American citizens interested in exploring China are in luck. China's government announced that, starting May 1, citizens from the US, the UK, Canada, and a dozen of other European and Asian countries can visit Hainan Island for up to 30 days without a visa.
Hainan Island, known as the "Hawaii of China," is a popular holiday destination for Chinese citizens. With its tropical climate and beautiful beaches, Hainan attracted 70 million tourists last year according to the Hainan Tourism Development Commission. However, it's still not very well-known among people from other countries. According to Xinhua News Agency, only 1.1 million visitors to Hainan were international tourists.
Now that the Chinese government has made it easier for American citizens to visit, it's the perfect time to take a trip to this hidden gem in China while it is still largely undiscovered and retains its authentic charm.
Here are eight incredible things you can see and do in Hainan.
Sanya, the city on the southern end of Hainan Island, has a number of sun-kissed tropical beaches that are perfect for rest and relaxation. TripAdvisor recommends Yalong Bay, Dadonghai Beach, and Sanya Bay as some of the top beaches in the Sanya area. Reviewers on TripAdvisor rave about the "nice white sand," the "warm and beautiful" sea, and the "very clear water" at these three beaches.
And travelers can also take a day trip to Wuzhizhou Coral Island, where they can enjoy the "very white, very fine sand, and very clear water."
If you're feeling more adventurous, rest assured that there are many water sports and activities available at Hainan's beaches. Sanya's official tourism website mentions that there are many water sports and beach activities, including "diving, surfing, speed-boating, jet skiing, diving, and snorkeling."
For those who prefer experiencing the beaches from above, there are also "low-altitude aerial sight-seeing trips" such as helicopter and seaplane flights. And there is also the opportunity to explore Hainan's balmy waters by yacht, sailboat, or cruise. On TripAdvisor, there are a number of highly-ranked water sports and activities that tourists can participate in.
Located on top of a mountain, Luhuitou Park offers a stunning view of the city as well as an abundance of adorable wild monkeys. Many travelers on TripAdvisor wrote that they enjoyed climbing up the mountain to observe the panoramic city view, explore the park, and observe the wild monkeys.
However, it's best to be exercise caution around the monkeys.
"Be careful of the Macaque monkeys," one TripAdvisor reviewer wrote. "While we were there on our recent visit, some tourists put down some bottles of Chinese soda and a Macaque jumped out of a tree and went straight for the bottles, grabbing and draining one of them."
Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest is a rainforest park that contains over 1,500 varieties of tropical plants and over 190 kinds of wild animals, and it's the perfect way to experience Hainan's unique nature and ecology. Travelers can go on a scenic hike, walk across a suspension bridge and zip-line through the trees. According to TripAdvisor reviewers, Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest is an "awesome tropical rainforest," and the zip-line is "a lot of fun" and the rope bridge "was worth crossing."
The rainforest park also includes an orchid garden and even ostrich rides, so there is no shortage of fascinating things to see and do here.
Yanuo Tropical Rain Forest Resort is described by Viator as an "eco-theme park for adventure enthusiasts." At the park, there are opportunities to hike through the forest, explore waterfalls, and zip-line through the canopy. Particularly adventurous travelers can even climb a waterfall.
This activity is not for everyone — as one TripAdvisor reviewer warned, "this is really somewhat challenging." However, the same reviewer wrote that the waterfall climb was "really fun" and that "you will get wet, not just a little, but head to toe."
Located in Nanshan Buddhism Cultural Park, there is a striking white and gold Buddhist statue of the goddess Guanyin. At 108 meters high, the Guanyin statue of Nanshan is taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Travelers can visit this holy site to look upon the impressive statue and watch Buddhist monks pray. Reviewers on TripAdvisor have called this "the one place that you have to visit if you are visiting Hainan."
According to Sanya's official tourism website, Sanya transforms in the evenings from a quiet city to one that is "bustling with excitement and energy." At night, Sanya's streets are filled with street markets and shops. The abundance of lively and colorful night markets in Sanya make it "well worth staying up past bedtime to hit the town."
Sanya First Market, the most famous night market in Sanya, spans several city blocks and is filled with vendors that sell local snacks, clothes, and souvenirs.
Built on an artificial archipelago, the Phoenix Island Resort Sanya is a luxury hotel that claims to offer "celebrity treatment" and "world-class service" to its guests. Guests staying at the Phoenix Island Resort can enjoy the on-site restaurant, the sumptuous outdoor pool, and a private balcony that comes with a bathtub.
According to reviewers on Booking.com, the view from the room is "brilliant," the pool and outdoor areas are "well maintained and well manicured," the food is "just excellent," and there is also a "light show on the other buildings" for them to enjoy at night.
And even for those not staying at the resort, the striking and unique architecture of the Phoenix Island Resort Sanya is beautiful to look upon, especially at night when the buildings are lit up in different colors.
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