Hainan & South China · 5 days
Sanya & Hainan: A 5-Day Beach and Mountain Escape
China has a genuine tropical coast, and Sanya is where it gets serious. Five days combines two of the best beach resorts with the inland rainforest and hot springs, which is what makes it more than a beach week.
The route
What this trip actually feels like
- Two completely different beach resorts — Coral Bay and Yalong Bay
- The rainforest and hot springs of the centre-north of the island
- Diving or a dolphin swim off Yalong Bay
- Mango, coconut and Hainan chicken on the coast road
Best for
- Travellers who want a genuine beach holiday inside China
- Families combining a resort with something for the children
- Anyone adding a warm-weather leg to a northern China trip
The setting
Where this route is set
Day by day
The plan, as it would actually run
Arrive Sanya, straight to the bay
Land at Sanya Phoenix airport and transfer to the coast. Check in, and by late afternoon you should be on a beach chair rather than in a taxi. Sunset on Yalong Bay with the coconut palms in silhouette is the standard opening shot for a reason.
- Morning
- Airport arrival and transfer to the coast
- Afternoon
- Check in and settle on the beach
- Evening
- Sunset on Yalong Bay
- Meals
- Dinner included
Night 1 The St. Regis Sanya
Note. Fly into SYX rather than Haikou — Haikou is two and a half hours further south by road.
Diving or the dolphin programme
The water off Yalong Bay is the clearest on the Chinese coast. Either take a dive trip for beginners or a snorkelling session with the local dolphin programme in the morning, then a slow afternoon on the beach. The Hainan coral is the draw, and the visibility is best in the dry season.
- Morning
- Dive or dolphin snorkelling
- Afternoon
- Beach and pool, nothing planned
- Evening
- Beachfront seafood dinner
- Meals
- Breakfast included · Dinner included
Night 2 The St. Regis Sanya
Note. Check the dive operator’s certification credentials before you go. Yalong Bay has several well-run operators and a few that are not.
Move to Coral Bay, rainforest and hot springs
Drive across the island to the southern coast and check in at Coral Bay, which has a different, more secluded character. The afternoon goes to the Yanoda rainforest for the Monkey Island and the rainforest canopy walk, then the hot springs at the base of the mountain.
- Morning
- Transfer to Coral Bay, check in
- Afternoon
- Yanoda rainforest and the canopy walk
- Evening
- Hot springs, then dinner
- Meals
- Breakfast included · Dinner included
Night 3 Mandarin Oriental Sanya
Note. The drive to Yanoda takes about two hours each way. Combine it with the hot springs on the same run rather than trying both in a day from Yalong Bay.
Coral Bay at your own pace
A free day on the quietest stretch of the Hainan coast. Take the hotel boats out on the water in the morning, walk the reef flat at low tide, or do nothing at all under the palms. The Wuzhizhou island trip is the one worthwhile excursion if you want a second day on the water — the crossing is twenty minutes and the island has the best snorkelling off Sanya.
- Morning
- Reef flat walk or the hotel watersports
- Afternoon
- Wuzhizhou island snorkelling trip, or pool and beach
- Evening
- Seafood on the Coral Bay seafront
- Meals
- Breakfast included · Dinner included
Night 4 Mandarin Oriental Sanya
Note. Wuzhizhou tickets sell out in peak season — have us book the crossing the day before rather than turning up.
Hainan at the coast road, then the airport
A final morning on the beach at Coral Bay, then the drive back along the eastern coast road with its coconut plantations and the fruit stalls. Stop for Hainan chicken and fresh coconut on the way. Transfer to Sanya airport for the departure.
- Morning
- Beach morning at Coral Bay
- Afternoon
- East coast road, fruit stalls, lunch
- Evening
- Airport transfer and departure
- Meals
- Breakfast included · Lunch included
Note. The fruit stalls along the coast road are worth stopping at. Buy the mangoes and mangosteens there rather than in a hotel shop.
In pictures
Scenes from the Sanya & Hainan route
Where you sleep
Handpicked stays on this route
Mandarin Oriental · Luxury
Mandarin Oriental Sanya
A private bay on the south-west coast of Hainan with over a kilometre of beach in front of the hotel. The closest thing to a tropical resort inside China.
- Stay 4, pay for 3
- Daily breakfast for two
- US$100 dining or spa credit
- Room upgrade, early check-in and late checkout
From US$470 per night
Valid to 2026-12-31
St. Regis · Luxury
The St. Regis Sanya
On Yalong Bay, the best of the Hainan beach resorts. The Butler service is the real differentiator here — someone who knows your name and your preferences for the whole stay.
- St. Regis amenities included
- St. Regis pool and beach access
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrade
Rate on request
Valid to 2026-12-28
1 Hotel · Luxury
1 Hotel Sanya
A sustainably built resort in the forest between Haitang Bay and the sea, with its own private bay. Younger, more design-forward than the older Hainan resorts.
- Stay 3, pay for 2
- Garden pool suite category
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrade
From US$540 per night
Valid to 2026-12-31
Ritz-Carlton · Luxury
The Ritz-Carlton Sanya
On Yalong Bay with a long, calm stretch of beach and a genuinely good kids programme — our standard recommendation for families splitting between Sanya and Hong Kong.
- Stay 3, pay for 2
- Daily breakfast for two
- US$50 dining plus US$50 spa credit
- Welcome gift on arrival
From US$330 per night
Valid to 2026-12-31
Practicalities
The things to get right before departure
Visa and entry
A mainland visa is required, and Hainan has a separate visa-free entry policy for many nationalities arriving by air or sea — 30-day stay, extended once. This is one of the easiest entries into China, and we will confirm whether you qualify.
Getting between the cities
Sanya Phoenix International (SYX) is 15 to 25 minutes from Yalong Bay and 30 to 40 minutes from Coral Bay and Haitang Bay. Within the island, the expressway ring takes 60 to 90 minutes to cross to the northern rainforest sites.
Questions
Asked by travellers on this route
Is Hainan visa-free entry actually available to me?
Hainan offers a separate 30-day visa-free entry policy for many nationalities, and it can be extended once. Whether it applies depends on your passport, so we check before you book anything.
Yalong Bay or Coral Bay — which is better?
Yalong Bay is the bigger, more developed bay with the best hotels and the best water. Coral Bay is more remote and quieter with a stronger sense of being away from it all. Two nights on each is the right balance.
Can I dive in Hainan without a certification?
Yes, the resort operators run introductory dive trips for complete beginners in calm conditions. Certified divers can do the deeper sites and the wreck dives.
How hot is Sanya in the summer?
June to August is hot and humid, with temperatures above 30°C and a real chance of typhoon. December to February is the sweet spot — around 25°C by day and genuinely pleasant.
Is it worth combining Sanya with Hong Kong?
Very much so. Hong Kong to Sanya is a three-hour flight and the two together make a strong two-week trip. Hong Kong in January, Sanya in February is a common and very good combination.