm sand.
During my four-night stay in Sanya on Hainan Island, people often guessed my nationality. Hainan, sometimes called the “Chinese Hawaii,” has long been a winter refuge for mainland Chinese holidaymakers and nearby Russians. Lately, however, more Western travelers are discovering the island’s white-sand beaches and well-formed waves. Sanya is an easy flight from Hong Kong—about 90 minutes—and roughly three hours from Shanghai.
Compared with mainland China’s sometimes gray cities, Hainan feels painted in vivid color: intense blues, lush greens and sunlit yellows. Despite rapid tourism development, much of the island’s flora and fauna remain intact; in many places the jungle stretches right down to the shoreline, vines and dense foliage brushing the sand.
Once a relatively remote region inhabited by exiled officials and ethnic Miao communities, Hainan became a Special Economic Zone in 1988 and quickly attracted a construction boom. Sanya runs roughly 25 miles along the southern coast and exists predominantly to serve tourists, with a steady stream of new four- and five-star resorts.
For years, Sanya’s resorts catered mainly to mainland visitors, with outsize themed hotels—everything from “African safari” to “Mayan temple.” In recent years international brands such as Ritz-Carlton, Marriott and Banyan Tree have added luxury options around Yalong Bay and nearby areas.
Dadonghai Beach, on Sanya’s western edge, is the busier, more urban stretch, with three-star hotels, white concrete high-rises and a sprawl of souvenir stalls and produce stands. Yalong Bay, to the east, is where many of the high-end resorts sit, each usually guarding its own private strip of sand.
Because China’s major holidays fall in January and February, Yalong Bay was unusually quiet during our May visit; we walked for miles along hotel beaches and encountered only a few dozen people. Our first night was at the Universal Resort, lured by a $73-a-night deal. The hotel’s animal-print decor and oversized elephant fountains quickly grew tiresome, so we moved to the more refined Mangrove Tree Resort.
The Mangrove Tree sits on well-kept grounds with secluded hammocks, a lagoon pool and a floating bar that serves gelato and baked Alaska on hot afternoons. Rooms there start at about $130. They may not always have ocean views, but many feature outdoor balcony showers that enhance the open-air, tropical feel.
For travelers seeking privacy and pampering, Banyan Tree Resort on Luhuitou Bay, a short drive west of Sanya, offers villas starting around $250 per night. The resort places villas around a sculpted tropical lagoon and provides a quiet, meticulously designed setting. Guests can relax in outdoor pavilions featuring Banyan Tree’s signature spa treatments or follow The Rainforest trail and experience a series of hydrothermal cabins with alternating hot and cold therapy.
Dining options across Sanya’s resorts range from Thai and Chinese to international fusion. Venturing into downtown Sanya reveals vibrant local eats. When the sun grew intense at midday, we wandered Jiefang Road’s Number 1 Market, sampling fried squid, tropical fruits and cold drinks from outdoor stalls amid the humid heat.
As evening approached, the Cyrillic signage around Sanya stirred a craving for Russian comfort food. We joined a crowd at Wooden House Russian Restaurant on the main street and enjoyed draniki, pelmeni and vodka flights at modest prices while mingling with the island’s large Russian tourist presence.
Hainan is the only part of China with reliable surfable waves, so anyone wanting lessons or board rentals should head to Dadonghai Beach and Surfing Hainan, an American-owned shop that organizes lessons and winter surf trips to more remote breaks. In summer the waves are often small, but on one afternoon along Yalong Bay a perfect series of swells rolled in. Floating in warm, clear water, I decided Hainan could rival many famed surf spots around the world.
Not everyone comes for the surf. Kevin Westmoreland, an English teacher visiting from Ningbo, told me he preferred the island’s inland wilderness. “I wanted a beach vacation, but it’s everything outside the city that impressed me,” he said.
Leaving downtown Sanya, neon signs and concrete high-rises give way within minutes to densely forested hills, terraced fields of rice, coffee and coconut groves, and farmers working with water buffalo. At dusk we drove into the hills toward Hainan’s mineral springs, watching dark clouds move over the mountains and small puffs of smoke rise from field fires.
Nantian Hot Springs offers more than 60 pools set amid jungle gardens, ranging in temperature and theme. One of the most unusual experiences is the Fish Therapy Pool, where tiny Garra rufa carp gently nibble dead skin—an attraction that migrated from Turkish spas to East Asian resorts.
Hainan’s highlights aren’t limited to oceans and spas. About 15 miles west of Sanya sits Tianya Haijiao, a boulder-strewn beach of striking rock formations that appear on China’s two-yuan note. The site carries romantic symbolism in Chinese poetry and is a popular destination for newlyweds. A further 12 miles along the coast is the Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone and the Buddha Lustration Center, a large complex crowned by a towering bronze statue of Guan Yin, one of China’s most visited Buddhist sites.
For Western travelers, Hainan can still be affordable. Many hotels offer steep discounts during the summer off-season, and adding a trip to Sanya onto a China itinerary can be economical. That may change as word spreads about this tropical escape.
Personally, I’ve told everyone I know about Hainan—partly because it’s stunning, and partly because, one quiet morning on an empty beach, my boyfriend proposed.
Diversion
For surfers and beginners alike, Surfing Hainan in Dadonghai Beach provides rentals, lessons and local knowledge. Lessons typically include transportation and a board.
Golfers can play the Yalong Bay Golf Club, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., which overlooks the water and has hosted professional tournaments. Visitor greens fees vary by season and day of the week.
Nantian Hot Springs, about 30 minutes from Yalong Bay, features numerous pools and spa treatments, including Fish Therapy. The springs are reachable by shuttle or taxi from major resort areas.
Tianya Haijiao lies about 15 miles west of town and is reachable by frequent tourist buses. Continue along the coastal highway to visit the Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone and its impressive Guan Yin statue.
Info To Go
Flights from Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Guangzhou arrive at Sanya’s Fenghuang International Airport (SYX). Taxis to Yalong Bay, about 15 miles east of Sanya, cost roughly $10; trips from Yalong Bay into downtown are around $6. Many luxury hotels offer airport pickup and drop-off.
Lodging
Banyan Tree Sanya
A resort of private pool villas set around a sculpted tropical lagoon, with outdoor pavilions offering signature spa treatments. 6 Luling Road, Luhuitou Bay, tel 86 898 8860 9988
The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya
Expansive grounds on a tucked-away section of Yalong Bay feature multiple pools, luxury shopping and a large spa. Yalong Bay National Resort District, tel 86 898 8898 8888
Yalong Bay Mangrove Tree Resort
A five-star, Thai-style hotel with an open-air atmosphere, outdoor balcony showers and hammocks among palm trees. Yalong Bay National Resort District, tel 86 898 8855 8888
Dining
Number 1 Market
A bustling downtown market where fresh seafood like fried squid-on-a-stick and tropical fruit make for an affordable, lively lunch. Jiefang Road, Sanya
Rainbow Café
An American-style bar serving ribs, burgers and beer with free nightly entertainment from local bands and DJs. 99 Yuya Road, Sanya, tel 86 898 8821 5700
Wooden House Russian Restaurant
A popular spot for Russian comfort dishes such as stroganoff and potato pancakes, frequented by international visitors. Yuya Road, Sanya, tel 86 898 8821 1527