A 30-Day Self-Driving Tour Around Hainan Island: A Slow-Paced Journey Waking Up Naturally

It's been two weeks since I returned from Hainan, and I've carefully compiled this authentic travel guide. This trip lasted a whole month, waking up naturally every day before setting off, resting at sunset, and taking charge of my own itinerary, focusing on relaxation and avoiding rushing. I saw the ocean waves, bays and capes, bizarre beaches and rocks, rocket launches, sunrises and sunsets, museums and memorials. I climbed mountains, explored tropical rainforests, rode in a "Rolls-Royce of the sea," drank plenty of coconut water, tasted coconut treasures, ate Qingbuliang, drank Laobapa tea, ate seafood, Wenchang chicken, Si Geng roast pig, and black goat. I visited large fishing grounds and small fishing villages, and offered New Year prayers. The only thing I missed was diving, as the weather was still a bit cool. However, I was very satisfied, having experienced both natural scenery and historical culture, feasting my eyes and expanding my knowledge. 🗓Itinerary: ✅ Day 1: 🚢Zhanjiang Xuwen Port ➡️ Haikou Xinhai Port, driving across the sea, embarking on a wonderful self-driving tour around Hainan Island. ✅ Wenchang (4 days) To catch the rocket launch in Wenchang, I skipped Haikou first and started my tour from Wenchang, planning to visit Haikou on my way back. D2: 🚗 Xinfu Sea Viewing Platform ➡️ Mulan Bay (Asia's first lighthouse) ➡️ Windmill No. 3 Viewing Platform ➡️ Baohu Cape D3: 🚗 Soong Ching-ling's Ancestral Residence ➡️ Longlou Town (watching the rocket launch) D4: 🚗 Tongguling Scenic Area ➡️ Stone Park ➡️ Coconut Grove No. 1 Viewing Platform ➡️ Coconut Grove No. 2-1 Viewing Platform ➡️ Wenchang City D5: 🚗 Wenchang City Museum ➡️ Wennan Old Street ➡️ Confucius Temple ➡️ Wenchang Park 🍽Food: Laobapa tea, Wenchang chicken, Zaopo vinegar, Baoluo powder ✅ Qionghai (3 days) D6: 🚗 Tanmen Central Fishing Port ➡️ China (Hainan) South China Sea Museum ➡️ Red Stone Beach ➡️ Tanmen Central Fishing Port (buying/eating seafood) D7: Watching the sunrise at Tanmen 🚗 Tanmen Central Fishing Port (buying/eating more seafood 😁, probably the most cost-effective place to eat seafood on the island) ➡️ Boao Forum for Asia Convention Center (exterior view) ➡️ Boao Forum for Asia Permanent Site Scenic Area ➡️ Cai Family Residence ➡️ Qionghai City D8: 🚗 Wanquan River Park ➡️ Red Detachment of Women Memorial Park ➡️ General Zhou Shidi Memorial Park (Qionghai Museum) ➡️ Baishiling Tourist Area 🍽Food: Seafood, hot spring goose ✅ Wanning (2 days) D9: 🚗 Swallow Cave ➡️ Shuibishanqing Viewing Platform ➡️ Sea and Sky Viewing Platform ➡️ Dahua Cape ➡️ Wuchang Wharf (saw a freshly caught huge sailfish) ➡️ Shenzhou Lighthouse D10: 🚶‍♀️ Shimei Bay ➡️ Guanhai Pavilion 🚗 Xinglong Bali Village ➡️ Lingshui Yingzhou 🍽Food: Xinglong Nanyang Restaurant, coconut treasures, rambutan ✅ Lingshui (2 days) D11: 🚗 Xincun Wharf Market 🚤 Nanwan Village (monkey watching) 🚤 Wharf 🚗 Hainan Danjia Museum ➡️ Lingshui Xincun Wharf ➡️ Temporary Farmers Market (buying/eating seafood, more expensive than Tanmen) D12: 🚗 Free Lighthouse ➡️ Qingshui Bay Beach Park ➡️ Hainan Provincial Museum of Nationalities (Wuzhishan City) 🍽Food: Lingshui sour noodles, seafood ✅ Wuzhishan D13: 🚗 Wuzhishan Shuimanhe Tropical Rainforest Scenic Area ➡️ Maona Village ➡️ Baoting 🍽Food: Wuzhishan pig, ant chicken, wild vegetables ✅ Baoting D14: 🚗 Qixianling Hot Spring National Forest Park (taking the easy route up the mountain 😎) ➡️ Sanya 🍽Food: Coconut rice ✅ Sanya (5 days) D15: 🚗 The Lost Chambers Aquarium at Atlantis Sanya ➡️ Luhuitou Scenic Area ➡️ Coconut Dream Corridor 🛥️ West Island D16: 🛵 West Island D17: West Island 🛥️ Wharf 🚗 Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area D18: 🚗 Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone D19: 🚗 Nanshan Cape and Cave Scenic Area ➡️ Ledong 🍽Food: Seafood, vanilla duck, stir-fried cactus ✅ Ledong & Dongfang (2 days) D20: 🚗 Jianfengling National Forest Park D21: 🚗 Yinggehai Salt Field ➡️ Longmu Bay ➡️ Jinyue Bay (White Chapel) ➡️ Lizhang Village (watching fishermen process their catch) ➡️ Yulinzhou Natural Scenic Reserve (watching the sunset) 🍽Food: Stone pot fish ✅ Changjiang & Danzhou & Lingao (4 days) D22: 🚗 Changhua Town ➡️ Qizi Bay Dajiao Park ➡️ Shihua Water Cave Geological Park D23: 🚗 Hainan Tropical Botanical Garden ➡️ Zhonghe Ancient Town ➡️ Dongpo Academy ➡️ Ocean Flower Island D24: Ocean Flower Island (touring by mini-train) D25: 🚗 Millennium Ancient Salt Field ➡️ Volcanic Coast Provincial Geological Park (Longmen Jilang Viewing Platform) ➡️ Lingao Cape Scenic Area 🍽Food: Salt-baked chicken ✅ Haikou (4 days) D26: 🚗 Lingao ➡️ Haikou ➡️ Hainan Provincial Museum D27: 🚗 Hainan Provincial Museum ➡️ Hainan Provincial History and Records Museum (free 3D show "Happy Hainan Tour") ➡️ Haikou Five Officials' Temple ➡️ Haikou Museum D28: 🚗 Haikou Clock Tower ➡️ Haikou Arcade Old Street ➡️ Former Site of the First Congress of the CPC Qiongya Committee ➡️ Madam Xian Memorial Hall ➡️ Century Park ➡️ Haikou Cloud Gallery D29: 🚗 Leiqiong Global Geopark (Haikou Park) ➡️ Meiting and Meilang Sisters Towers ➡️ End (Start) Point of Hainan Island Tourist Highway (taking photos) ➡️ cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex (shopping) 🍽Food: Qingbuliang, Dongshan goat, Wenchang chicken ✅ Day 30: 🚢Haikou Xinhai Port ➡️ Zhanjiang Xuwen Port, concluding an unforgettable self-driving tour around Hainan Island. For more detailed strategies and stories about the trip, please follow my subsequent travel notes 😀.