Haitang Bay
The Forest Park above Yalong Bay, the coral island of Wuzhizhou — and Houhai, the surf village next to China's most expensive resorts.
| Hotel | 2 nights InterContinental Haitang Bay |
| Light | The bay faces east — sunrise over the sea approx. 06:37 |
| Getting there | about 40 km from the city centre, roughly an hour by Didi |
| Wuzhizhou | Ticket incl. ferry approx. ¥144, island shuttle approx. ¥138 |
What this section is about
Haitang Bay is Sanya's most expensive coastline; in China it's called the “National Coast”. The big luxury hotels stand here in a row, and one of the largest duty-free complexes in the world is within walking distance. That's one side of this section.
The other lies twenty minutes' walk away. Houhai was a fishing village and today counts as China's first surf village, and from its pier the boats leave for Wuzhizhou, the coral island with the clearest water in the region. Spend two days here and you experience the full range of Sanya on one stretch of beach: the same water, two completely different worlds.
Getting around Haitang Bay
From the city centre it's about 40 kilometres, roughly an hour by Didi. Within the bay you only travel a few minutes: from the hotel to the pier, from the pier on foot into the village, and the duty-free mall is within walking distance of the InterContinental.
Traffic backs up around the Wuzhizhou pier at weekends. If you come by Didi, it's best to get out at the Houhai village entrance and walk the last few metres.
- Yalong Bay Forest Park: check the current offer on Trip.com — price, packages and shuttle change.
- Wuzhizhou: book tickets online with your real name 7 to 14 days ahead, by 23:59 the day before at the latest — via the official mini-programme or Trip.com. Don't buy tickets from touts at the pier.
- Add the island shuttle with hop-off — the non-stop version doesn't let you get off.
- Check the weather the day before: the ferry stops running in strong wind.
- For duty free, have your passport and departure ticket ready — nothing is sold without proof that you're leaving Hainan within 30 days.
Turquoise = blue hour · Gold = golden hour · Light = harsh midday light
Day by day
Check out of the Crowne Plaza, about half an hour to Yalong Bay. The luggage comes along — ask at the ticket office about luggage storage.
Until about 12:00: suspension bridge, glass walkway, view over the bay. Price and shuttle according to the current Trip.com offer.
In Yalong Bay, before moving on.
About half an hour by Didi. Arrival at the InterContinental in the early afternoon — the rest of the day belongs to the hotel and the beach.
The “National Coast”, Sanya's most expensive zone — the beach itself is public, even in front of the resorts.
Only a few minutes by Didi. The first boats leave from 08:30.
Tickets via Trip.com, plus the electric island shuttle with hop-off, approx. RMB 138 per person. The water is clearest in the morning.
Five to ten minutes' walk from the pier into the village: surf schools, coconut stalls, cafés. If you book a lesson, ask beforehand what's included.
Tanka cooking with yellow chilli and sour orange — a fraction of resort prices.