Sanya

Sanya is a city of Hainan, located on Phoenix Island and the smallest province of the People's Republic of China.

Phoenix Island itself is filled with many attractions including a marina, restaurants, shopping complex and street, sports and recreational area and a theme park.

Souvenirs include local artwork, paintings, shells, pearls and brocade work.

Take a trip into the Wuzhi Mountain Tropical Rainforest Scenic Zone featuring flowing springs, butterflies, sprawling vegetation, old trees, and wisteria.

Located in the Hainan Wanning Xinglong Huaqiao Holiday and Tourism Zone, Xinglong Asian Scenic Garden mainly concentrates on the cultures in Southeast Asia, which include the architectures, crafts, foods, dances and other folk cultures of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Singapore and other countries.

Located in Fangshan District, Shihua Water Cave is a famous scenic spot and geological park.

Hainan Tropical Bird Park, 34km from Haikou, currently has 3,000 tropical birds. Jianlong Tower, the best preserved ancient tower in Hainan, stands in the centre of the park.

Local golf courses include the Hainan Sanya Sunrise Golf Resort and the Luneng Sanya Bay International Golf Club.

Local dishes include Lingao roast suckling pig, wenchang chicken, jiaji duck, hele crab and lots of seafood and fresh fish options.

Cruise ships dock at the new, modern port of Sanya, located on Phoenix Island, a peninsula from the mainland. It's around a 10 minute walk from the pier to the downtown area.

Visa free shuttles are available for around $25 (not needed if you have a multiple entry visa).

Visitors can also buy an 'electric car' ticket which drops you off downtown.

Taxis are available, watch out for 'touts' drivers who will try to scam visitors. Make sure drivers use their meters.