What do you do if it’s a rainy winter day in Haikou, on Hainan Island in China? I wouldn’t go to the Dongjiao Hainan Coconut Plantation or the Haikou Mangroves but it was my last day on Hainan Island and the only unexplored part left. It took a bit convincing to get my family to join me on this tour but finally an hour late we were in our private car for our day trip from Haikou. Join me on this adventure, but do it yourself when there is sunshine!
Hainan Coconut Plantation at Dongjiao
The Hainan Coconut Plantation is located around the town of Dongjiao, Wenchang City. It’s a great day trip from Haikou to see these plantations and relax at the beaches while sipping on a coconut. I knew we could hire quads at the beach which was the only reason the kids joined on this rainy day. After a 90 minute drive we arrived at one of the coconut farms. The Hainan Coconut Plantation area covers a large stretch of land with more than half a million palm trees. There are many different farms scattered in the forest of palm trees. We stopped at a local form where we could taste some coconuts. Try the yellow ones! You can see the various steps of growing coconut at the farms. After we looked around the farm to see the daily life we bought some small souvenirs made from coconut. From the farm we continued to the beach area at the Hainan Prima Resort.
It wasn’t really cold but it was a bit drizzling now and then at the beach. Sunny activities were out of the question. We hired two quads for a 30-40 minute ride. The kids loved driving on the quads around the beach. After an hour we decided to continue onwards to the mangrove forest near Haikou. I suggest if it’s sunny to make a full day tour to the Hainan Coconut Plantations. The relative cold drizzling weather made us return early, but a full day is quickly filled with activities.
Mangroves at the Dongzhai Harbor
The Dongzhai Harbor Mangrove Natural Reserve Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Tentative Site. I had to visit it just in case it will make it to the official list and having to go back then. It started to rain more when we returned from the Hainan Coconut Plantation. When we arrived to the Dongzhai Harbor Mangrove Natural Reserve Area there was nobody else. No waiting lines to go on the boats, no other people on the board walk; we were alone. We bought tickets for a boat ride up and down the river which was nice, even with the rain. The board walk we skipped as it started to rain more. The mangroves are a short ride (20-30 kilometers) from Haikou and make a nice half day trip. We combined it with the coconut farms which didn’t take the full day due to the weather.
The Dongzhai Harbor Mangrove Natural Reserve Area stretches over 3000 hectares, including six rivers. This tropical jungle is home to over 150 species of birds. We saw just two or three species; probably it was the weather. The mangrove trees are trees that grow in the water. At high tide the trees are submerged and you only see the green tops. At low tide you can see the roots of the mangroves. It’s a unique place on Hainan and deserves a visit for any nature lover. If the weather would be better one can also enjoy walking through the mangroves over a plank walk.
I’m happy I did this day trip from Haikou to the Hainan Coconut Plantation and the Mangroves. Even on a rainy and relative cold day it was worth it. The coconut tree forest and the mangrove forest are two totally different yet unique natural places. The kids loved the quads and the boat ride so even they were happy to have joined. It was our last day on the Hainan Island, the next day we would fly to Guangzhou and continue onwards to Foshan. The last part of our China trip during the Christmas holiday of 2015. I will share more stories over time.
Stay tuned for more stories and subscribe to the newsletter or follow CTB on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram including Instagram stories; on all social media you can find CTB @christravelblog) to get updated information.
Did you visit Hainan Coconut Plantation & Beach too or do you have questions? Please leave a comment at the bottom of the page. Love to hear from you!
Gallery Hainan Coconut Plantation & Mangrove
Click an image for a full screen gallery of more photos taken during this trip. If you like to use any photo for commercial, private or editorial use please contact first for permission and/or pricing.
