cycling guide around south island

 

(Hainan Cycling Mobile Video)


Cycling is no longer about riding the old-fashioned bikes of the last century, bustling through the streets. It can be near or far, varied and colorful. Some friends might enjoy the thrill of racing, but most of us enjoy the journey. Therefore, we all share a common island, a common 318 route, and our own Qinghai Lake. It doesn't matter where we start; eventually, we will meet on the road.


After many years of dreaming, I finally realized my dream of cycling around the island. Although I only covered the eastern half in five days, it was a joyful and pleasant journey. Cycling around the island is no longer just talk but a real travel story. Here, I share the route and the unseen scenery with everyone. Coincidentally, on October 22, 2016, Hainan Island will host an international road cycling race. Before this, cycling around the island was a personal dream; after this, it becomes a sport and a commercial event. Perhaps it will inspire more people to cycle around the island, or maybe it will lose some of its original simplicity.

 


(Open Codoon - Discover - Events - Cycling Events to register for the online race)


Cycling around the island generally takes eight days, but you can adjust the time according to your schedule and pace. Typically, the main routes are the eastern and western lines, forming a loop around the island. Some people take the central route directly to Sanya. Others complete both the eastern and western lines and then cross Hainan Island.




Eastern Line - Western Line (8 days)


Depart from Haikou - Wenchang - Boao - Shenzhou Peninsula (Xinglong or Lingshui) - Sanya


Sanya - Yinggehai - Dongfang - Danzhou - Haikou


Detailed Route 


Day 1 (80km) Haikou - Lingshan - (S201) Sanjiang - Dazhipo (lunch break) - Tanniu - Wenchang (Dongjiao Coconut Grove Beach;You can choose to visit Tongguling, stay overnight in Wenjiao)



(Dongjiao Coconut Grove Beach)


Day 2 (62km) Wenchang - Fengjia Bay (the first bay I saw, dirty but empty) - Changpo - Tanmen (Xi Jinping visited here, so there is a huge photo of him) - Boao (watch the sunset at Yudai Bay, there's a bar called Sea Story, but you don't have to go in, the prices aren't great)



(Fengjia Bay Beach)


Day 3 (84km) Boao - Longgun - Shangen - Hele (you can take the country road, there's a section with many graves) - Gangbei Port (the nearby bay is beautiful, you can collect large corals) - Dahua Cape (we didn't stop) - Beipo - Dong'ao - Shenzhou Peninsula



(Shenzhou Peninsula Beach)


Day 4 (140km) Shenzhou Peninsula - Shimei Bay (said to be the most beautiful bay in Hainan, it was indeed stunning in the morning, but it's all developed now, becoming a playground for the wealthy) - Riyue Bay (known as a surfing base, but empty, with a statue of Mazu, and sweet mini pineapples sold by the roadside) - Xiangshui Bay - Lingshui (famous for its tasty noodles) - Qingshui Bay (a luxury real estate project has taken over, but the beach is nice, we encountered heavy rain here) - Haitang Bay (you'll pass a duty-free mall on the way to Sanya, no need to go to Hong Kong, they even offer free shipping) - Sanya (we just ate and drank here, didn't explore much, but Nanshan is worth visiting)



(Riyue Bay)


Day 5 (112km) Sanya - Yacheng - Meishan (lunch break) - Yinggehai (beautiful and not crowded)


Day 6 (115km) Yinggehai - Fuluo - Banqiao - Gancheng (lunch break) - Xinlong - Dongfang (Yulinzhou)


Day 7 (124km) Dongfang - Datian - Changjiang (lunch break) - Bangxi - Yaxing - Danzhou


Day 8 (130km) Danzhou - Hesha - Jialai - Dowen - Fushan (lunch break) - Dafeng - Laocheng - Haikou



(Danzhou Section)


The western line is tough; I haven't tackled it yet. I completed the eastern line in five days. Those cycling around the island can experience it. Next is the central line, which is even more challenging than the western line. If the western line's climbs are undulating, the central line's climbs are breath-taking.


Hainan Central Line(357km)


Day 1 (87km) Sanya Sandao - Xinzheng (lunch break) - Xiangshui - Mao'an - Wuzhishan


Day 2 (130km) Wuzhishan - Maoyang - Hongmao - Qiongzhong (lunch break) - Wanling - Fengmu


Day 3 (93km) Fengmu - Tunchang - Xinxing - Xinzhu (lunch break) - Yongfa - Yongxing - Haikou


Of course, you can take the central line from Haikou directly to Sanya. The scenery includes coconut groves, rice fields, and pepper fields, with occasional vendors selling Niu Dali.




This is the route around Hainan Island. You can adjust it according to your preferences. The scenery and food along the way are up to you. I was bold enough to skip Niuling and take a section of the highway. It was my first time cycling on a highway, with cars zooming past like the wind. I don't recommend it; it's risky. Our friends behind us were stopped by the police on the highway. Overall, Hainan is more bike-friendly than Chengdu. Vehicles are courteous at intersections and turns. The people of Hainan are also very easygoing, though a bit tanned.


Food


For someone from the inland, it's all about coconuts. Various ways to drink them: 10 yuan in Haikou, 7 yuan in Wenchang, 8 yuan in Boao, and 10 yuan in Sanya. You can also eat the coconut meat, which tastes like peanuts when fresh. There's also coconut chicken, best eaten in small towns where it's cheaper. The chicken is a breed from Wenchang, fed with coconuts and cooked in coconut water. In Sanya, it's just chicken, don't expect coconut chicken. Betel nuts are an acquired taste; Hainanese chew them like gum, but to me, they taste like lime water, hard to swallow. I was tricked; my friends said it was sweet, so I tried it.




Next is seafood. It's not very cheap but very fresh. This might be why Chinese seafood lovers go to Thailand. Hainan's seafood isn't as cheap as you might think, but it's not exorbitantly priced either, staying within market norms.




There are also various fish. In Boao, we had Boao fish, which was delicious but in small portions. Cycling consumes a lot of energy, so we ate like bandits, devouring anything edible. On National Highway 223, we had a 20-yuan fish from a rural hostess who was generous and straightforward. There was no menu; you just picked what you wanted from the kitchen.




Hainan is known for its chicken, duck, fish, pork trotters, and lamb. Hainan also has a lot of water buffalo and yellow cattle. Most inland beef is yak meat from western Sichuan. Eating water buffalo feels a bit cruel because they were once essential for farming in the south. So, eating their meat feels wrong to someone from a rural background.


(This article is an original by Codoon)


Created: 2016-10-10 07:09:51