It's not quite Hawaii, but Hainan Island is still worth a short visit

In a series of weekly features, City Plus looks at destinations for weekend breaks out of Hong Kong and gives you a handy guide on what to expect, what to do and what to pay. This week, it's Hainan Island in China. Why Hainan Island? Because it's cheap, cheerful and only 50 minutes away from Hong Kong by air. What's more, for holidaymakers who enjoy a bit of philosophy along with their sun-bathing, there is probably nowhere in the region that better sums up the idiom 'One man's meat is another man's poison'. China is enthusiastically promoting its southernmost province - a 34,000 sq km island between southern China and Vietnam - as the 'Hawaii of Asia', an undiscovered tourist paradise, with golden beaches, spanking new golf courses and a lush, green hinterland to rival anything that Thailand's Phuket has to offer. If you need any confirmation of its new-found status as a magnet for the rich and beautiful, Hainan Island was the venue for the Miss World contest for three consecutive years before the organisers decided it was time for a change and took the 2006 contest to Warsaw instead. But Hainan hasn't always had such a glowing reputation. It used to be the equivalent of the Siberian salt mines for out-of-favour Chinese leaders, and was famously labelled 'the gates of hell' by exiled Tang dynasty prime minister, Li Deyu. During the entire Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, covering nearly 700 years, Hainan Island is said to have attracted a grand total of 18 tourists. Its reputation wasn't hugely enhanced in the post-war years, when it bristled with military bases because of escalating tensions with Vietnam, and its tourism role was as a destination for mainland sex tourists. In recent times, Hainan Island is most famous for an incident in April 2001, when an alleged American spy plane clipped wings with a Chinese military jet, leading to the death of the Chinese pilot, Wang Wei, and the forced landing and detention of the crew of the United States reconnaissance aircraft. But the emphasis these days is on tourism, and visitors are coming in at the rate of 18 a second rather than 18 every three dynasties. It's easy to see why. Apart from its pleasant climate and clean beaches, Hainan now boasts upmarket resorts such as the Sheraton, Holiday Inn and Hilton in Sanya, with all the facilities you'd expect in the best destinations. Stay within the luxury resorts and you really could believe you are in Hawaii, Phuket, or even paradise, according to your personal definition of the afterlife. Venture outside, however, and you might just find yourself thinking: 'Li Deyu may have had a point'. What's there to see and do? That's just it. Outside the resorts, there really isn't much happening on Hainan, unless you're a keen golfer. Its quiet beaches contrast with the three-lane highways, constant building work, and all the charm of fast-developing modern China. Even tourism officials struggle to suggest itineraries away from the beach, lamely offering the 16th-century tomb of a Ming dynasty official called Hairui as one of the island's main attractions. The only place really worth a trip is Tianya Haijiao - China's southernmost tip marked by a huge rock and known as 'the end of the sky and the corner of the sea'. Other than that, you'll struggle to find an afternoon's worth of non-beach related activity in Hainan - so imagine how 100 or so young women competing in Miss World felt being cooped up there for a month at a time. No wonder Poland seemed an irresistible alternative. Where should I stay? The best resorts are in Sanya in the south of the island and the Sheraton, the Hilton, the Cactus Resort and the Holiday Inn are all well-appointed with access to some of the best beaches. What shouldn't I miss? The plane back home to Hong Kong is the answer that springs most readily to mind. You really wouldn't want to stay longer than a weekend in Hainan Island. However, for those with an interest in the effects of central social planning, the island's capital Haikou is worth a visit while you're there. Haikou is one of the most gender-imbalanced places in China, with a recent estimate showing that around 140 men are born for every 100 women, largely due to sex-selective abortion enabled by ultra- sound scan technology. The result is primary school classrooms with one or two girls sitting amid a sea of boys and gangs of feckless male youths hanging around on street corners in the island's capital, jobless and pretty much guaranteed of never being able to find a partner. They're known as 'bare branches' and they are one of China's biggest potential social problems thanks to its one-child policy. What one piece of advice would you give to a first-timer? Make the most of it. Your first time in Hainan Island is likely to be your last. You'll probably be glad you went, but next time you'll probably opt for the real Phuket or Hawaii. What will a weekend cost me? Three-night packages start from HK$1,590 per person at the Cactus Resort to HK$2,590 at the Sheraton Sanya Resort and HK$2,690 at the Hilton Sanya Resort with www.4thetravel.com. Five-night packages at the same resorts are also available for a little extra, but there is a blackout period from December 19 to January 8. Westminster Travel (www.westminstertravel.com.hk) offers two-night business class packages with Dragonair, ranging from HK$3,090 at the Crowne Plaza Sanya to HK$3,350 upwards at the Hilton Sanya Resort. Economy class packages include two nights at the Holiday Inn resort in Sanya for HK$1,650 upwards per person.