Haikou Banana Hostel, Hainan Island, South China - Hainan Island

Hainan Island - Facts & FAQS

Hainan Island FAQS

Q: Is it possible for a foreigner to rent a car in Haikou?

A: Yes it is possible to rent a car in Haikou. Prices start from around 150 RMB per day, with a deposit of around 3000 RMB. If you want a driver, expect to pay an extra 50 RMB per day. It is sometimes possible to rent a car even if you don't have a Chinese driving license. There is a car rental shop a few hundred metres from the Haikou Banana Hostel on San Dong Lu (3 East Road).

Q: I want to rent a motorbike and drive around Hainan, is it possible?

A: Yes. However, it is normally easier to buy a motorbike rather than rent one. You could buy a second hand motorbike from around 800 RMB. A new motorbike would start from around 2-3000 RMB. You could try to sell the bike after your adventure. Various guests from the hostel have done this.

Hainan Island General Overview

Hainan Island is the second-largest island in China, after Taiwan. As Hainan Island is not heavily industrialised, its greenery, together with its beautiful beaches, clean air, and tropical climate, make it a popular tourist attraction. The island is accessible through ferry links with Guangdong province, as well as air and train links. There are two airports, Meilan Airport in Haikou, and Phoenix airport in Sanya city.

People and Population

Provincial capital: Haikou
Population: 7.87 millions (March 2001)
Ethnic groups: Han nationality--totaling 84.1 percent of the population--and the rest are the Li, Miao, Hui and other minority nationalities. The Li nationality has a population of 980,400 people, and the Miao, 45,600.
Major Cities: Haikou, Sanya

Geography and climate

Its topography is low on four sides and high in the center from which radiate the island's rivers. 20 percent of the island is mountainous,15 percent hilly and 65 percent is plain and tableland. Two major ports, Haikou and Yulin, are along its 1,440-km coastline. The province has an area of 34,000 sq km.

Average Temperture Ranges for Haikou
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
max/min (°C)	21/15	22/16	26/19	30/22	32/24	33/25	33/25	32/25	31/24	28/22	25/20	22/16
max/min (°F)	69/58	72/60	78/65	85/71	90/76	91/77	92/77	90/77	87/76	83/72	77/67	72/61

More than 300 days of a year are sunny days. Hainan has more than 4,000 species of plants, accounting for 15 percent of the country's total, and 600 of them are native to the island. It is estimated that 344 species of birds and 77 kinds of animals dwell in Hainan, of which gibbons, pangoins, rhesus monkeys and civet cats have been put under state protection. The province also boasts 50 types of minerals.

Economy

Since the 1980s, Hainan province has been a Special Economic Zone of China. Hainan Island is largely untouched by industrialisation and there are few factories. The economy is not subject to the policies of the mainland. Its nominal GDP for 2004 was 76.94 billion yuan (US$9.55 billion), making it the 4th smallest in all of the PRC and contributes just 0.5% to the entire country's economy. Its GDP per capita was 8,270 yuan (US$998).