Cat Ba Travel Guide

The Cat Ba archipelago comprises 367 islands located south of Ha Long Bay. Among them, Cat Ba Island is a popular tourist destination. It boasts the characteristic scenery of Ha Long Bay with its limestone mountain ranges and calm, azure sea.

What is the best time of year to visit Cat Ba?

Summer is the ideal time to visit Cat Ba Island. From April to October, the weather is cool and pleasant, perfect for relaxation and swimming. The peak season is from May to July. If planning a trip in July or August, visitors should check the weather forecast three to five days in advance to ensure there are no storms. From November to March, the island is relatively quiet. However, this time is ideal for exploring nature and relaxing.

Move

From Hanoi , tourists can travel by private car to Hai Phong, crossing the Tan Vu sea bridge to Got Ferry Terminal. The ferry docks at Cai Vieng pier in Cat Hai district, and it's about another 20 km drive to the island's center – Cat Ba town. The cost for cars with fewer than 9 seats includes 210,000 VND for tolls and 190,000 VND for the ferry. The ferry fee for motorbikes is 45,000 VND per vehicle.

If traveling by bus, a ticket from Hanoi to Got Ferry Terminal costs approximately 150,000 VND, then a ferry to the island costs 12,000 VND per person. Alternatively, tourists can choose buses that go directly to the island center, costing 250,000 VND per person. The Cat Hai – Phu Long cable car saves time, taking only 10 minutes to get to the island, instead of 20-30 minutes by ferry. After crossing Tan Vu Bridge towards Got Ferry Terminal, tourists can enter the Cat Hai cable car station following the road signs. The round-trip cable car ticket costs 200,000 VND per person, or 150,000 VND for those with Hai Phong residency. There is a parking lot at the station. The cable car operates from 9 am to 4 pm on weekdays and from 9 am to 5 pm on weekends. Motorbike rentals are available on the island, costing approximately 40,000 VND per hour and 200,000 VND per day. Taxis from Cat Ba town center offer tour-based services, costing between 200,000 and 500,000 VND for a round trip.

Where to play

Lan Ha Bay, located in the east, is a member of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World (MBBW) Association. It boasts calm, turquoise waters. At Cai Beo pier, visitors purchase an entrance ticket for 30,000 VND per person, then take a boat or speedboat to Lan Ha Bay. Private boat rentals cost 2.2 million, 3.8 million, and 5.7 million VND for 2.5, 4, and 6 hours respectively, with a capacity of 25 people. Motorboats cost 500,000 - 1 million VND, accommodating 5-10 people. Visitors should consider booking tours to save money, costing around 200,000 - 350,000 VND per person including lunch. Popular itineraries include visiting the bay and ancient fishing villages, swimming and snorkeling at several pristine beaches, and free-range kayaking.

Cai Beo Ancient Fishing Village, also known as Vung O, is considered the oldest fishing village in Vietnam. Here, visitors can witness firsthand the lifestyle of the local people from thousands of years ago. Stepping onto a floating house, rowing a boat through the floating rafts, and buying seafood are experiences not to be missed. This is a popular destination on one-day tours from Cat Ba Island.

Monkey Island, formerly known as Cat Dua Island because of the many wild pineapple plants growing there, is home to over 20 monkeys. When tourists arrive in large numbers, they become bolder, coming down to the beach to play and beg for food. There are two crescent-shaped beaches, Cat Dua 1 and Cat Dua 2, where visitors can avoid the crowds. Both beaches offer food and beverage services, bungalows, and rentals of swimwear, life jackets, and kayaks. A one-day tour of Lan Ha Bay often includes a visit here.

Cat Ba National Park is also a World Biosphere Reserve. Visitors can choose to hike for 4-8 hours, or a shorter route of about 2 hours. Walking, cycling, motorbike or car trips lasting 2-3 hours are also popular choices. Visitors can trek through the lush green Kim Giao forest, climb to the summit of Ngu Lam to admire the panoramic view of the national park, observe wildlife at night, and explore the caves... Entrance fee is 40,000 VND per adult, 20,000 VND per child. Military Hospital Cave: This is a unique destination, located about 8.5 km from the town center, on the way to the national park. The cave houses a field hospital, built between 1963 and 1965. Upon entering, many visitors are surprised to see a system of 17 rooms located on three levels; there are treatment rooms, a rehabilitation training area, a film screening room, etc. It has a bomb-proof door design, created during wartime. The entrance fee to the cave is 80,000 VND per person.

Trung Trang Cave, located in the same direction as Quan Y Cave, is a must-visit for tourists. Approximately 300 meters long, it runs through the heart of the mountain and can accommodate hundreds of people. The cave boasts a large, diverse, and sparkling system of stalactites and stalagmites, estimated to be around 6 million years old, and continues to be formed by dripping water. It also contains archaeological remains of ancient Vietnamese people. The entrance fee is 80,000 VND per person.

Cannon Fortress: For sightseeing and relaxation, visitors can visit the Cannon Fortress historical site, also known as Hill 177. Two large cannons and a system of trenches on the mountaintop, built in the 1940s, remain relatively intact. What attracts many visitors is its elevated position, offering panoramic views of the bay. This is an ideal spot for watching the sunrise and sunset over the island. Entrance fee is 80,000 VND per person. An additional 50,000 VND per person is charged for an electric buggy ride. There is also a 5,000 VND fee for binoculars.

Beautiful beaches on Cat Ba Island: If you don't have time to explore the islands in the bay, you should visit the central beaches. Among them, the Cat Co beach cluster and Tung Thu beach are popular destinations. These beaches are spacious, calm, have clear blue water, and are easy to navigate.

Hotels, resorts

Photo: Scarlet Pearl cruise ship

Cat Ba offers a wide range of hotels and guesthouses, from budget-friendly to luxury options. Hotels with sea views, located along 1/4 Street and Tung Dinh Street, have average prices from 500,000 to 1,000,000 VND per night. Some resorts like Flamingo Cat Ba Beach Resort, Nam Cat Island Resort CatbaBay, and Monkey Island Resort have average prices from 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 VND per night. For a more budget-friendly option, visitors can consider homestays such as Santorini Homestay and Lepont Bungalow, priced around 300,000 VND per night. Spending the night on a cruise ship in Lan Ha Bay is another unique choice, costing approximately 3,000,000 to 6,000,000 VND per person per night.

What to eat

The cuisine in the bay area is mainly seafood. Tourists share tips on specialties such as horseshoe crabs, geoduck clams, grouper, lobster, mantis shrimp, sea snakes, various types of snails, shrimp noodle soup, etc. In addition, seafood can be purchased as souvenirs, with reference prices around 500,000 – 700,000 VND per pair of horseshoe crabs, 200,000 – 250,000 VND per kilogram of geoduck clams, and lobsters from 600,000 VND to 1.8 million VND per kilogram. For a culinary experience, tourists can visit Cat Ba Market, where there are many restaurants offering set meals or buffets. Alternatively, Thuy Anh Hot Pot & Grill restaurant on Cai Beo Street is a popular choice among tourists, with an average price of 200,000 VND per person.

Note

Avoid swimming after 6 PM due to high tides. It's advisable to use the cable car on weekends as the Gót ferry terminal is often overcrowded. Bay tours may omit some points, such as beaches and small islands, due to high tides. Always ask for prices before shopping or eating.

Spirituality

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