Haikou is well-known for its location at the Nandu River estuary, while Nandu River is the longest river in the Hainan Province. This setup makes the city a perfect place for a port city, in which port trading is what driving the city in its early days. Haikou served as the port for Qiongshan, the ancient administrative capital of the Hainan Island and was part of the Guangdong province. Due to its growth, Haikou eventually took over Qiongshan before invaded by the Japanese as a result of the Sino-Japanese War. Since 1949, Haikou is maintained as the main port of Hainan and handles half of the island's trade. A prefecture-level city since 1988 and the capital of the Hainan Province, it is also the province’s most populous city, with 2.2 million residents living in the urban area as of 2018. It is an unforgettable experience to come over here in your next visit to China.

Airports in Haikou

1. Haikou Meilan International Airport

Haikou Meilan International Airport is the largest airport serving the Haikou city in Hainan Province, which is the busiest airport in Hainan and 17th busiest airport in China with 24 million passengers annually. It is located in Lingshan, Meilan District which is about 25 kilometers southeast of Haikou city center. It was built to replace Dayingshan Airport in 1999, having two major terminals, with the international capacity of ten flights. At an elevation of 23 meters, the runway is 3,600 meters long and with a concrete surface. The airport is the main hub of Tianjin Airlines and Hainan Airlines while catering flights to and from Manila via Philippine Airlines. There are various connecting flights to Haikou from Manila via China Southern, Xiamen, Cathay Pacific and other airlines with a budget ranging from 12,327 pesos to 30,354 pesos.

How to Get Cheap Flights to Haikou?

Traveloka is a travel search engine that makes it easy for travelers to find the cheapest flights to Haikou. All you need to do is to key in the information in the search box, and the application will recommend the best trip according to your budget. It compares flight prices across some trusted airlines to help you to get the best possible deal. Don’t hesitate to use Traveloka’s price alert feature to be notified of flights in your desired price range to get the best flight price to Haikou.

When is the Best Time to Fly to Haikou?

While Haikou is a fine destination for visits all year round, the off-peak season is from December to March, especially during February because of the much lower temperatures. This could be a great time to get reasonable offers at lower prices. It is great news if you plan your trip well, you can save your money because the price for hotels and flights during the peak season will be much higher and cost you a lot of money. Nonetheless, if you want to come over when the crowd is available, the peak season in Haikou is during May, September and October which is during the spring and autumn months. The best time to visit Haikou is around November to April because of the much better weather which is suitable for going out.

Despite its location which is 378 kilometers south of the Tropic of Cancer, Haikou has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a tropical climate. This implies short, mild winters that tend to be dry at first before gradually wettening, and long, hot, humid summers which are also rainy. The same goes to spring, while the only autumn is sunny and dry enough compared to other seasons. The average temperature is ranging from 15.4 degree Celsius during winter in January to 33.1 degree Celsius during the summer in July. Meanwhile, the annual precipitation is around 1,652 mm in which half of them being delivered in rains from May to October. Around the same time from April to October is the active period for typhoons, with most occurrences in August and September.

There are a lot of festivals you can look forward to enjoy in Haikou throughout the year, just like the locals in addition to the national holidays like the Chinese New Year. There is the Hainan International Coconut Festival happening in March to April which attracts tourists all around the world, which is fitting for the Hainan Island is known as the 'Coconut Island'. Moving on, Huanhua Flower Festival is held on the 15th of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar in which people exchange flowers to pray for a happy life in the coming year, as well as visiting the flower markets, eat snacks and dance. Last but not least is the Junpo Festival held between the second and nineteenth day of the second lunar month to remember Madam Xi'an, an important political figure who helped the Hainan people to live a happy life.

What are the Top 3 Things to Do in Haikou?

1. Haikou Century Bridge – The Haikou Century Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge overlooking the Nandu River, linking part of Haikou city to Haidian Island. The construction was done by China Wanbao Engineering Corp which started in 1998 and opened to the public in 2003, is the largest bridge in Hainan spanning 2,683 meters with a cost of 660 million RMB.

2. Temple of the Five Lords – Also known as the “Temple of the Five Officials”, it is a memorial shrine dedicated to the exiled officials from the Tang and Song dynasties after their loss in power struggle with the imperial court. Covering an area of 2800 square meters, the officials commemorated are Li Deyu, Li Gang, Li Guang, Zhao Ding and Hu Quan.

3. Haikou Volcanic Cluster Global Geopark – Covering an area of 118 square kilometers, Haikou Volcanic Cluster Global Geopark or also known as Haikou Scenic-Shishan Volcano Cluster, Leiqiong Global Geopark, Haikou Crater Park, and Hainan Crater Park consists of Shishan Town and Yongxing Town as well as 40 Quaternary volcanoes with a nearby scenic area comprising of Mount Fengliung and Mount Baoziling that look like saddle together.