Haikou is a city of eccentricities and surprises.  It is fully possible to see naked people strolling through the marketplace and water buffalo ambling down busy roads.  Once on a city bus we turned down a street and the entire block of shopkeepers was on their knees bowing to Buddha and burning incense in bronze urns filled with golden sand.  As we rounded the next corner, the following street looked like any other on a weekday afternoon.

 

If you’re looking for a laidback tropical town, Haikou is a great place to spend a few days wandering through winding alleys, visiting parks and beaches, or enjoying some great restaurants.   Visitors will also find an abundance of fresh, succulent fruit, some of which may be unfamiliar, on nearly every street corner.  The tastiest cuisine is usually found at small, informal street cafes which come to life around dusk.

 

Haikou has justly earned its nickname, “Coconut City.”  The streets are lined with coconut palms and many shops are devoted solely to selling coconut products.  One of Haikou’s greatest treats is fresh coconut milk.  The top of the coconut is chopped off with a machete and is served cold with a straw.

 

While there are a few worthwhile tourist attractions, Haikou is a city that is best appreciated by simply walking around its busy streets.  The downtown section, around Jiefang Lu, has some beautiful old colonial buildings, which unfortunately exist in various stages of decay.  A number of interesting markets can be found tucked away on side streets.  Due to the hot, tropical climate, Haikou really comes alive after dusk.  Naptime is honored here and if you try to shop between 12 and 3 in the afternoon, you may have to wake up the clerk who is likely to be sleeping on a bamboo mat behind the counter.