Top 10 Most Beautiful Islands in China: A Complete 2-Day 1-Night Self-Drive Guide to Hailing Island

Here's a travel guide for Hailing Island:

Pre-Trip Preparation

• Documents: Bring your ID card and other possible documents like student ID or senior citizen card for ticket purchases and discounts.

• Clothing: Pack lightweight summer clothes, swimwear, swimming cap, sunglasses, sun hat, UV-protective clothing, and a light jacket for temperature changes.

• Daily essentials: Toiletries, skincare products, sunscreen, face masks, mosquito repellent, umbrella or raincoat.

• Medications: Prepare common medicines like cold medicine, stomach medicine, motion sickness pills, fever reducers, and band-aids.

• Other items: Phone, camera, power bank, charger, earphones, and download local maps or travel apps in advance.

Transportation Guide

• High-speed rail: Arrive at Yangjiang Railway Station first, then transfer to the tourist bus to Zhapo for Hailing Island.

• Self-drive: Navigate to Hailing Island, about 3.5 hours from Guangzhou. Note possible ETC discounts on weekends.

Accommodation Recommendations

• Near Dajiao Bay: Mainly budget hotels and apartments with complete facilities, lively at night and convenient for travel.

• Poly Shili Silver Beach: Features many high-end hotels with spacious rooms, stunning ocean views, and pool villas for quality-seeking travelers.

• Beiluo Secret Land: Primarily the Beiluo Secret Land and Luoyue Hotel series, with cliff pools and coastal boardwalks, perfect for photo ops.

Food Recommendations

• Seafood feast: Crabs, scallops, oysters, shrimp, and more. Buy at Baipu Market for processing, or dine at restaurants like Haokelai Seafood Steamboat for fresh flavors.

• Local snacks: Zhuchanglu (stuffed rice rolls with bean sprouts and rice noodles), savory and delicious; Hailing braised noodles, smooth with rich broth; Yebaobao (leaf-wrapped dumplings), soft with flavorful fillings; Zhapo fish balls, springy and full of umami.

Must-Visit Attractions

• Shili Silver Beach: Hailing Island's signature spot with long stretches of powdery sand and clear water. Try beach buggies or speedboats, or catch a sunrise for stunning coastal views.
• Dajiao Bay Maritime Silk Road Tourist Area: A 5A-rated scenic area surrounded by mountains, featuring a broad natural bathing beach for surfing, jet skiing, and parasailing, plus evening fireworks.
• Beiluo Secret Land International Resort: Highlights include the cliffside coastal boardwalk offering panoramic views of crystal-clear "jelly" waters and fine sand. The pearl-white beach is great for wading, and it's one of the island's best sunset spots.
• Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum: Displays the Southern Song shipwreck "Nanhai No.1" and thousands of recovered treasures like ceramics and gold artifacts, showcasing the ancient Maritime Silk Road's glory.
• Mawei Island: Shaped like a horse's tail, this island is surrounded by sea on three sides. At low tide, vast rocky shores emerge, perfect for oyster digging and crab catching. It's also a prime sunset spot with breathtaking views as the sun dips below the horizon.