Through Cedric's viewfinder

GPS .gpx file for visualisation on GoogleEarth, download here.

Wonderful Island, easily reachable from Shanghai. Nice beach, good swimming thanks to clear water, fresh seafood
ENJOY ! and GO !

Departure Friday evening and come back on sunday around 6:00PM

Total costs : bus(400)+boat(200)+island ticket(100)+island bus(40)+hotel…. > 1000 . rmb

Here is an example from AoJiang harbour which is the one with most frequent departures for the island.
Also available from RuiAn 瑞安, nearer to Wenzhou… but I haven’t been there

Bring your passport (even for camping) as you need to register. Don’t worry, the police will come to you

They’re friendly

NOTE : nobody speaks english on the island.. or very few… didn’t met them though)

1) BOOK YOUR BOAT TICKET!!
boats are VERY quickly filled up on week-ends.
So few days before you go, call and book your boat tickets at the harbour (码头) in Aojiang city (鳌江 or 敖江):
tel: 0577-63653991 or 0577-63651993
fax: 0577-63658133
Boat schedule (was there on 2008-07-04)
07h20 – 07h30 – 07h40 – 09h30 – 10h40 – 10h50 – 11h00 – 13h30 – 14h00 – 14h10 – 14h20

You can book a 7hxx one, it will be ok with your bus schedule

2) REACH AOJIANG CITY (鳌江 or 敖江)

a) there is a direct sleeper-bus : Shanghai-AoJiang, takes 8hrs, 200rmb
Departure 19:00 from Shanghai Bus Station, arrival around 04:00 AM
tel : 138 1700 3322

I didn’t take it to go there (I did’t know there was one…) but I took it to come back. (see later in post)

b) take sleeper-bus Shanghai-Wenzhou (6hrs, 200rmb)
many departures Friday night, from Shanghai Station and Shanghai South Station.
Departure at 22:00 will let ou arrive at 04:00AM

Then, as the bus station won’t be open, share a cab to the harbour of AoJiang (we got one for 200 rmb… but our driver said it was the first and last time he charged so little..)
one hour later you’ll arrive at the harbour.

It should be around 06h00AM something, or a bit later.. anyway

IN AOJIANG, GO TO THE LONG DISTANCE BUS STATION (长途汽车站) TO BUY YOUR RETURN TICKET TO SHANGHAI
09h30 – 11h00 – 17h30 (8hrs, 200rmb) or CALL 0577-63199688, or 139 5890 0111 (long distance bus station phone number)

then WALK to the harbour that goes to NanJi Dao 南麂岛 (15mins walk or hire a pedicab)
The harbour’s full name is : 鳌江港客运站. (ao jiang gang ke yun zhan)

3) GET YOUR PRE-BOOKED TICKETS directly at the harbour 码头.
(200 rmb for return fare, plus an extra 100rmb for the island entrance ticket)
then, have a breakfast!

4) STEP on the boat

5) 2hrs later, arrival
step on the island bus (40rmb) which can drop you at the two Hot Spots of the island :
the beach (sha tan 沙滩) and the natural lawn (san pan wei 三盘尾)
the bus ticket is valid for one return trip to san pan wei.

basically, have the bus drop you at the beach first, check for a hotel, a swim, lunch, ….
then call the bus driver (he will give you it’s number) or ask for an available one near the beach.
you can choose to go to Natural Lawn spot in the afternoon or the morning after (like everybody), around 05:00AM for sunrise.

Anytime if you wanna go somewhere, you can also take the cabs on the island.
return trip Beach<->Natural Lawn by taxi : 120rmb

6) During the day, after 16:00, call 0577-6365 3991 to book your boat return ticket by phone. no need to go in person.

7) Sleep : camp (near the beach or near natural lawn), hotel, whatever

don’t forget to wake-up early enough to catch : sunrise and your boat

pictures below taken on 2008-07-05 and 07-06, click for gallery