The beach also has distraction of the motorized variety. Jet skis are for hire, but expensive. We were told they were 400 yuan to rent for a half hour. Also expensive are the umbrellas. We sat at the ones in front of the Sheraton for about two hours, but eventually a worker came up to us and said that although the umbrellas were free for guests of the Sheraton, it was 380 yuan for those who were not guests. Needless to say, we decided sit in the sun.

The next day we headed to Wuzhizhou Island, a popular destination near Sanya. To get there, it's about a 15-minute taxi ride to the dock. The admission costs 128 yuan, which includes entrance to the island and the 20-minute boat ride. You are greeted to the island by two things: hordes of tourists dressed in matching Hawaiian shirts and shorts, and large sea turtles. The island offers many activities like diving and boat rental, along with the usual beach activities. The day we went, the island was packed. This is not the place to go for someone looking to escape the crowds.

Our main goal, aside from nice beaches, inexpensive accommodation and cheap food, was to surf. Brendan Sheridan, operator of SurfingHainan.com and head of the Surfing Hainan surf club, says that out of the 365 days of the year, about 300 are at least surfable with a long board. Unfortunately, we were there for three of the 65 days with no surf. Every day was as flat as a lake. Things eventually picked up, but not until about three hours before our flight.

The island is home to the best surf breaks in China. Winter is the best time to come, as the surf is bigger and more consistent than in summer. From September to April, Hainan's east coast is the place to go. His organization provides daily surf trips from Sanya to spots on the east coast, as finding accommodation, transport and a board in this area can prove to be difficult. These trips, which include board rental, transport and a surf guide, start at 500 yuan for one person.