The Port for Sanya, is a new and modern setup. It sets out on Phoenix Island, which is a peninsula from the mainland. It is possible to walk (10 minutes) to town from the Pier, but it really depends on how much walking you want to do.

Shuttles available but not really needed. $12 pp.

Printable map to take along.

Cruise calendar for this port.

Watch a destination video.

Billed as "China's Hawaii", Sanya has 20km long 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.

You wouldn't go all the way to China for beaches, but you'll find them - and spectacular ones at that - in the shoreside city of Sanya. Located on a peninsula at the southernmost tip of Hainan Island, Sanya boasts a dazzling white-sand shoreline, bright-blue surf and a colorful underwater world. The visibility of Sanya's South Sea waters and its protected coral reef accounts for its growing popularity as a dive site.

Besides its obvious natural beauty, the silvery beach at Tianya Haijiao is best known for the engraved rocks that sit along its coast, one of which graces the back of the RMB 2 note. According to legend, the rocks form "the edge of the sky and the end of the sea" where Song dynasty officials were exiled in the late 13th century.

To get around in the cities, one best uses a taxi or a van: They are very cheap and plentiful. Make sure you talk to the driver beforehand, to check his language skills.

There are roughly three groups of taxi drivers:

Touts: Stay away from them, you are about to pay a multiple of what you should pay, walk a half a block and you will find a honest cabbies.
The mechanics: They have build their own taximeter, with all consequences.
The honest cabbie: As the Chinese government is clamping down on mistreatment of tourists, this group is in the far majority( >90%), in fact the more south you go in China, the more honest people get. Make sure they put the meter on, otherwise get out!

Important: If you buy a guide book for the town you are about to visit, make sure it is of the latest edition available. This as the pace of construction is enormous: what is here today, might not be there tomorrow!
Make sure the maps in your guide book have "english" as well as "chinese" characters, so you and the cabdriver can communicate by pointing at the map. Cabdrivers only speak chinese.

Naturally, the best eats in Sanya come straight from the sea, although Hainan, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunan and Guizhou cuisine are all readily available here too. As far as seafood goes, the more exotic the better (sea cucumber, anyone?). The food stalls around Sanya harbor offer an array of fresh ingredients, cooked to order.

Every large tourist town has at least one or more shopping malls for westerners. Often the only place one can buy larger clothing sizes. Although these malls are fun, please be aware that almost everything is fake and that the bargaining is hard. The quickest way often is to show with bills in your hand, how much you are willing to pay and than walk on. If they than gesture you back finalize the deal. Always stay courteous.

Restaurants are often found in clusters in certain parts of the city, recognizable by very colorful decorations to attract customers. Stroll by and look for restaurants that are patronized by chinese families themselves. Most menu's have pictures of the items served. Seafood in general is kept alive in large tanks. Eating out in China is a feast, with very little etiquette, and in general rather noisy. Enjoy the fun! Only drink bottled water even use that if you have to brush your teeth. Use common precautions when eating out.

The Yuan (or Renminbi RMB).

Occasionally you will be given a counterfeit bill, mostly in a small denomination. Nothing you can do about it, just keep it as a souvenir.

Currency Converter

Internet is very well adapted in China, in fact even the more modest hotels have almost all WiFi in their rooms and in the public areas you will find Internet stations. Often for free or at a very modest charge.

Emergency number China: 100
Hong Kong and Macao: 999

There seem not set opening hours for stores, it seems as long as there are customers they stay open.

Chinese New Year (about two weeks long) is the time when all the Chinese are traveling and transportation can be very hectic.

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