Visit Hainan Island

The fact that flights to Hainan (see point 10) are already relatively cheap is a good reason to splurge a little more on comfortable accommodation!

A country that champions its tropical, resort-like atmosphere is bound to attract tons of luxury establishments. The good news is that you can still live like a king in Hainan without breaking the bank — get a room at 5-star hotel Raffles Hainan for as low as ~S$145/night, with a spacious room, private personal butler, swimming pool and more.

Hainan’s inhabitants have historically been a diverse bunch, housing up to 36 minority groups. This has given rise to “theme parks” / museums like Binglanggu, which gives you an insider’s peek into the Li and Miao people, 2 of the most prominent minorities, the former also one of Hainan’s oldest.

What was once a cluster of over 40 volcanoes is now converted into the Haikou Volcanic Cluster Global Geopark, with people still living in 2 “lava villages” where houses are made of volcanic rock. You can also walk through lava caves from past volcanic activity, or climb up to the rim of an extinct volcano to enter the crater itself!

Naturally blessed with a coastline that stretches for days, Sanya, the southern tip of Hainan, is a buzzing beach resort hub with its 3 most popular — Dadonghai, Sanya Bay and Yalong Bay — regularly making it onto China’s top beach lists.

Authorities have made strides in ensuring the beaches remain free and open to the public, so even if you’re not shelling out for a stay at a 5-star beachfront hotel, you’re still free to revel under the sun and get lit, beaches!

Think tropical island resorts and the usual suspects float into your headspace — Bali, the Philippines, Tioman Island, Langkawi, and whatnot. Yet along the same, beachy vein lies Hainan Island that’d probably never skip through your mind, especially not when the thought of it being a part of China alone might be off-putting for some.