A tropical resort city at the southern tip of Hainan that stays warm almost all year, which is why people call it China's Hawaii · fine white sand and clear water at Yalong Bay (亚龙湾) · the luxury-resort strip at Haitang Bay (海棠湾) · easy-going Dadonghai and Sanya Bay close to town · Nanshan Temple with a giant seaside Guanyin standing over the water · Tianya Haijiao at the edge of the sky and sea · and a boat out to clear-water Wuzhizhou Island to snorkel over the coral
Sanya (三亚) is a tropical resort city at the southern tip of Hainan island, warm and humid almost all year, which is exactly why people call it "China's Hawaii." Honestly, the first thing that gets you here is stepping off the plane into sea breeze and palm trees and realising it feels nothing like mainland China. The heart of it is the beaches and bays — Yalong Bay (亚龙湾), fine white sand and clear water along a strip of luxury resorts · Haitang Bay (海棠湾) on the east side, home to the biggest resort brands plus Atlantis and the CDF duty-free mall · Dadonghai (大东海) and Sanya Bay (三亚湾), easy beaches close to town · up at Nanshan Temple (南山寺) a 108-metre seaside Guanyin stands out over the water · Tianya Haijiao (天涯海角) marks what the Chinese call the edge of the sky and sea · and a boat out to Wuzhizhou Island (蜈支洲岛) gets you snorkelling over water so clear you can see the sand below — and Thai passport holders enter Hainan visa-free.
From the white sand of Yalong Bay, Haitang Bay and Dadonghai to the seaside Guanyin at Nanshan Temple, Tianya Haijiao, Wuzhizhou Island and plates of fresh seafood — this is the atmosphere you'll really find in Sanya.
The full Sanya travel guide is growing piece by piece · the Stay tab is ready now, Eat and See are in the works, and for Plan and Prep there are China guides to read first — choose a tab below to get started
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9.0Yalong Bay · Haitang Bay · Dadonghai · Sanya Bay · Nanshan Temple · Tianya Haijiao · Wuzhizhou Island — see where each bay and sight is and plan your route more easily.
Pick by budget and the bay you want — compare prices across three sites before you book · Trip.com has the most China hotels
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🏖️ Beachfront
🏆💎💎🏖️💎💎💎⭐🏖️🌊🏊🎒A great trip doesn't have to stay in one city — three spots on Hainan island you can reach by the island rail loop or road for a day trip or an overnight.
Sanya (三亚) is a tropical resort city at the southern tip of Hainan island, warm and humid for most of the year, which is why people call it China's Hawaii — its defining feature is the beaches and bays · Yalong Bay (亚龙湾) with fine white sand and clear water along a strip of luxury resorts · Haitang Bay (海棠湾) on the east, home to the biggest resort brands plus Atlantis and the CDF duty-free mall · Dadonghai (大东海) and Sanya Bay (三亚湾), easy in-town beaches · up at Nanshan Temple (南山寺) a 108-metre seaside Guanyin stands over the water · Tianya Haijiao (天涯海角) marks the edge of the sky and sea · take a boat out to Wuzhizhou Island (蜈支洲岛) to snorkel over clear water · and finish with Sanya seafood and Wenchang chicken, a Hainan island classic.
Sanya works on any budget — backpackers around ฿1,200-2,500/day · mid-range ฿3,000-6,000/day (excluding flights; beachfront luxury runs higher) · get in from Phoenix Airport (SYX) by taxi, bus and the island rail loop · around town and between the bays you'll mostly use buses, taxis and DiDi · the best time to visit is October–April, the dry season with sun and clear water (skip the May–September rainy season with its occasional typhoons, and avoid New Year–Chinese New Year when it's crowded and pricey) · Thai passport holders enter Hainan visa-free · don't forget a VPN · eSIM · Alipay/WeChat Pay before you go · and Hainan also has offshore duty-free shopping for tax-free buys.
The Wherebest team is steadily adding in-depth Sanya hotel reviews and travel guides — best bays to stay in · things to see · what to eat · trips around Hainan island. Start planning your trip with our complete China travel guide →
Start planning from the China travel guide, then take in Sanya one bay at a time