Dàdōnghāi

Unsurprisingly for a beach resort, the vast majority of things to see and do revolve around sand, sea and after-hours entertainment. Dàdōnghāi is convenient to the widest range of accommodation and eateries. It does get busy, however, and it's worth arriving reasonably early to secure one of those fixed umbrellas or risk being burned to a crisp - between March and November the sun can be blisteringly hot. It offers jet-skiing, banana boats, snorkelling, diving and parasailing.

One of the most entertaining activities is just to sit with a drink and people-watch. You will inevitably see that classic Sānyà sight - the couple or family of holidaying mainlanders dressed in identical, Hawaiian-style shirt and shorts combinations. Wonderful stuff! Generally speaking, first-time visitors to Hǎinán wear these outfits, while more experienced travellers graduate to something more stylish.