Making the most of Haikou
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Haikou Port is in Haikou's western suburb, Hainan Province, on Haikou Bay's southern side of Qiongzhou Strait.
Use taxis to get around.
A printable map to bring with you.
Known as the 'Coconut City', Haikou is the capital of Hainan Province, China's second largest island. The city serves as Hainan's provincial administrative centre and as the hub of its economy, culture and transport. It occupies the northern tip of Hainan Island, on the west bank of the Nandu River estuary. As this is the island's longest river, the city name, 'Mouth of the Sea', is particularly fitting.
Sea on three sides gives Haikou a long coast of bathing beaches and seaside resorts. Holiday Beach is most popular, while National sailing and windsurfing teams train and compete at Xixiu Beach.
Haikou's downtown enjoys an excellent setting, with streets lined by coconut palms. It has modern, convenient public transport and the attractions expected of a tropical seaside city: a pollution-free environment that meets tourist needs in a friendly, welcoming way.
Haikou's historic sites include Wugong Temple, or The Five Official's Temple, Tomb of Hai Rui and Xiuying Emplacement, each a reminder of the city's historical importance.
Getting around
City taxis are cheap and plentiful, so they are the best way around.
Taxi drivers fall roughly into three groups:
Avoid touts, who charge multiples of the proper rate; walk half a block for honest cabbies. ‘Mechanics' have built their own taximeter, with all consequences. Honest cabbies are the great majority, >90%, as Chinese government clamps down on tourist mistreatment; the further south you go, the more honest people get. Ensure the meter is on, or get out.
Important: buy the newest available edition of any guide book for the town you intend to visit. Construction proceeds at such an enormous pace that something present today may have disappeared tomorrow. Check that maps in the guide book include both "english" and "chinese" characters, so you can communicate with a cabdriver simply by pointing. Cabdrivers speak only chinese.
Food and shopping
Every large tourist town has at least one, often more, western-style shopping mall. These can be the only places to find larger clothing sizes. While the malls are enjoyable, be aware that almost everything is fake and bargaining is tough. A quick approach is to show the bills in your hand to indicate what you will pay, then walk away. If they motion you back, complete the bargain, and remain courteous throughout.
Restaurants frequently form clusters in certain city areas, identified by colourful decorations intended to draw customers. Walk around and choose restaurants used by chinese families themselves. Most menu's show pictures of what is served, while seafood is generally kept alive in large tanks. Eating out in China is a feast: etiquette is minimal and the atmosphere is often noisy, so enjoy it. Drink only bottled water, even for brushing your teeth, and follow the usual precautions when dining out.
Money
The currency is Yuan, or Renminbi RMB.
You may occasionally receive a counterfeit, usually small-denomination bill. There is nothing to do but keep it as a souvenir.
Staying connected
Internet access is highly developed in China. Even more modest hotels nearly always offer WiFi in rooms, and public areas have Internet stations, commonly free of charge or available for a very modest fee.
For emergencies, call 110 in China; Hong Kong and Macao use 999.
Opening Hours and
Stores appear to have no fixed hours and stay open as long as customers are present.
Chinese New Year, about two weeks long, is when all Chinese travel and transport can become very hectic.