Sanya 三亚

Written By Maggi

This post is less of a finished guide and more of a snapshot. It’s a list of the places I visited, what they cost, and how I felt about them at the time. I’ll keep updating this as I slow down and turn each destination into something more detailed.

I recently visited Sanya for about a week, but like the many other cities I traveled to throughout this trip, hadn’t done any research before arriving.

Travel

Flight

I flew from Nanning to Sanya into the airport. The only flights out of Nanning to Sanya were late in the It then took an hour to get to my hotel located in Haitang Bay by DiDi.

Transportation to the hotel

The DiDi pickup spot is a decent walk once you leave the baggage claim and there’s a taxi terminal much closer but just follow the signs and then take the elevator to the second floor. This meant that I arrived at my hotel super early in the morning (like 1 am). Make sure to double check that your hotel has an attendant 24/7 so that you can check in. I’ve read reviews (not in Sanya, but in China in general) where people arrived late but then couldn’t check in.

2 hour ride back to the airport when I left so make sure to factor in additional time. This could be because it was close to rush hour and Chinese New Year, but definitely cut it close with that ride.

Accommodations

I stayed in a cute hotel called Sanya Haitang Bay Qingkongye Homestay (International Duty Free City Branch).

Overall Rating - 4/5

Pros

  • Affordable - For 5 nights, I paid CNY 1,360.00, which is not bad at all.

  • Room size - I reserved the Dusk Coconut Grove Double Bed Room and it was very spacious with a queen size bed.

  • Very cute - Definitely out of your Pinterest dreams

  • Available attractions - This hotel is close to Haitang Bay, the Cdf mall.

  • Pool - While I never ended up getting in, the pool looked nice and I saw others enjoying it

  • Laundry room - This was the saving grace for me. After traveling for several weeks and having to rewear clothes, having a laundry room was amazing. And they provided laundry detergent! Although, on the last day of my stay, I did one final load of laundry and chose to add a dry cycle too (versus hang drying my clothes in my room). However, for whatever reason, it took 3 hours for the wash and dry cycle and I honestly worried that the machine had broken.

  • Experience voucher - I booked the hotel through Trip.com and the booking came with the opportunity for discounts on 1 of 3 experiences:

    • Photoshoot

    • Paragliding - I did this one! I received a 150 yuan voucher (around $20 off). See the full review.

    • Yacht

Cons

  • Location / Cost of transportation - If you’re wanting to be a tourist and see all the attractions, I’d recommend staying in Sanya Bay / downtown city area instead. In general though, all the tourist spots are located so far apart up and down the coast, so make sure to plan out what you want to do in Sanya first and then choose your hotel based on the distances to those places. But a lot of attractions will offer a shuttle to Sanya Bay, sometimes for free, so it might be more worth it for the free transportation there.

  • Slight mildew or mold - the sink and shower weren’t pristine, which honestly isn’t a huge deal, but it’s why I’d give this hotel a 4/5 rather than a 5/5. If I were to come to Sanya again, I probably wouldn’t stay here at this hotel.

Attractions

Below is an overview of the attractions I went to and how I’d rate them.

  • Chinese name: 亚龙湾热带天堂森林公园

    Address (English):
    No. 665 Yalong Bay Road, Yalong Bay National Tourism Resort, Jiyang District, Sanya, Hainan

    Address (中文):
    海南省三亚市吉阳区亚龙湾国家旅游度假区亚龙湾路665号

    Cost:
    Approx. ¥145–¥175 for general admission
    Some attractions inside (glass bridge, sightseeing vehicles) may cost extra

    Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)

  • Chinese name: 南湾猴岛生态旅游区

    Address (English):
    No. 1 Wanghai Avenue, Xincun Town, Lingshui Li Autonomous County, Hainan

    Address (中文):
    海南省陵水黎族自治县新村镇望海大道1号

    Cost:
    Approx. ¥160–¥165
    Ticket usually includes round-trip cable car

    Rating: ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ (1.5/5)

  • Chinese name: 呀诺达雨林文化旅游区

    Address (English):
    Sandao Town, Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County, Hainan

    Address (中文):
    海南省保亭黎族苗族自治县三道镇

    Cost:
    Approx. ¥150 for entry
    Optional paid activities inside (ziplining, rafting, etc.)

    Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)

  • Chinese name: 三亚南山文化旅游区

    Address (English):
    Nanshan Area, Yazhou District, Sanya, Hainan

    Address (中文):
    海南省三亚市崖州区南山文化旅游区

    Cost:
    Approx. ¥108–¥129 for general admission
    Some internal transport or attractions may cost extra

    Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5)

  • Chinese name: 三亚椰梦长廊

    Address (English):
    Bin Hai Avenue, Tianya District, Sanya, Hainan

    Address (中文):
    海南省三亚市天涯区滨海大道椰梦长廊

    Cost:
    Free
    Public seaside promenade

    Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5)

  • Common Chinese description:
    三亚滑翔伞体验（多在海棠湾一带）

    General location (English):
    Haitang Bay area, Sanya, Hainan

    General location (中文):
    海南省三亚市海棠湾附近

    Cost:
    Approx. ¥1200–¥2000+ depending on flight length and package

    Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

  • Chinese name: 海棠湾

    Address (English):
    Haitang District, Sanya, Hainan

    Address (中文):
    海南省三亚市海棠区海棠湾

    Cost:
    Free
    Beach access is public
    Activities and resorts cost extra

    Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5)

  • Chinese name: 海棠湾中免免税城

    Address (English):
    No. 118 Haitang North Road, Haitang District, Sanya, Hainan

    Address (中文):
    海南省三亚市海棠区海棠北路118号

    Cost:
    Free to enter
    Shopping prices vary

    Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5)

Budget Breakdown

These are all approximate numbers since I don’t keep track in the moment how much I’ve spent and sometimes I pay in USD vs yuan.

  • Flight (from Nanning to Sanya) - ¥760

  • Accommodation (5 nights) - ¥1,360

  • Transportation (DiDi’s) - ¥1,190

  • Food - ¥740

  • Activities - ¥2,105

  • Souvenirs (mainly just photos or videos) - ¥271

Total = ¥6,426

I would not consider Sanya a budget friendly destination for a solo traveler, because there are all of these unexpected costs to do any activities. If you wanted to lie by the beach or the pool all week, then sure, you could definitely make Sanya a little more affordable. However, even if you wanted to hike (usually affordable), the Didi’s to and from the location add up quickly and there may be entrance fees to the area.

Final Thoughts

I would definitely come to Sanya again, but with friends and a plan.

If you found this article helpful or interesting, you might want to check out these others that I did for the other cities.

Maggi
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Yangshuo 阳朔