Getting away from it all in sizzling Sanya

As a seaside resort, Sanya in Hainan Province has only two seasons a year: the busy season and relatively less busy season.

For those who prefer smaller crowds at the beach and in seafood restaurants, November and December are the best months to visit. The weather is usually pleasant. It's sunny during most of the day with occasional quick showers in the afternoon. The temperature cools down nicely to make evenings and nights rather comfortable. During the daytime the temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius while the temperature drops to around 25 degrees at night.

Here's a quick guide of popular attractions.

Islands and seas:

The sea, beaches and water sports are the main reasons most go to Sanya. Apart from the well-known bays, there are several nearby islands worth visiting.

Wuzhizhou Island near Haitang Bay is now gaining notoriety among scuba divers. The crystal clear water makes it easy to be mesmerized by various sea creatures and plants, such as corals, starfishes and other tropical fishes. Another popular activity is jet skiing and underwater sightseeing in a cruise, in which visitors can watch the sea creatures from inside the cruise. Island tours are also a nice way to relax as the scenery of lush vegetation, white sandy beaches and the tranquil sea is nearly flawless.

Fenjiezhou Island, which is east of Sanya, is famous for Big Cave, where the roots of thousand-year-old banyan trees entwine with each other, and flower and fruit trees, such as pine trees and peach blossoms, give a pleasant fragrance.

It is said that during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), a general named Zhou Kang first found the cave. Meanwhile, he had found a smaller cave near Nanshan Area in Sanya, and named it, appropriately enough, Small Cave.

Now there is an inscription near Small Cave that reads "The Big and Small Caves." For many years, modern people only found one cave near Nanshan, and were confused because they couldn't locate Big Cave. Later when people found Fenjiezhou Island, they realized the caves were in two different places.

Transport to the two islands:

There is a port in Haitang Bay with ferries to Wuzhizhou Island. Boats depart every 20 minutes from 8am to 4pm. The last ferry departs from the island at 5pm.

Fenjiezhou Island is quite far from Sanya. Visitors can take a long-distance bus from Sanya Bus Station to Wanning, which takes about 2 hours and then transfer to shuttle buses to Fenjiezhou Island Port. Ferries depart every 10 minutes from 7:30am to 5:30pm, and the last one leaves the island at 6pm.

Dining:

There are seafood restaurants on both islands but the prices are much higher than in Sanya.

Wuzhizhou Island Chinese Restaurant serves what many believe to be the freshest seafood and authentic Hainan cuisine. Stir-fried rice, boiled chicken with sauce and seafood barbecue are the signature items.

Newly opened Langguyoulan Restaurant on Fenjiezhou Island is between cliffs. The sailing boat shaped restaurant provides both Chinese and Western cuisine, including Hainan specialties, seafood sashimi and barbecue.

Admission: 168 yuan (US$27) each for both islands, including the ferry fee