Sanya is a typical city with a subtropical climate, bordering the South China Sea. It boasts a comfortable environment and climate, with spring-like weather year-round, bringing an abundance of life and vitality. The city’s marine entertainment industry is highly developed, attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists every year. Here’s a detailed self-help travel guide for Sanya.
Sanya has four major bays: Sanya Bay, Dadonghai, Yalong Bay, and Haitang Bay. They are located from left to right. Sanya Bay and Dadonghai are very close to the city center.
The earliest developed bay, most tourists choose to stay here.
Yalong Bay is known as the “No. 1 Bay in the World,” with crystal-clear waters.
Most of the star-rated hotels are located in Yalong Bay, and the Yalong Bay Tropical Forest Park is also nearby.
Haitang Bay is a newly developed bay, with fewer star-rated hotels and limited dining and entertainment options. However, it boasts a duty-free shop,
the largest single duty-free shop in the world.
Sanya has West Island, Wuzhizhou Island, and Fenjiezhou Island (located in Lingshui County). Sanya’s peak tourist season is from October to March of the following year, with large crowds and hotels almost fully booked.
Day 1: Shanghai – Sanya Phoenix Airport – Hotel Check-in
What if you’re coming to Sanya for the first time, don’t have professional photography equipment, and really want to take pictures like everyone else?
Your best chance is on the inbound flight. So, choose a window seat, avoiding the wing. Unless you’re a wealthy individual and have chosen business or first class.
Otherwise, try to check in early and choose a seat in the front, near a window, or in the last 5 rows. This will give you the best chance to capture the South China Sea Goddess, Sanya Bay, and more.
Dapeng had arranged for someone to pick us up, so we avoided the airport queues for taxis this trip.
Taxis from the airport to the city center are also reliable, costing around 80 yuan to reach most parts of the city center, including Dadonghai.
Isn’t the view from the window more charming than you imagined? The scenery doesn’t intoxicate, but people do.
The room, however good and large, wasn’t the reason we chose this place. The moment we opened the balcony door and saw the beautiful view, that’s when the true meaning of our choice became clear. The beauty before my eyes truly shocked me.
Initially, we planned to stay at a guesthouse-style accommodation. After discussing it with Dapeng, we decided to stay in a five-star sea view room.
Dapeng had arranged the room, so we simply checked in by giving our name at the front desk. The day’s exhaustion melted away!
Day 2: Tropical Paradise Forest Park
If you want to end your Sanya trip on a perfect note, you must visit the Tropical Paradise Forest Park.
That’s what Dapeng said!
Whether it’s the fascination with “Lost in Thailand” or the enthusiasm for the Over-the-River Dragon Rope Bridge, my fondness for Tropical Paradise made me once again abandon my initial plan of visiting Yanoda Tropical Rainforest on this trip. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to visit it next time?
However, this time, the weather wasn’t particularly kind to us at Tropical Paradise Forest Park. The Sky Street on the mountaintop was shrouded in heavy rain, breaking my heart. So, many of the scenes I had planned to capture had to be abandoned due to the weather.
The Sky Street, enveloped in mist and rain, gave me the illusion of Silent Hill.
All the way, I explained to Xiaosha that we had just encountered a rain cloud. Sometimes, the weather forecast in Sanya predicts thunderstorms every day, which is quite scary.
But when you arrive here, it might be sunny every day. That’s how island weather is. Get used to it.
The true “Lost in Thailand” filming location isn’t here, but in the Bird’s Nest Eagle Area’s guest room. However, that guest room is usually occupied by newlyweds or couples on their honeymoon trip to Sanya.
So, the scenic area created a photo spot on the Sky Street that mimics the honeymoon suite to satisfy tourists. For those who have a special connection to the film, I think visiting this spot will still evoke some of its feelings.
As the car descended to the mid-mountain area, on our way to the Over-the-River Dragon Rope Bridge, the sun came out. This… this… The park staff said it’s quite common in Sanya. Alright.
Apart from the “Lost in Thailand” filming location, another famous spot here is the Smoke Wave Pavilion and the Yalong Bay First Rope Bridge, known as the Over-the-River Dragon.
If you don’t see anything special from the bridge surface, try looking from below. Does it feel more like an Over-the-River Dragon now?
No matter from which angle you look at it, the bridge’s structure is quite impressive. But if you have severe acrophobia or high blood pressure, it’s best to not challenge your courage.
Because the seemingly stable iron chain bridge often sways due to excessive tourists or strong winds.
Compared to the view from the Over-the-River Dragon Rope Bridge, standing on the park’s highest point, the Thousand Umbrella, and gazing at Yalong Bay, words cannot describe its beauty.
Whether you like it, like it, like it, I think Yalong Bay and Tropical Paradise Park silently endure this extraordinary love.
Looking at the paragliders in the distance, I thought to myself: You wait, I’ll come back and try it next time I have the chance.
Day 3: Yacht Wharf Out to Sea – Spring Garden Dinner
Today’s main itinerary is a yacht trip out to sea, which Dapeng arranged as the most fun day for us.
Sanya has numerous yacht wharves, but if you don’t have friends to introduce you, it’s easy to get ripped off.
So, I strongly recommend asking Dapeng before you go. WeChat: sy520933
Dapeng said: Every tourist who comes to Sanya tries seafood, fruits, and watches the sunset. But not everyone chooses to go out on a yacht.
Speaking of renting yachts, it can be quite a scam if you don’t have any acquaintances. This time, Dapeng helped us book a yacht at a great price. Thanks!
As the yacht sailed out of the harbor, the moment the sky and sea became one was breathtaking. Xiaosha couldn’t contain her excitement and immediately changed into her goddess outfit.
