This is an impromptu trip inspired by my mother’s wonderful memories of Sanya. I’ve been thinking about it for years, and my sister said, “Let’s take Mom on a road trip to Sanya!” — “Okay!”
Originally, airfare was also cheap these days, but my sister said a road trip would be more fun, with the whole family chatting and enjoying the scenery in the car. So we decided in the morning to set off in the afternoon. On December 12, 2021, in Yuzhong District, Chongqing, the weather was cloudy, and the temperature was 11 degrees Celsius. We left at 4 pm! Grandma, my sister, my wife, my sister’s precious dog, and we four had a lot of luggage and camping gear such as mats, chairs, tables, burners, pots, utensils, thermoses, portable tea sets, barbecue pans, etc. Fortunately, the interior space of Ideal One is large enough to accommodate everything easily.
Resting at the service area, Mom and my sister took a photo together.
That night we stayed at Huaishui County in the south of Guiyang. We charged and topped up the gas at Huaishui Service Area on the expressway and prepared for the second day’s journey. Before setting off in the morning, we took a picture of the streets of Huishui City.
Resting at the service area, we had dinner and each had a bowl of Lanzhou ramen and charged our electric car.
On the second night, we arrived in Zhanjiang. Considering my 80-year-old mom couldn’t handle too much exhaustion, we settled in at 9 pm. We were too tired to cook, so we just had a quick meal. The next day we woke up slowly and went out to find a famous snack shop chain, Sha County snacks. The small wontons were still delicious. We arrived in Xuweng at noon, topping up gas and having lunch at the service area. We originally planned to use the barbecue grill we brought with us to barbecue meat, but due to the urgency of the journey, we had to give up. As a result, a large bag of frozen food we brought went bad and we missed the moment of indulging in meat.
These are some photos of us taking a boat at Xuweng Port.
This was my first time crossing the sea by car, from entering Xuwengang to arriving at the New Port, it took 3.5 hours. My friend in Sanya said this is a normal time, and with bad luck it could take six or seven hours. I recommend going from Xuwengang to the New Port because ferry schedules are very frequent, and there is almost no waiting!
On the ferry, I mistakenly went to the second floor due to my lack of experience. It’s better not to go up to the Ideal ONE car if possible.
Flying on the Coconut Palm Avenue in Hainan.
We arrived in downtown Sanya smoothly at 9 pm. It was 25 degrees Celsius at the moment, and we took off our thick winter clothes and put on spring and autumn clothing. Breathing the slightly oceanic air, we felt refreshed, and all the fatigue of the journey was worth it.
After resting for a night, my refreshed mother and sister.
The siblings had very few solo shots together over the years!
Ideal Car gave me a free maintenance check before departure, and the car also delivered mineral water to me.
A round trip of 3600 kilometers a week, my sister drives very well, and my eldest brother worries about my mother’s health, so he flew to Sanya on Friday to accompany her, passing on filial piety! Then take a few more days to rest before flying back to Chongqing. A happy vacation, a perfect journey!
To summarize, this trip covered over 3700 kilometers in a week, all on the highway. The longest driving day was nearly 20 hours. We arrived at Xuwen Highway after crossing the sea around 4:30 am on Saturday, then we took a short rest and recharged before rushing towards Chongqing in the early morning light. We returned home before midnight on the same day. I drove most of the way with my sister helping me to switch positions and drive 400 kilometers in the afternoon and evening. I drove 1000 kilometers alone in a day, and when the road conditions were good, I used the assisted driving function, so I didn’t feel too tired after a day. My sister usually drives an S320, and she praised the power and handling of the Ideal One. She refused to use the assisted driving, saying she was too scared to try it.
Finally, we calculated the cost, and the average cost of fuel and charging per kilometer is 0.51 yuan. Including tolls and ferry fares, the average cost per kilometer is 0.72 yuan. This fuel consumption is quite good under continuous high-speed driving with full load, once again proving that the Ideal One is an excellent car suitable for both commuting and long-distance travel!
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.