Two Hidden Island Gems in Guangdong Province: More Beautiful Than the Maldives, Yet Unknown to Many Tourists
Currently, many tourists think of island tours first when they think of Hainan. However, there are also many charming islands in provinces such as Zhejiang, Fujian, Liaoning, and Guangdong. In Guangdong, Nanshao Island, Shapuchuan Island, and Hailong Island have relatively high fame, while Dongao Island and GuiLing Island were not known to outsiders for a long time. To this day, many foreign tourists still have little impression of these two islands.
Dongao Island is located in the Pearl River Estuary and is a charming island in the Zhuhai WanShan Archipelago. It takes about 50 minutes to sail from Zhuhai Port. The island is not connected to Zhuhai city by bridges, and access is only by boat. Because of the transportation restrictions, the locals used to live almost isolated lives, and this is also why the island retains beautiful natural landscapes, with scenery that rivals the Maldives.
The island is low on all sides and high in the middle. You can climb to a higher place to overlook the magnificent scenery of the Pearl River Estuary, especially the beautiful sunsets.
There are few passenger ships and flights to go to and from the island, with a limited carrying capacity. Even though Oriental Satellite TV filmed 'Extreme Challenge' on the island, the main tourist attractions did not appear with crowds during the peak season. There are even fewer tourists who go up the mountain to view the scenery.
The main entertainment projects on the island include motorboat surfing, yacht circumnavigation, banana boat rides, and rowing boats.
Dongao Island's forest coverage rate reaches 80%, and the air quality is good, making it suitable for weekend vacations and excursions to experience the fishing village atmosphere.
The island's residents used to make a living by fishing, and after developing tourism, some of them started running B&Bs and restaurants. The seafood market by the island's passenger ferry terminal does business well, and tourists often come here to pick and choose affordable and high-quality seafood to take home and cook.
Compared to Dongao Island, GuiLing Island in Shantou is even more remote. It is very far from any city in the Pearl River Delta, and there are no large passenger ships serving it, so tourist groups will not come to this island. Only some outdoor enthusiasts and adventure clubs will come to play specifically.
To reach the island, the only means of transportation from the coast is a speedboat.
There is a Ming Dynasty-style Mazu Temple on the island. If you know Cantonese, you can communicate with the staff in the temple.
GuiLing Island got its name because its shape resembles a giant turtle. The area of this island is small, and you can walk around it in an hour. The highest altitude on the island is only 53.6 meters, and a hollowed-out area blocks the sea breeze, providing a place for tourists to camp. In good weather, small groups of tourists from the Pearl River Delta and surrounding cities come together to camp.
The terrain of the island is quite diverse, with wild grasses and rocks combined with the blue sea and blue sky, creating a beautiful and atmospheric painting.
Because of transportation and climate conditions, there are slightly more tourists visiting in spring and autumn, and fewer in summer and winter.
The beauty of GuiLing Island lies in nature, in its unspoiled and unadorned state. If the weather is sunny, you can enjoy stargazing, sunrise, or sunset, and you will have a good harvest.
