Sanya, situated in the very south of Hainan island, lies on the same altitude as the south of Hawaii and temperatures here are pleasantly warm, even in the middle of winter when the rest of China is freezing.

Between June and October it is extremely hot and humid here and, although a dip in the sea provides welcome respite from the heat, it is probably better to visit here between December and April, when the climate is dry and the temperatures more bearable. Typhoons cause problems between May and October and can cripple the island's infrastructure.