Haikou, China.

This time last year, I was in Haikou for the East Asian Seas Congress. We stayed about nine days in Haikou, working mostly for the Congress. We enjoyed the cold weather (yes, they have winter) and had one day to explore the city.

Haikou City is in the province of Hainan and is called the coconut city. One of their major products is, yes, coconut. Even their sidewalks and highways are lined with coconut trees. Some call it the hawaii of Asia because just 45 minutes away from Haikou is this beautiful place with white-sand beaches called Sanya.

How to get there: There are five hubs to Haikou — Guangzhou, Hongkong, Xiamen, Shenzhen, and Shanghai. From Haikou Meilan airport, there are shuttle services available that will take you to your hotel.

Visa Requirements: No matter what passport you own, you need a Visa to enter China. For visa requirements, visit PRC Embassy website.

Accommodation: Haikou is a modern city with lots of hotels. Make prior reservations, though. Rates for 4-star hotels starts at RMB 300 to RMB 800.

Things to do: Visit their parks and gardens, go out of the city and visit old chinese villages, join a tour group (which your hotel could arrange for you) and go to their version of the safari, and shop till you drop.

Try the city’s food specialties: Wenchang chicken, Dongchan Mutton, the Hele Crab, and Jiaji Duck.

For some authentic chinese cuisine, Jinlong Road is the place to go. Visit Longkun South Road for some seafood bliss.

One More Thing: Bring enough cash. Haikou is a wonderful place to shop. You may want to buy Li Brocade, China’s oldest cotton textile handmade by the Li people as pasalubong to family and friends.

For more information about Hainan, please go to the Haikou Travel Guide.