Welcome To Haikou

Haikou, situated at the north of Hainan island, is the capital of Hainan Province and has an estimated population of 830,000. With the sea on three sides Haikou enjoys a long coastline that features excellent bathing beaches and seaside resorts. Haikou is extremely modern with most of the infrastructure and buildings created after 1988. Haikou is a port town that handles most of the islands commerce with the mainland. The city contains several historic temples and some charming remains of Sino-Portuguese, colonial architecture. 

Easy And Affordable Access To All Of China

There are several methods of travel from Haikou to mainland China. You can take a ferry, or a bus or a train, which also ride on the ferry to the mainland before departing to different destinations, or for fastest access, there is the Haikou International Airport. Because Hainain Island is a popular tourist destination, there are daily flights to almost every major city in China, and most cities have multiple flights. Airfare is extremely affordable with round trip airfaire ranging from $60 - $200. There are several websites like elong.net and ctrip.com where you can find last minute bargains.

Tropical Paradise

Hainan Province is often referred to the as "Hawaii of China". With a temperate climate year round the average annual temperature is 74 degrees fahrenheit. In January, the average temperature is 64 degrees. The city has beautiful scenery, a pleasant climate and lush vegetation. The biggest difference between Haikou and Hawaii is affordability, after living in Haikou for months you will still be amazed at how inexpensive everything is. You can get an apartment for $130 a month, a meal for $4, a three wheel taxi for 50 cents, and a bus ride for 15 cents.

Clean And Modern Environment

Haikou is one of the cleanest and most modern cities in China. Back in 1993 a UN environmental organization surveyed nearly 160 major cities worldwide and listed Haikou among the top five cities with the best air quality in the world. The other four top cities were Sanya, Havana Cuba, Mendoza Argentina and Tempere Finland. By the end of 2003, the city had taken on an entirely new look with over 2,000 hectares of green spaces and landscaped areas. Public places provided eight square meters in grass for every resident. Environmental noise had dropped to an average 58.2 db from 61.6 db. There was 100 percent control of dust emissions extending over an area of sixty square kilometers. The city had also reached the 100 percent mark in treating industrial effluents, industrial wastewater, and industrial solid waste.

Parks And Greenbelts

Located in central Haikou is the Evergreen Park which covers an area of more than 1050 acres. The park is filled with tropical plants and trees, and is currently the largest tropical scenery park in Haikou city. It is one of the most popular parks for the local people to gather and enjoy beautiful scenery. According to the park, there are tens of thousands of coconut tress planted within the park, making it a tropical paradise surrounded by blue skies and ocean waves.

Getting Around Haikou

Traffic runs smoothly in the downtown area of Haikou and traffic jams are rare. There are four main forms of public transportation in Haikou: 1. Three-wheeled bicycle which start at 2 RMB and can be used for short distances. 2. San Luen or three-wheeled motorcycle which are a little bit more expensive than the bicycle but faster and usually a set fee of 4 RMB, if you travel a little further, maybe 5 RMB. They are usually preferred to taxis because of the set rates and you are usually not traveling a far distance. 3. Taxi which is the most expensive option. The are easily hailed everywhere in the city. The meter starts at 10 RMB, but it is customary to bargain before you get on. 4. Bus: very inexpensive, you need to know the routes but the numbers are in English so it is very easy to learn which number bus to take to which area.

Delicious And Inexpensive Dining

Eating out is a way of life in China, it’s often not something to eat it’s a social necessity a way to keep in touch with relatives and friends and a way to conduct business. There is no shortage of places to eat, you could easily eat at a different place every night and you would probably never eat in the same place twice for many years. Meals in the small restaurants range from $3-$6 per person, finer dining and western restaurants range from $10 and up. Besides delicious seafood, Haikou is known for producing aromatic coffee and a plethora of fruits and nuts.