Things to do in Sanya

Visiting Sanya: Things to Do

Sanya, on Hainan Island is a paradise for vacationers who want to spend a day or week relaxing surrounded by natural beauty, explore the many tourist attractions that have been developed, or try the wonderful and cheap seafood restaurants that line the streets. Visitors to Sanya don’t want to leave because of all the things to do in this tourist friendly city.

Sanya Bay Beaches

There are a multitude of beaches surrounding Sanya with many things to do on each of them. Sanya Bay is the biggest highlight of the city, lined with resorts, restaurants and shops catering to tourists wishing to snorkel, scuba dive, fish or jet ski travellers can find everything they need with just a short walk. Tourists willing to bargain can ensure they get a fair price, but for the area the prices are usually reasonable.
The large, clean beaches are perfect for sunbathing, and tropical fish swim just a few meters off shore. Small children can swim in the gentle water close to the shore, while the more adventurous can swim out to the reefs or go body boarding. Beach volleyball is also a very popular sport on the beaches of Sanya Bay and it can be difficult to not get caught up in an impromptu game.

Binlang Ethnic Village

The Li people of Hainan Island have set up an ethnic village for tourists to visit and see the indigenous way of life amongst the islanders. A sprawling village, it tourists can watch how food is prepared, authentic clothes and cloth making, as well as various ceremonies that islanders will happily explain to people who can speak Chinese. A tour guide and good pair of walking shoes are recommended. During tourist season it costs 150rmb to enter the village, which is reasonable for Hainan Island.

Nanwan Monkey Island

Accessible by a cable car a few kilometres West of Sanya, Monkey Island has to be on any visitors things to do list. There are over 2500 monkeys of various types living in luxury on the island. One of the highlights are being able to feed the monkeys with food bought by vendors that work throughout the island. The second attraction is the large pool where monkeys are able to play in the water. Tourists can watch the monkeys swim and jump in the water for hours. To see the monkeys it costs a mere 140rmb.

Contributer: Daniel Clarke