Cheap Flights to Haikou

About Haikou 

Haikou is the most populous city and capital city of the Hainan province in China. It is a prefecture-level city covering 2280 square kilometers. This tropical coastal city has a population consisting mostly of immigrants from other provinces. It is located on the island’s north coast looking towards the mainland across the Qiongzhou Strait. More than half of the trade is done through its port. 

Haikou has somewhat laid-back making it one of the least developed provincial capitals. The city is full of coconut trees lined up in most streets making it one the greener cities of China. The city is full of historical sites, museums and national parks ensuring that tourists do not have a dull day.

Tip: Make sure that you learn about the bus routes and time table before coming, it will help you navigate through the city.

History

The name Haikou is an amalgamation of sea and port since it is a coastal city. The city originally served as the port of Qiongshan which was an ancient administrative capital of the Hainan Island. In early history, it is said that Haikou was part of Guangdong province. In the 13^th century under the Ming Dynasty, it became a military post. In 1926, Haikou overtook Qiongshan in population and was declared as a separate administrative city. It was developed as a port during the Sino-Japanese War when the Japanese invaded and occupied Hainan Island from 1939 to 1945. It fell under the communist rule in 1950 and since then, it is maintained as the Island’s main port and replaced Qiongshan as its administrative capital.

Getting to Haikou 

Haikou Meilan International Airport is the main international airport that serves Haikou and the surrounding region. It is the busiest airport in Hainan and 17^th busiest in China. The airport which opened in 1999 is located 25 km southeast of the city. Few countries have direct flights to Haikou.  Many key cities in Asia have direct flights and few cities of other continents have direct flights as well.  Most of the countries that are part of the official trade with PRC can be connected directly with flights to Haikou. The airlines with maximum connectivity in this route are Tianjin Airlines & Hainan Airlines.

The flight duration will change as per the type of flight (no of layover and waiting time) and the country you are traveling from. For most of the Asian countries, the duration will be anywhere between 4 hours to 10 hours. For non-Asian countries, the duration will usually go beyond 15 to 20 hours.

Tip: Since direct flights to Haikou are few, it will be better to book the tickets 60 to 90 days prior to the travel date to get confirmed tickets at a nominal rate.

Know more about Haikou 

Best areas to stay, eat and shop in Haikou 

For budget accommodation, you can check out hostels or hotels in Lan Tian Road or CBD Area. For more mid-range options, you can check accommodation in Jin Niu Ling Park. West Coast, and Hong Chong Lake areas as it has the most luxurious hotels.

If you are looking for good cheap food, then explore Longkun Road and Jinlong Road that is known for street food and also small restaurants. For some gourmet food and international cuisine, you can check out trendy restaurants in Banqiao Road. Guo Mao District has amazing nightclubs, pubs, and bars where you can enjoy a vibrant nightlife.

Haikou is very good for shopping and has colorful markets. The best places to shop are Hai Xiu Avenue where you can buy crystals, pearls, palm sugar and many more. Explore the Dadongmen which is the main distribution center of seafood. It also has an antique street where you can purchase some antiques.

Tip: Some of the local dishes that you should try are Gallinejas, Callos a la madrileña and Churros.

Local Language & Culture

Mandarin is the official language in Haikou but many of the locals speak some of the languages that are unique to Hainan. Some of the locals do understand and manage to speak English. Many of the hotel tourist staff and local guides know English well.

Local transport in Haikou 

A bus is the main form of public transport in Haikou. It is well connected to the majority of tourist attractions and is inexpensive.  The other mode is Taxi which is a bit expensive and many of the drivers will not know English, so you need to prepare yourself to communicate. You can hire a motorbike taxi which is electric and can take you anywhere in the city.

Things to do and see in Haikou 

Haikou is a perfect holiday since it offers things of varied interest from amazing beaches to historical sites to beautiful national parks. Holiday Beach is a typical place to experience leisure on the beach. The length of the beach is 6 km and offers water sports and live performances as well. The other beach that you should visit is the Xixiu Beach whose coastline is almost 1200 meters long. From here, you can view Quongzhou channel and ships shuttling in the sea. If you are someone who loves nature, then Volcano Cater Park cannot be missed which is a natural volcano geology museum. The ancient Qiongbei Volcano has left behind volcano craters. Visit the Hainan Tropical Wildlife Garden to enjoy the tropical zoological garden which has been created in 1.3 square kilometer area. You will get to see 200 tropical animals in their natural habitat. Make sure that you do not miss out on Five Ministers Temple or Wugong Temple. It is a temple that showcases the traditional and ancient architecture of the region. It was built to honor the five officials of Tang and Song dynasties. The Hairui Tomb is an important historical and cultural landmark of this region. Hairui was considered an uncorrupted minister in Ming Dynasty. The construction of the tomb building is grand and beautiful. The other places that you should visit are Nanli lake, Xiuying Gun Emplacement, Mangrove Forest in Dongzhai Port and Tropical Ocean World.

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