Style DEC (01.12.16)

40 Style | travel
Yalong Bay, where the MGM Grand is
located, has been rated among the top 25
beaches of 2016 (Trip Advisor Travellers’
Choice Awards).
THE SECrET SANdS
of Sanya
Kate Preece explores the Chinese island on which sun, sand, surf and
steamboats are the orders of the day.
PHoToS Kate PreeCe
A three-course meal, a few movies, a glass
or two of red, and a small travel group
touched down in Guangzhou, China, 12
hours after leaving Christchurch. The flight
was care of China Southern Airlines, the
service was enjoyable, and the seat lay flat –
if you were lucky enough to find yourself in
business class.
We weren't staying in China’s third largest
city, however, bound instead for the whitesand
beaches of Sanya, on Hainan Island, a
quick 90-minute flight away.
For the in-flight snack, leave your
European preferences at home. Expect a
Chinese hamburger (sticky rice of white and
purple wrapped around some form of meat)
and a juice box of sweet herbal tea. If you
can’t deal with this deviation in cuisine, best
turn back now.
Flying into Hainan Island, the references
to the ‘Hawaii of China’ are believable.
Mountainous green-covered hills give way
to deep valleys, with ribbon-like river that
glisten from above. The popular city of Sanya
unfurls before us. It is a destination for a
luxurious retreat, and we were to stay at
what was China’s first resort.
We arrived at the MGM Grand –
previously Gloria Resort – and were greeted
with lei-like flowers and a glass of the best
coconut milk I have ever tasted. We were
quick to immerse ourselves in resort life:
swimming, sunbathing and ordering from the
bar in bikinis. (Note: the Chinese are not
as accustomed to the Kiwi holidaymakers’
penchant for a 5pm drink, and might need
guidance to make cocktails and G&Ts.)
After tourism, agriculture is the second
biggest industry on Hainan Island and
produce year-round fruit for the mainland.
Crops include pineapple, bananas and mango
(in two varieties, one of which is from seed
imported from Australia), which flourish in
the average temperature of 25°C. The bird’s
eye view from the plane highlighted this
clearly with lines of cultivated fields creating
patterns on the hills.
Today’s food in Sanya is worthy of a
long lunch. Juice can come straight from a
gigantic green coconut, extracted from corn
(served hot) or squeezed fresh from a cactus
(bright purple). Meat is served whole – fish
in particular, but it is not uncommon for a
chicken’s head to sit on a plate either. The
dumplings couldn’t be better, and neither
could the fried rice, and this is a country in
which you will line up to eat your oh-so--
flavoursome greens. Spice fiends will also
be satisfied, with the hot stuff part of the
everyday menu (watch out for the yellow
chilli sauce!).
To experience something off the beaten
track, seek out a fishing village. We arrived at
one not long before sunset and joined a raft
of boats making their way inland after a day’s
fishing – and more so heading back out, fully
equipped with rows of squid lights hanging
high above the cabins. Workers who don’t
own their own restaurant take their hauls
directly to the fish markets, but the rest are
waiting for patrons to choose their fish du
jour. For us, it was swallow fish, a beautifully
soft white fish that melted in the mouth after
being boiled in stock on a burner atop our
table. This form of ‘steamboat’ or ‘hot pot’ is
classic Chinese fare, and the go-to option if
you are to experience any Chinese barbecue.
With four days in Sanya, we experienced
little more than a taste for this tropical oasis.
A short trip through one of the shopping
areas brought us head-to-head with the
locals, yet for those wishing for a resort-style
retreat, choose from 43 international brands
and there’s no doubt you will find solace.