Travelers are quickly discovering the beautiful beaches and reasonably priced accomodations, but this area will never be the same.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/05/15/sanya.reut/index.html

Travelers are quickly discovering the beautiful beaches and reasonably priced accomodations, but this area will never be the same.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/05/15/sanya.reut/index.html


hmm. whenever i read these pro-hainan articles, that's all i can think. sure, for a chinese person that lacks the clearences to go to better places, it's a viable option (and i will concede that the street food in sanya is the best i've experienced in all of china).

but, for travelers from abroad and those of us within china that can go elsewhere, hainan doesn't really compete. thailand, viet nam, malaysia, indonesia, etc have much better beaches, cheaper hotels and less expensive air fares.

sure, sanya beats beijing in many mays, but it doesn't hold a candle to ko samui or boracay, imo

The expensive air fares bit has already changed, as Tiger now flies from Singapore to Haikou four times a week. Fares start at S$49 one way.

The expensive air fares bit has already changed, as Tiger now flies from Singapore to Haikou four times a week. Fares start at S$49 one way.

2 comments: 1) haikou is cheap from here as well, but sanya --where most tourists go-- is often $300 each way; 2) you can go to lots of nice places from sin.

regarding #2, my point is for someone from (ord, lax, fra, you pick it), it generally costs as much (or more) to go to sanya than ...say, ko samui or boracay. and, while sanya is interesting and has unique character, other places are --quite simply-- better.

2 comments: 1) haikou is cheap from here is was, but sanya --where most tourists go-- is often $300 each way; 2) you can go to lots of nice places from sin.

regarding #2, my point is for someone from (ord, lax, fra, you pick it), it generally costs as much (or more) to go to sanya than ...say, ko samui or boracay. and, while sanya is interesting and has unique character, other places are --quite simply-- better.

I totally agree that anyone not living in China would do much better with other places. Thailand, Vietnam, Bali, ect. are all much better than Sanya and the service at the hotels is better, often for much less. I also noticed on my last trip that the delightful habit of littering everywhere has spread to tourists at the beach on yalong bay making the beach disgusting to walk on barefoot and the water filled with plastic bottles and cig butts (Chunghwa or Panda no doubt)

However, living in Guangzhou it is a cheap, short hop for me for a weekend away from the big city and with Hilton only charging 10000 points per night its a very cheap weekend at that!