bryanwallace

can anyone tell me where the best place to stay in sanya is(with 3 kids)
here yalong bay is great-but it seems to be a long,long way from the downtown restaurants etc??

thanks

Chinatrvl

In reply to all Hainan related questions, also in another thread and by pm:

a) Haikou is a large city on the sea and offers lots of dining and shopping options, as well as cheap hotels and resorts (Sheraton Haikou, for example). Sanya, on the other hand, is a small village that has immensly grown over the last years, still lacking decent dining and shopping options (although it has got better). After a week in Sanya, Haikou might be a good change...

b) Sanya. Probably the last town in China where taxi drivers don't use the meter and everybody else tries to rip off tourists. May be caused by the influx of Russian and UK package tourists who pay whatever requested without bargaining. You will have issues to find decently priced restaurants in the tourist areas and be prepared to be harrased Vietnam-style. That said, there are nice restaurants and friendly people in all those parts of the town where aforementioned tourists haven't left their traces.

c)
- Sanya Yalong Bay is an enclave without public transport, about 45 mins away from Sanya town. There is nothing but 4 and 5 star resorts. The beach and the hotels are nice, but there is nowhere you can go for dinner. A taxi to Sanya town will cost around 70-100 yuan one way, some hotels run shuttle busses at awkward times. There are some supermarkets that still overcharge, but at least you can get some drinks and snacks there. That said, Yalong has a wonderful beach.

- Xiaodong hai/ Dadong hai. The former is new, there are only two or three hotels (Interconti -great hotel, if you can afford it-, Banyan tree and one other, afaik), there are shops and taxi to Dadong hai is around 10 yuan. At Dadong hai you can also get around when you speak Russian. There are some shops and restaurants, and regular busses to Sanya town (1 or 2 yuan). The Mandarin Oriental is at Dadong hai. It's less crowded than Yalong and it's easier to get there from Sanya.

- Sanya Bay. Sanya Bay is connected to Sanya downtown by regular minibus service (1 yuan). I actually like the location, although you need to cross a steet to get to the beach. The hotels are mostly mulit-story hotels, reasonably cheap, but nothing fancy compared to the ones you'll find in the other areas.

- Lastly, there's the ex-Kempinski, which is at the end of Sanya Bay. Located directly on the beach. If you can get good rates there, this might be a good choice.

d) It would be easier to recommend a certain area or even hotel if you provide more information - what's your budget, what category are you looking at, are you planning to dine at the hotel or out, do you want to do some trips (Nanshan, for example)?

e) I'd split my stay in Sanya and Haikou. You can easily book a hotel for Haikou when in Sanya. So if you're 'done' with Sanya, just move over to Haikou.
As already said, I can recommend the Sheraton there. Although it is right on the beach, the water tends to be dirty (directly exposed to Leizhou street). However, the pool and the resort grounds are pretty nice. Taxi to Haikou downtown is around 20 yuan (and they use their meters ). Haikou offers really plenty of dining and shopping.

Hope this answers some questions, happy to help with anything else

bryanwallace

that`s great thanks!

i have already got a few nights booked at the howard johnson
is this sanya bay(good location?)

also thanks for tips on haikou but what actually is there to do there?

Chinatrvl

Howard Johnson - that's the largest resort hotel in China, isn't it? It's located fairly close to Sanya town.

There are no "outstanding" sights in Haikou. The old town is worth a visit, so are some temples and there's a tomb and one Qing fortress.

There's even less to see in Sanya, although Nanshan probably warrants the trip and the expensive ticket.


There are some other sights or scenic spots around the island, however, you'd have to have a driver/car for that.

bryanwallace

thanks for all your replies..
to answer your questions better-we arestaying at the
howard johnson now from 4/29 to 5/3 .we are flying out of haikou airport on 6th night..
question is whether to stay in sanya the whole time(and if so) where or to haikou-i couldnt see that much to do there^but if there is please let me know!
other option is to stay in sanya the whole time and just bullet train to airport on the 6th-if so ,which hotel is best?
if the ho jo is a good choice then can stay there longer no probs-just wondered if it was good choice and what access options are for downtown..
as for trips,interested in things for kids-what is there?
monkey place?hot spring place?
you mentioned a car,is it worth renting-safe to drive?
thanks!

8dimsum

I may be escorting my elderly mother for a late-Oct. family gathering in HK. Mom was pleased to visit (while on a cruise) a Sanya area spa. The nibbling fishes were a delight! - Is this a standard? any suggestions for a short stay? --In the meantime I will try to locate a name of the hotspring/spa spot.

Chinatrvl

Wirelessly posted (SAMSUNG-S8000/S8000XXIG3 SHP/VPP/R5 Jasmine/1.0 Nextreaming SMM-MMS/1.2.0 profile/MIDP-2.1 configuration/CLDC-1.1)

If nothing changed, the holiday inn sanya bay has such a nibbling fish therapy pool.

8dimsum

Chinatrvl: Thank you for the input. I'll look up my PC#.

jiejie

The HoJo in Sanya Bay is a good location. It's close enough to the beach (but watch out crossing the main road to get to the beach) and there are always the pools. More importantly, there is easy access to reasonably-priced local restaurant options as well as Sanya center of town. I stayed with friends at a condo further west on Sanya Bay and passed HoJo on my way to town--looked pretty nice from the outside. The public minibuses (1 RMB) run up and down the beach road, there are spots where you flag them down--just ask someone when you get there. I didn't find the local taxis bad for gouging for trips around town, but YMMV. I think for you, Sanya Bay/Hojo is a better location than Yalong Bay isolation, especially if you want to avoid running up a big tab for extras like food, etc. out in YB.

Haikou has never been considered a stellar destination with much to see--it's a working rather than resort city and Hainan's provincial capital. I wouldn't spend much longer than a free day there.

If you want a car, get one with driver. If there are 5 of you and your kids aren't little, you may need a small van. You can arrange that when you get there, probably by the day according to your daily plans.

Chinatrvl

Indeed, there are no stellar sights in Haikou. However, at least there's a shopping mall and a greater range of restaurants - compared to Sanya.

The Sheraton Haikou is a 20 min cab ride from downtown Haikou.

Sanya Bay is a good location; but maybe you'd like to check whether you find a suitable hotel in Xiaodonghai or Dadonghai. The beaches and resorts are a bit nicer, more resort style.

You can rent a car in Hainan - I wouldn't recommend to do so, though. Get a driver if there are any particular sights you'd like to visit. (Maybe best is googling about Hainan sights ...)

Depends on how old the kids are, there are Nanshan cultural site and the Luhuitou park as well as one ethnic village.
Also nice is a boat trip to Wuzhizhou island - good beaches and snorkling, very crowded on weekends.

bryanwallace

thats great all!

i think maybe staying in sanya best-but maybe worth trying another hotel as people say any ideas in Xiaodonghai or Dadonghai area?

the boat trip to the island sounds great,where do i go for that..

kids 8,6,2

cheers again

bryanwallace

seems like lots has changed in sanya over last few yrs

looking for advice of which of the 4 ihg properties in sanya to stay at.
have a few free nights then will use points..
does anyone have advice on which is best for family(kids 12,10,6)?
thanks
...

will be going at christmas and wonder if warm enough to swim?