Serena's Answer

We take the 8 AM first ferry before day-trippers flood in at 10. I book you into the quieter southern coral zone where visibility is best and snorkelers are few. By the time tour groups arrive, you're already drying off on a private deck with the island nearly to yourself.

Serena's Answer

Skip the hotel buffets and Dadonghai seafood street. The real catches go to Houhai Village fish market where fishermen sell their morning haul directly. We pick live grouper and mantis shrimp, then walk them to a family-run kitchen next door that cooks to order—half the resort price, twice the freshness.

Serena's Answer

Behind the hotel strip, the Li and Miao ethnic communities have lived in these hills for centuries. We visit a Li village where elders still weave traditional brocade on wooden looms—a UNESCO-listed craft. Then Nanshan Temple at opening, when monks chant before the 108-meter Guanyin without a single tour bus in sight.

Serena's Answer

4–5 days is the sweet spot. Day 1 settle in + beach. Day 2 Wuzhizhou Island. Day 3 Nanshan + Li village. Day 4 Yanoda Rainforest + hot springs. Day 5 leisure or departure. Stay in Haitang Bay—newest resorts, closest to Wuzhizhou ferry, quieter than Yalong Bay, and better beach quality than Sanya Bay.