Guide:

When it comes to domestic island tours, most Chinese people will first think of going to Sanya. Of course, Sanya is the southernmost tropical coastal tourist city in China, with magnificent coastlines, pleasant sunshine, soft beaches, and is the hottest island tourist destination in China. However, with the increasing maturity of the Sanya tourism market, Sanya tourism consumption has become a number that many people cannot afford. For Sanya hotels, there are different levels, and you can choose according to your actual ability, but for the high air tickets and expensive sightseeing tickets, restaurant consumption are all a large expense, Sanya tourism seems to have become a luxury, more and more people enjoy it is not affordable. Today, I will recommend three ‘niche’ islands in China, although their popularity is not as high as Sanya, but their scenery is no less than Sanya, and the consumption of these three islands is also quite affordable, even less than half the consumption of Sanya.

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I. San'dao Island

For many people, when traveling in Shandong, they will choose to go to Qingdao and Weihai to experience the seaside charm. However, these two cities in Shandong Province are also crowded during the peak season of island tours in summer, and the island experience is also relatively poor. In fact, there is a ‘niche’ island called San’dao in Longkou, Yantai, Shandong. San’dao is surrounded by sea on four sides, facing east with Paolei and Changshan Islands, and connected to Longkou Port to the west and the Bohai Sea to the north. It is the only island village in Yantai, Shandong Province, and is a brilliant pearl inlaid in the Bohai Sea.

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San’dao is a volcanic island formed by volcanic eruption, so the island has unique volcanic landforms different from other islands. San’dao’s island charm is not as tropical as Sanya in four seasons, but San’dao’s ecology is well protected because it is still necessary to travel on the island by boat today, so the whole island still retains intact island ecology and its own island charm. The beach is golden sand, and the seawater bathing area is a natural seawater bathing area with golden sand base. San’dao’s people are simple and honest. It only costs 25 yuan to buy a round-trip boat ticket, and there are no other tickets on the island. Riding a sightseeing car costs no more than 30 yuan. Two people can enjoy a sumptuous seafood feast for 200 yuan. The prices of San’dao’s guesthouses and hotels are comparable to those of quick hotels in cities, which is quite affordable.

II. Xiao Nan Cun

In terms of geographical order, I will introduce three ‘niche’ islands in China. The northern one is San’dao, and now I will recommend the middle position island located in Zhejiang Province, Stone Gate Town, a three-sided coastal town overlooking the East China Sea – Xiao Nan Cun. Compared to the other two islands, Xiao Nan Cun is strictly speaking not a recognized island tourist destination, because it doesn’t have the soft sand and coconut trees that we often think of. However, like San’dao, it is not located in a tropical area, so the island charm is different. Xiao Nan Cun also has its own unique charm, which is not possessed by Sanya and other islands.

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Xiao Nan Cun was not connected to the land in the early days, so it was an island surrounded by sea on four sides, and it was isolated from the world. The people living here have been fishing for generations. Even in a long period in history, they still longed for a beautiful life, and they painted their houses with colorful paint to express their yearning for a beautiful life. In this way, they created a ‘Santorini’ in China unintentionally. Xiao Nan Cun’s popularity was accidental. After a tourist casually recorded and uploaded his travel video to the internet, Xiao Nan Cun quickly spread throughout the network. However, Xiao Nan Cun remained true to its origins, and everything here is at a people’s price. Experiencing Xiao Nan Cun is to experience the attitude of Xiao Nan Cun towards a beautiful life.

III. Nanmao Island

Starting from the north and going to the south, I will recommend the last island, which is also the closest island to Sanya. Located in Shantou City, Guangdong Province, Nanmao Island is the only island line in Guangdong Province, located at the intersection of three provinces – Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan, facing the Pacific Ocean, and known as ‘Southern Guangdong Barrier and Southern Fujian Throat’. Nanmao Island is similar to San’dao, it was also in a state of isolation from the world in the past, but the construction of a cross-sea bridge has connected it to the mainland, allowing people on the island to enter and exit freely, and people outside the island to step into the island to experience its unique island charm.

In the history of being isolated from the world, Nanmao Island’s island ecology was well protected, which is a ‘oasis’ in the South China Sea. It grows more than 1400 species of tropical and subtropical plants. Here, it has ‘Oriental Hawaii’ with beautiful beaches, and also has various historical sites, such as the Southern Song Emperor, navigator Zheng He, national hero Qi Jiguang, and Zheng Chenggong, who all came to Nanmao Island. Sites such as the ‘Song Well’ and ‘Commander’s Mansion’ are historical relics. These historical sites are almost non-existent in Sanya.