Haikou Travel

Haikou Travel
Haikou is a fairly large tropical coastal city. Haikou has a different vibe to many cities on the Chinese mainland. The tropical climate is probably a major influence on the laid-back atmosphere. Whereas on the mainland many cars drive too fast, in Haikou many drive too slowly. The local Hainanese man has a reputation for being somewhat lazy and can be seen sleeping in the street during the afternoon and then playing cards with friends until the small hours of the night. Silk pajamas can be seen worn during the day and add to the atmosphere. You will not be hassled to buy anything which makes a refreshing change to more touristy cities.

Many streets in Haikou are quite different during the day compared to the evening. Small outdoor restaurants and stalls fill the streets in the evening and many areas are at their busiest from 9PM to 1AM. Local favourites are BBQ stalls which serve cheap local beer till late.You will soon notice the abundance of coconut trees within Haikou. Most streets are lined with them. Its greener than most Chinese cities and has decent air quality.
Transportation:

By plane
Haikou is a transport hub with flights to many cities and boats to nearby mainland cities such as Beihai and Zhanjiang. Tiger Airways now flies from Singapore and Air Asia to Kuala Lumpur.

By train
There is a train link between Haikou and Guangdong province (the trains are loaded onto ferries to cross the sea). So you can get the train from Guangzhou to Haikou. The trains actually start and finish in Sanya, but it takes about an hour by bus to get from downtown to the train station, and the train station in Sanya is also far from that city’s downtown area.

By bus
Buses connect Haikou to many cities on the Chinese mainland, including Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guilin, and Nanning. Most buses are overnight sleepers. Buses are loaded on to ferries and arrive in Haikou at either Xingang port or Xiuying port. Here’s a few examples showing journey duration and price.

What to Buy

Visit an Abalone Farm. Take a tour to the northeast coast of Hainan Island - WenChangShi,LongLouZhen to visit a Commercial Abalone Farm and & experience the shallow water diving for wild abalone. Our first abalone epiphany was that abalone are not bi-valves like clams or oysters. They are snails. Gross, yet cool. The farm produces almost 500,000 abalone a year. The water is changed daily, dumped out through fine membranes to catch the microscopic babies which are then laid back in clean water. The hoses are also used to inoculate the tubs with algae-plugs of green stuff are allowed to form in the hoses and then blown into the tub to make seaweed slushies. Visitors can buy the fresh live abalone at a very reasonable local farmer price. Most of the abalone production is delivered fresh. Live abalone can survive for 30 hours (around 120 RMB per kg!). Farmer contact: , Address: Wen Chang Shi, Long Lou Zhen, Gu Song Cun . Tel: +86 138 7615 9191.
What to eat
1.Chao Bing. Literally translates from Chinese Mandarin as ‘fried ice’, however it tastes much better than it sounds. First select any combination of the fresh tropical fruits on display. The fruits are chopped and blended. A device that looks similar to a frying pan is used to freeze the ingredients in a matter of minutes. This results in frozen fruit snack similar to a sorbet. Perhaps try a combination of Mango and Passion Fruit. A perfect snack for a steamy tropical evening. Costs just 2.5 RMB.

Good Chao Bing vendors can be found on San Xi Lu, just off Renmin Dadao, on Haidian Island in the north of Haikou.

2.Banqiao Road Local Restaurant Area. This large covered outdoor restaurant area is a unique local experience. To begin with have a look around the integrated fresh food market and choose what you want. There is much to pick from; coconut rice to strange seafood to Cobra snakes. It’s all alive when you purchase so you know its fresh and half the fun is just looking at what’s available. Each set of tables has its own kitchen and the food is cooked however you want.

3.Betel nuts. Illegal in some western countries, Betel nuts are common in South East Asia and India. Chewed for their effects as a mildly euphoric stimulant, attributed to the presence of relatively high levels of psychoactive alkaloids. Spot the locals who chew Betel nuts by their red teeth. Popular with bus drivers. Available on street corners for around 1 RMB.
Where to stay
Haikou Banana Hostel, 3-4 Liyuan Villas, Renmin Da Dao, tel +86 (0898) 66286780.

Haikou Hotel A 4-star business hotel offering 196 rooms with 4-star amenities. Business facilities include conference rooms and business center. Leisure facilities such as sauna and fitness center are also available. Address: 4 Haifu Road, Haikou, Meilan District, Hainan, China. Tel: 86-21-61226688.

Hainan Xinyuan Hot Spring Hotel 18-8 Haixiu Road, Longhua District. The 4-star hotel provides natural hot spring water in each of its 351 rooms. It also boasts KTV rooms, bar, restaurant, sauna cabin, spa, and a 300-capacity conference hall with translation systems.