A peek into the Mangrove Tree dive pool
 
Who goes to China for an active holiday? Certainly not many Australians—yet. With air pollution and traffic congestion in China’s big cities among the preferred topics for Western media, it is not surprising that the pleasures of athletic pursuit on Hainan Island are buried under the smog of media coverage.
 
Cyclists participating in the Tour Hainan
 
Unlike the Chinese mainland, Hainan Island enjoys an environment clean, pristine, and well suited to outdoor activities. Hainan offers a surprisingly vast array of leisure pursuits to please hardened adventurer and casual exerciser alike. The island is currently seeing the 2010 edition of the Tour Of Hainan cycling championship being ridden around its perimeter and set to finish with a flourish in Sanya on 19 October. Some of the world’s best cyclists are here for the event.
 
Get wet climbing the waterfalls at Bing Lang Gu
 
Mountain hikes are very popular, which is not surprising given the beauty of the rainforests and range of difficulty to satisfy all levels of expertise. For an extra challenge, climbing waterfalls is possible at Bing Lang Gu (The Areca Valley Tourist Resort of Hainan Ganza Ridge).
 
Glide across the rainforest at Bing Lang Gu
 
One of the island’s best-kept secrets is its scuba diving. Coral reefs in China? Yes, they are here in their colourful glory, along with tropical fish and a variety of other sea life—except sharks, which makes novice divers less worried about their undersea encounters. A favourite dive spot is Wuzhizhou Island, just off the coast of Hainan, where there is an established dive centre and an abundance of underwater sights to be seen. Wuzhizhou is also a fine place for hiking.
 
Golf is one of Hainan Island’s biggest draws
 
Those same novices would do well to stay at the very fine Mangrove Tree Resort. It has its own six-metre-deep diving pool for scuba instruction before newly certified divers head out into the big blue sea. Diving is only one of the many activities offered at this resort on Yalong Bay, Sanya’s most exclusive beach area where only a few privileged hotels are located right on the sand; Mangrove Tree is one of them. Other activities include jetskiing, beach volleyball, pool volleyball, and of course just an old-fashioned workout in the fitness centre. With its fresh sea breezes and absence of heavy traffic, Yalong Bay makes a great for a jog or a stroll. From Mangrove Tree, it is only a short distance to Yalong Bay Golf Club, a Robert Trent Jones-designed course set between mountains and sea. 
 
Wuzhizhou, just off Hainan, is a major dive centre
 
After a hard day of physical activity, reward awaits at Tian Ying massage centre, Sanya’s most famous. Open every night until 2am to accommodate late-socialising locals, Tian Ying is staffed by an army of massage therapists who administer treatments with utmost conviction. As with a visit to Hainan itself, you’ll feel better for it.
 

SOURCE: e Travel Blackboard
 
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