🚩 Local Scams · Sanya
Last verified 30 Jul 2025
1 Scam Spotlight Table
"Wet-Weigh" Seafood
First Market (三亚第一市场) · Dadonghai night stalls
How it works: Stall dunks fish in seawater, adds heavy shells & hidden ice, then cooks tiny portion; bill rockets.
🛡️ Avoid: Ask for net weight after draining; photo the scale, price board & cooking fee before okaying.
Fake Scale Switch
Sanya Seafood Plaza · roadside coconut stands
How it works: Vendor swaps legal scale for overloaded one mid-weigh; 20 % extra weight.
🛡️ Avoid: Check red ‹计量器具› sticker & zero-balance; demand re-weigh if digits jump.
"Black" Airport Taxi
Phoenix Intl. Airport
How it works: Unlicensed car quotes "¥120 flat" then demands ¥300 + "toll"; no meter.
🛡️ Avoid: Follow official taxi queue; plates start "琼A"; DiDi/ CaoCao pick-up at P7.
Water-Sport "Fuel & Insurance" Add-On
Dadonghai & Yalong Bay
How it works: Jet-ski tout quotes ¥200, mid-ocean adds ¥150 fuel + ¥80 insurance to bring you ashore.
🛡️ Avoid: Book only at kiosk with printed price list; pay in full up-front, get receipt.
Pearl-Shop "National Grade-A"
Tiannan Import-Mall
How it works: Tour bus drops at duty-free-looking store; sales push "South-Sea pearls" (dyed shell) for ¥3 000+.
🛡️ Avoid: Skip unscheduled stops; real duty-free stores are CDFG-branded & require passport scan.
Beach Photo & Parrot Prop
Dadonghai promenade
How it works: Hawker puts macaw on your arm, snaps pics, demands ¥200 "training fee" for bird.
🛡️ Avoid: Say méiyǒu yìsi (不需要, no thanks); birds on shoulders = automatic charge.
Coconut "Fresh-Cut" Up-sell
Houhai surfer village
How it works: Vendor chops top, slips sugar water, claims "sweetener fee" ¥20 more.
🛡️ Avoid: Buy sealed coconuts at supermarkets; check price list before cutting.
Timeshare Presentation
Resort-area flyers
How it works: Free spa/pass coupon leads to 3-h sales pitch; deposit "refundable" only within 2 h.
🛡️ Avoid: Decline "free tour & lunch" offers; legit resort visits never ask on-site deposits.
2 Why It Matters
Tropical paradise veneer – Sanya's beach resort atmosphere plus constant flow of first-time visitors makes price inflation and bait-and-switch add-ons the most common traps.
Vacation mindset vulnerability – High sun, beach vibes, and relaxed guard create perfect conditions for seafood weight scams and hidden fees to slip through.
Island isolation factor – Limited alternatives and "captive audience" dynamics allow vendors to push inflated prices—knowing the typical ploys keeps your yuan for coconuts, not "insurance fuel."
3 Pro Tips
1
Use official mini-programs – "三亚智慧游" for seafood price caps, licensed water-sport lists and live complaint chat.
2
Taxi meter check – flag drop ¥11; ensure meter on before the car moves, e-receipt at end.
3
One bill, three parts – seafood = raw weight + cooking fee + tableware; write totals on order slip first.
4
Weigh twice – ask to re-weigh drained seafood before cooking; legal under Hainan Consumer Law.
5
Hotlines – Tourist 24h 0898-12345 • Market-scam 12315—store them now; a call on the spot ends most disputes.
✨ Stay Smart, Stay Safe
Spot the scam, sip the coconut, and keep Sanya about coral sands—not costly surprises—No Tourist Traps. No BS.