Banks and exchange The main Bank of China, Jiefang Lu, Sanya (Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 2.30-6pm), is excruciatingly understaffed and slow. There's also a Dadonghai branch, but it has been known to refuse to cash travellers' cheques. Buses Minibuses from Jiefang Lu reach as far as Tongshi, Yazhou and Lingshui, while long-distance buses head east to Haikou and coastal destinations, west to Yazhou and Dongfang, and north to Tongshi. If you can't find them at the bus station, luxury buses to Haikou are best organized through agents or your accommodation.

Post office Sanya's GPO is on Xinjiang Lu, Sanya (daily 7.30am-7.30pm).

Scuba diving Low visibility and maximum depths between 10m and 30m don't make Hainan the most exciting location, but it can be good fun and there's always the novelty of having dived in China. The three areas are at Yalong Bay, east of Sanya (best for its moderate coral growth, variety of fish and lobster); Tianya Haijiao, over to the west (good for molluscs, but extremely shallow); and the coral islands, also west (the deepest sites). Staff are NAUI/PADI qualified, and you'll be expected to flash a C-card, but don't expect anything like dive tables, gauges, or alternate air sources to be used. Two shore dives cost A?380, two boat dives A?550.

Shopping Sanya is an good place to pick up pearls, white, pink, yellow or black. The best buys are from local hawkers on Dadonghai beach, who sell strings of "rejects" for A?50 or less with hard bargaining. Most of these pearls are perfectly genuine, just not of good enough colour, shape or size for commercial jewellery. If in doubt, scratch the surface - flaking indicates a thinly coated plastic bead.

Travel agents Upmarket hotels have their own travel desks, or try Sanya Dragon Travel, west past the Hawaii Hotel on Luling Lu, Dadonghai (8.30am-5pm; tel 8213526, fax 8213799). They speak some English, and can arrange car rental if you've got a licence (A?350 per day, plus credit card deposit); scuba diving; mountain bike rental (A?40 a day); coral island or fishing trips; airport transfers and bookings; and day tours to Tongshi.