Once again, this choice proved to be wise. Going out to sea not only avoids taking the same pictures as everyone else but also escapes the large crowds or fishing boats on the beach, resulting in cleaner-looking photos.
Between photos, Xiaosha accidentally discovered a fishing rod the crew used to pass time. She tried fishing with it, looking quite professional. Of course, I’ll honestly tell you that this was purely for show.
After all, a fishing rod without bait can only catch fish if you’re Jiang Ziya. However, if you have time, you can try sea fishing. The feeling of being alone and killing time is quite enjoyable.
Perhaps the crew also thought I took good pictures, as we were almost the last yacht to return to port.
And the sunset this time on the sea was truly unforgettable, giving us these beautiful pictures.
I think if I come to Sanya again, I’ll still choose to go out on a yacht. Because some things can only be seen when you sail out.
The feeling of this sunset is completely different from when you actually go out to sea on a ten-thousand-ton cruise ship. Yachts are closer to the ocean than cruise ships.
Seafood is a must-try in Sanya. Because it’s by the sea, the seafood in Sanya is mostly wild, with diverse varieties and reasonable prices. On the way to the First Market, we were already feeling a little hungry, and the highly anticipated seafood feast was finally approaching.
So exciting!! There are many seafood processing restaurants on both sides of the road in front of the First Market. You need to buy your seafood at the market first and then have the boss process it.
Before coming to Sanya, I also read other travelogues, which mentioned Sichuan Xiao Huzi Seafood Processing Restaurant. At that time, I was thinking about trying it out. Then, when I actually came to Sanya, I completely forgot about it.
It wasn’t until I actually stood on this street and saw the restaurant that I remembered. Then, no matter how much the person beside me tried to persuade me, I insisted on eating at Sichuan Xiao Huzi Seafood Processing Restaurant.
After making the decision, we started our seafood shopping spree. After walking around the market, we ended up with a 120 yuan Australian lobster, a 48 yuan grouper, a pound of 55 yuan peepee shrimp, two pounds of 20 yuan scallops, and three 30 yuan sea urchins.
We carried our spoils back, bags galore. The processing fees at Xiao Huzi’s are also clearly marked, displayed at the entrance. Anyway, this meal was completely free of the feeling of being ripped off.
The lobster tasted amazing.
The salt and pepper peepee shrimp was also very good. With Xiao Huzi’s special sauce, it was truly delicious.
Scallops, steamed with garlic and vermicelli. Can I say it looks good and photogenic? Hahaha.
Sea urchin steamed egg. Seems like this is only done in Sanya. But it tastes very good too.
Four-cornered bean, a Sanya specialty.
We ate until we were full, thanks to Xiao Huzi’s for providing us with such a delicious and abundant seafood feast. Next time we come to Sanya, we’ll definitely come back.
Day 4: Yalong Bay
Coming to Sanya, you must go scuba diving.
This time, the diving location is at the Yalong Bay Airifang Seaside Park, which requires a ticket to enter. But Dapeng had arranged for us to enter directly.
Dapeng had arranged a variety of activities for our diving trip today.
Activities: Deep-sea scuba diving, banana boat, water bike, jet ski, speedboat sightseeing, skateboarding, canoeing, kayaking, beach volleyball, sand sculpture entertainment, on-site interactive games
Lunch: Fruit platter, on-site prepared simple sandwiches
Ticket: Includes Airifang Seaside Park
The entire day’s activities were definitely worth it. That’s why I’ve been thanking Dapeng for his arrangements throughout the entire travelogue.
The beach here, while not the most beautiful in Yalong Bay, is certainly the largest. Today, you can experience all sorts of water sports here.
If you think Dadonghai’s sand isn’t fine enough, and Wuzhizhou Island is too far away, then Yalong Bay’s Airifang now fills the gap of Yalong Bay lacking large-scale water sports activities.
From here, you can also enjoy a great view of Yalong Bay.
Actually, we were quite tired after playing all day. I didn’t even take pictures of most of the water sports. We just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves.
After all, scuba diving is in the deep sea, and we had to take a speedboat for about 20 minutes to the diving base. The entire journey was quite rough, so bringing a camera was out of the question. I was worried about damaging it!
We were pretty tired today. We originally planned to visit the First Market at night to experience its bustling atmosphere. But we were defeated by fatigue.
We chose to rest at the hotel tonight, and we’ll be flying back tomorrow morning.
Day 5: Return Trip
Someone once said that the most beautiful moment is when you look back, a slight smile, and it becomes the warmest memory. In Sanya, every moment is an encounter with beauty. If you don’t believe me, come and see for yourself!
Summary
Travel Tips: (Recommendations for self-help travelers)
1. Essentials for Sanya: A tolerant heart, an eye for beauty, a credit card that can be overdrawn, and a device that can take pictures. 2. Regarding hotels, if possible, choose to stay at the same hotel throughout the trip. This saves you the hassle of moving luggage and reduces travel time. 3. Regarding fruits, fruits are abundant in Sanya. Compared to seafood, where freshness is hard to judge, Sanya’s fruits are quite trustworthy. 4. Regarding water sports, Sanya’s water sports are already very mature. But don’t compare them to those abroad. Subjectively, we should focus on the experience. 5. Regarding photography, Sanya is not a plateau nor a world-renowned diving or photography paradise, so don’t have too high expectations. Just take pictures of whatever you encounter. 6. This entire trip was arranged by “Sanya Dapeng,” including transportation, yachts, tickets, and hotels. Overall, it was 60% cheaper than arranging it ourselves, and there were fewer hassles. We avoided being ripped off and scammed.
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