Xincun floating fishing village is located in Língshuǐ Li Autonomous County, Xincun Port, to the southeast of Xincun Town. The port is 4 kilometres long from north to south, 6 kilometres wide from east to west and covers an area of 24 square kilometres.
Already a popular spot with tourists for boating tours of the village, it is now possible to book hotel stays there, and we can highly recommend it.
The rooms are in the shape of fishing boats built on a floating pontoon and are large enough to easily accommodate a family of three or possibly four.
The rooms are brand new (as of Dec 2021), and while they’re not luxury, (possibly 2-3 star) they are clean and comfortable.
We arrived late in the evening and ate in the floating restaurant next to the hotel, and although the food was decent, we found it to be very expensive for what we got, (one fish dish cost 200 RMB). A much better option is to get a boat to land and eat at one of the restaurants in the fish market, (more on that later).
Who is the Lingshui floating fishing village hotel for?
Spending a night or two in the heart of a floating fishing village is a unique experience that almost anyone would enjoy, whether you’re a solo traveller, couple, or family and surprisingly, there’s quite a lot to do.
Early morning when the tide goes out, staff at the hotel bring guests out onto the shore to dig for shellfish (and they are amazingly patient with children).
They also arrange boat trips further out into the bay to look for starfish and sea urchins, (if you do catch starfish etc, please be environmentally minded and catch and release).
Next to the floating village is Nanwan Monkey Island the only island-type macaque nature reserve in the world.
Back on land, a trip to the fish market is well worth a visit. If you’re a seafood lover, we recommend buying your fish etc. in the seafood market and bringing to a local restaurant for them to cook it.
A meal for three people consisting of lobster, shrimp, oysters, squid and a vegetable cost 350 RMB, 250 for the ingredients in the fish market and 100 for the restaurant to cook, (they charge roughly 10 RMB per jin / 0.5 kg depending on the items).
Pros:
A couple of days in the fishing village is a very unique and highly enjoyable experience. Gliding through the watery alley ways in boats expertly piloted by local fishermen, where the pace of the world seems to slow right down, should be on everyone’s bucket list.
Local people are some of the friendliest I have met in Hainan, they’re patient, helpful and pleasant and are willing and happy to pose for photographs, (don’t forget to bring your camera).
If seafood is your thing, the food is top class.
Cons:
The quality of workmanship in the rooms may not stand the test of time. Our bathroom floor had a half inch puddle of water from a consistent leak, and the all-round finishing is a bit rough. After a few hundred travellers have passed through, things will probably start to get a bit frayed around the edges.
The internet is quite slow, even uploading photos took forever. It’s best to top up your mobile phone and expect to have to rely on that.
Cost:
Two nights with breakfast for two adults and one child cost 480 RMB, prices do vary a lot throughout the year depending on the season.
Overall: 8/10
Where to book: (open on your phone)
Related article: 3 other reasons you may want to visit Lingshui
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