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Joel and Emilia investigate Hainan's beach development around Sanya and Haitang Bay. They stay at Taikang Beach Resort for about £65 per night with breakfast, tour its pools and gardens, and try coconut hot pot and sweet mangoes. They also visit Wuzhizhou Island, a former military base turned tourist destination, where they find white sand and clear water alongside hotels, photo locations and designated swimming areas that limit snorkeling. Their account includes the heat, resort amenities, local transport, passport checks and laundry, and compares a relaxing resort stay with the more restricted island visit.
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More about the current video:(Published on 2025-09-14)
Sanya and Taikang Beach Resort
Joel and Emilia visit Hainan, focusing on Sanya and Haitang Bay, where the government has invested billions of dollars in developing beach tourism. They find Sanya hot and quiet despite the beachfront activity, and note that the water looks blue but swimming is restricted. A translation app produces an amusing result for the word “opium.”
They stay at the five-star Taikang Beach Resort, whose design they describe as Japanese-inspired. The room has a large sink but no bidet, and the television is of limited use because of language barriers and internet restrictions. At about £65 per night with breakfast, the resort seems good value to them. They tour its gardens, foyer and pools, including a kids’ pool with slides that they enjoy as adults, an adult pool and private cabanas.
Food and Wuzhizhou Island
They try Hainan coconut hot pot made with coconut water and broth, raw chicken and accompaniments. Emilia likes the flavor but finds the chicken bones difficult. They also eat large, sweet mangoes. The second part of their visit is Wuzhizhou Island, also called Lover’s Island, a former military base turned tourist attraction. The couple see white sand and clear water, but find the island commercialized, with large hotels and photo locations where visitors pose in wedding dresses. Swimming is restricted to designated areas, limiting the snorkeling they had expected.
Back at the resort, they visit the photo garden known as the valley, use free self-service laundry and eat at the Chinese restaurant. Their account favors the resort’s pools and amenities for a relaxing stay, while noting that the island’s restrictions limit their freedom to explore. The video’s practical details include having a passport ready for island ticket and security checks, using DiDi around Sanya, and trying Luckin Coffee. Its source also states that visitors from 59 countries have visa-free entry to Hainan. Their visit begins amid the aftermath of a typhoon, with a look at Sanya's history and development. The resort tour takes in the foyer, gardens, pools and the separate adult swimming area, where private cabanas are available. The water slides are in the children's pool, but the couple try them and enjoy the experience. The room's oversized sink is another detail they notice; they also point out that there is no bidet, while the television is hard to use because of language and restricted internet access. The coconut hot pot uses fresh coconut water and broth with raw chicken and other accompaniments. On Wuzhizhou, the visitors find beaches and clear water, but the hotels and photo areas—including wedding-dress photography—make the island feel more commercial than they expected. The swimming zones limit where they can snorkel. Their return to the resort includes the valley garden, free laundry, the Chinese restaurant, and a walk by the beach before leaving. The source also gives two practical details: a passport is needed for island ticket collection and security checks, and DiDi is used for local transport.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What is Hainan Island known for?
- A: Hainan Island is being developed as China's luxury beach paradise, featuring tropical weather, resorts, and visa-free entry for many nationalities.
- Q: What was the experience like at the 5-star resort?
- A: The resort offered stylish rooms, great pools, and good value for money, though some amenities like bidets were missing.
- Q: What was the food like?
- A: They tried a unique coconut chicken hot pot and enjoyed incredibly large and sweet mangoes, a local specialty.
- Q: What was Wuzhizhou Island like?
- A: It's a beautiful island with white sand beaches, but it felt very commercialized and restrictive, with limited areas for swimming and snorkeling.
- Q: Is Hainan recommended for nature lovers?
- A: While it has beautiful beaches, the development and restrictions might make it less ideal for those seeking a purely natural experience.
