Hainan Island, China's newest province, lies on the same latitude as Hawaii, with a great climate and charming pace of life. It is a rich and prosperous province and the area is renowned as one of China's most popular destinations.

The island had once been a getaway for the exiled government officials. It had transformed into an independent region in 1989, to become a Special Economic Zone and now a world famous tropical resort.

The large and noisy city of Haikou is the capital of Hainan, serving as a convenient point on the way to the beaches in the south of the island. Danzhou, Changjiang, Baisha, and Dongfang are located near nature reserves and interesting cultural sites. More aesthetically pleasing spots are on the eastern coast of the island, as well as a few pleasant beaches and bays.

The highlight of Hainan is Sanya. It deserves its great reputation, and some of its beaches rival Hawaii or Thailand in terms of facilities, clean sand and seas.

Hainan is an ideal place for all year swimming and bathing. The island also provides winter refuge from the cold, and is a great summer resort.  Between September and April are the most popular seasons to visit and in the coolest months of December and January it is very pleasant too, when the air is fresh and temperatures less extreme than in the summer months.

Haikou is the first stop on the Hainan Tour not only because it is the capital of the huge island, but also because it is the most convenient point as far as transportation is concerned.

Day 1: Take a bus to the Tomb of Hai Rui. Have lunch at a restaurant. In the afternoon, take a coach to Wenchang and visit Dongjiao Coconut Forest and Wenchang Confucius Temple. In the afternoon, check in at a local hotel in Wenchang.

Day 2: Take the coach to Qionghai (about two hours) and see Wanquan River. Then take the coach to Wanning (about 45 minutes). First go to the Xinglong Tropical Garden. Then you can head to a hotel and check in. In the evening, enjoy the hot spring water in the hotel and have a rest!

Day Three: Take a coach to Wangning (about 45 minutes). In the morning, go to Monkey Island and in the afternoon Hailing Pearl Cultivation Temple. In the evening, take a coach to Sanya and check in at a hotel.

Days Four and Five: Go sunbathing at Dadonghai Beach or Yalong Bay, or both. Also worth visiting are Tianya Haijiao and Luhuitou Peninsular. For scuba diving fans, Wuzhizhou Coral Island should not be missed. It is really up to you to decide what to do with your time in Sanya but we suggest kicking off your shoes and soaking up the sun!

Day Six: In the morning take a coach to Tongza, which is commonly known as the Hainan Highlands. In the morning go to Seven Finger Mountain  and in the afternoon the Minority Group Villages. In the late afternoon take the coach back to Haikou (3 hours) and stay overnight at a hotel.

Day Seven: In Haikou, visit Wugong Temple in the morning and then the Hainan Tour comes to an end with boats or flights away.