The island of Hainan, China's southern-most province, could be considered a bit far away for a two-day break, but if you can convince your boss for some extra time off, then Hainan is definitely a great option. Lying on the same latitude as Hawaii, Hainan is home to the same golden beaches and tropical weather and better still, it's only a few hours from Shanghai by plane. Coming from Shanghai to Hainan is a radical change in pace and atmosphere, as the island boasts a fraction of the traffic and population as the city we call home.

The reason most people go to Hainan is for the tropical weather and pristine beaches, the best of which are focused in the south around Dadonghai and Yalong Bay in Sanya. The sand is a pleasant yellow colour and feels soft and warm underfoot. And, thankfully, most of the time the beaches aren't too crowded either, so there's no fighting over towel space.

The sea is also a natural, unpolluted, deep blue, and almost turquoise in the shallower parts. Although it's not particularly warm except on very sunny days, ocean swimming is a key activity in Hainan day and night, and the surf manages to draw in even the most reluctant of swimmers. Essentially, Hainan is the key destination in China for a laid-back and lazy beach holiday - - a great place to turn your brain off, splash about in the ocean and bask in the sun with a good book.

For people looking for a little more excitement and recreation, Hainan also offers several of the stock tropical water sports: parasailing, snorkelling, scuba diving, jet boats, waterskiing and so on. At both Dadonghai and Yalong Bay you can hire a jet ski or go scuba diving. Parasailing is also an option if you like being suspended in the air by a parachute and pulled along tied to a speed boat (apparently, it's surprisingly calming and doesn't feel like you're moving that fast). Or if there's a group of you, you might enjoy the “thrills” of a banana boat: a long yellow inflatable raft which seats up to ten people, who desperately hang on as they're pulled along at break-neck speeds by a motor boat.

A more calming water activity is swimming in the Nantian Hot Springs, which are easily reached by shuttle bus, included in the ticket price. The hot springs are outdoors, although they're not natural, and the pools of various sizes range from warm to tepid to practically boiling. Their biggest draw, however, is the pool which contains little black fish that "kiss" (bite) the dead skin off your body. It's a strange experience and takes some getting used to, but it's something worth trying and a lot of fun.

Alternatively, if you've really had enough of being wet and sandy, you could take a taxi into Sanya's main town, which is a quick ten minute ride from Dadonghai and a 25 minute ride from Yalong Bay. There's nothing particularly unique about it, but the main street Jiefang Dajie offers opportunities for retail therapy.

You can find out a bit more about Yalong Bay and its hotels here

Need to go:

• To the nearest beach! The whole of Sanya is located on the sea and offers ocean views like nowhere else in China. Sanya Bay, Yalong Bay and Dadonghai all feature golden stretches of sandy beaches and are usually a visitor's first choice.
• Water sports: Scuba diving is available near Yalong Bay (680rmb) and Dadonghai (380rmb), as well as jet ski renting, parasailing, and "banana boat" riding (an inflatable banana boat is pulled along by a motor boat.
• Hot springs: Man-made, outdoor hotsprings at various temperatures. Nantian is the most popular for its dead skin-nibbling pool of fish (acuatlly a lot more relaxing than it sounds). Entry is 168rmb and you can get a forty-five minute shuttle bus every two hours (early evening is busiest) from both Yalong Bay and Dadonghai.
• Off the beaten path: Hainan also has a majority of other tour options including visiting a minority village, hiking in the island's tropical rainforest and sight-seeing tours to museums and islets.

What to eat and where:

Hainan cuisine is nothing to get particularly excited about and is not very well known, but a few specials to look out for are Hui (Muslim) food and fresh seafood. Wencheng chicken and Hele crab are popular.

Beachside restaurants on Dadonghai usually serve a standard mix of western (read: Russian) food and typical Chinese food (lamb kebabs and chips with salad, sweet and sour pork with rice, etc). They can vary in quality however, so take a look at the menu and other customers' choices before you commit yourself.

Hotel restaurants in Yalong Bay are recommended for their seafood. However, Dadonghai or Sanya's main town is the place to go if you want to eat without going bankrupt. Yuan Xing Long in the Sanya downtown area is an excellent place to go for local food. It has an ocean view and a Chinese menu with pictures.

Nightlife:

• Beachside bars serve average priced drinks, are often quiet and don't stay open late. It can be more fun to buy a few cheap beers from a convenience store and sit on the beach under the stars.
• Hotels are where most people spend their evenings, particularly in the swanky Yalong Bay ones. The bigger hotels are all equipped with spas, bars, lounges with live music and some even have discos or nightclubs. The Guo Xi Hotel is a little different: every night at 8.30pm it has an act with dancing girls and men in drag.
• Other nightlife options include night markets. Stop by Yudian Road or Hefang Street - the former is more traditional, whilst the latter is touristy but has a good selection of goods (shoes, DVDs, jewellery, souvenirs) without too much overlap in the actual products. Better still, the vendors don't hassle you as much as they do in Shanghai. There's also the Red Mill House, which has a variety show with singing, dancing and acrobatics. Tickets are 40rmb and shows start at 8:45pm. Find it at 360 Tiyuchang Road.
• In Sanya town, Haiyun Lu has been developed with several bars, such as the Hot Spot Bar, Blue Sky Bar and the Pectopah Disco-Bar. There are also the usual KTV joints and other smaller bars.

Final thought:

Check out http://www.sunnysanya.com before you leave, or better still, before you book. Oh, and don't forget to pack sun block!