Cat Ba
is a beautiful island set of the coast of Vietnam in the heart of Ha Long Bay. Many tourists only get to see a small piece
of this island when they come ashore as part of their Ha Long Bay cruise, but
there is so much more to be had here.
For those independent travelers, Cat Ba is a great place to get away
from the normal tourist grind and spend a day or two, or more, to enjoy the
amazing views, history, and natural reserves Cat Ba Island has to offer.
How to Get There
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| View of the bay from Cannon Fort |
There
are many options for traveling to Cat Ba depending on where you are traveling
from. The most common route for tourists
is to book a direct bus from Hanoi.
There are a few different companies that offer this and you can usually
book straight through your hotel or online at 12Go. Keep
in mind that the bus you start on takes you to the port in Hai Phong, where you
will board a ferry to Cat Ba Island and take a different bus into town. This option will cost around 320,000 VND/14 USD
depending on the company and includes full transfer from the Old Quarter to the
boardwalk in Cat Ba.
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| Traditional fishing boat in northern Cat Ba Island |
The
much cheaper option from Hanoi, which is what we did, is to take public
transportation all the way. Take the
public bus to Gia Lam bus station (7,000 VND/0.35 USD) where you will board a
bus to Hai Phong (85,000 VND/3.72 USD).
From there you can take a moto/taxi to the port and grab a bus to Cat Ba
(100,000 VND/4.38 USD), which includes the bus to the ferry, the ferry, and the
bus into town.
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| The ferry from Cat Ba to Halong |
If you are in Ha Long you will need to take a taxi to the Tuan Chau Port (100,000-200,000 VND/4.38-8.76 USD depending on what part of town you are located). You can also take a motorbike if you don’t have too much luggage for much cheaper. You then take a ferry to Cat Ba (80,000 VND/3.51 USD) where you will get on a bus that will take you south into town (25,000 VND/1.10 USD)
How to Get Around
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| Wooden bridge out to a temple in northern Cat Ba Island |
Cat Ba
is a large island with lots to see and the scenery is amazing. Whether you take the central road through the
National Park to the bay on the other side or cruise down the coastal road and
take in views of the sea, you are sure to love the ride.
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| One of the pathways through Cannon Fort |
To explore the island, you have
two options. You can either rent a
bicycle, including a tandem, or a scooter.
There are quite a few mountains and climbs along the way around the
island so unless you are an avid cyclist, or have a lot of time, I don’t
recommend renting the bike for an island tour.
The scooter, on the other hand,
is a great way to cruise around the island.
Many of the hotels will rent one to you for about 115,000 VND/5 USD, but
you can get a better deal if you barter with one of the people on the streets
renting them out. We got ours for 70,000
VND/3 USD. Either way you will need to
fill the tank with gas. This can be
bought from one of the two Petrolimex stations (recommended: its much cheaper)
or from stands along the road selling it in plastic bottles. When riding a moto in a foreign country it is always safe to have travel insurance.
What to Do
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| View of the ocean and smaller islands from Cat Ba Island |
Cat Ba
is a great island to explore and with lots to see for any type of tourist.
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| One of the many trenches that snake through Cannon Fort |
Hospital Cave
Hospital
Cave is located just 10 km north of town on the main road. There is parking (15,000 VND/0.66 USD) at the
café across the street. The ticket to
enter the cave is 40,000 VND/1.75 USD and is also bought at this café.
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| A hallway through the Hospital Cave |
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| Manikins on hospital beds in the Hospital Cave |
Hospital
Cave is exactly what its name infers.
During the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese Army converted the cave into a
fully functioning 17 room hospital, including a swimming pool and theater
inside. There isn’t much left inside the
cave these days though. Many of the
rooms now have scenes set up with manikins acting out the routines of the
room. The cave is well hidden in the
mountainside, surrounded by deep foliage, that it can hardly be seen from the
outside. You have the option to either
go through the cave with or without a guide.
The pathway through the halls is well marked so it is easy to do it on
your own.
Cat Ba National Park
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| A view of Cat Ba National Park |
Cat Ba
National Park is located right in the center of the island. Known for its green forests, steep limestone cliffs
that jut into the sky, and its mangroves along the bay, this national park is a
great place for adventurous hikers. The national
park is also home of the endangered Cat Ba Langur, but don’t expect to get a
glimpse of one of these guys on your trek, as there are very few of them
left. The entry fee for the park is
15,000 VND/0.66 USD for the short hike and 35,000 VND/1.53 USD for the longer
hike; you can also hire a guide to make the best of your hike for 100,000
VND/4.38 USD per group.
Cannon Fort
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| One of the naval defense guns at Cannon Fort |
Cannon
Fort was easily my favorite place to visit in Cat Ba. The historical reason for this site may not
interest everyone, but the views from the top are guaranteed to. Cannon Fort was originally built in 1942 as a
naval defense and lookout point. At the
top of the hill you can walk along a path to see a series of large cannons,
bunkers, trenches, and buildings, along with some amazing view points of Cat Ba
and the bay below.
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| The sunset viewpoint at Cannon Fort |
Cannon
Fort is located just north of town and is easy to get to. As you begin to go up the hill you will come
to a gate to buy your ticket (40,000 VND/1.75 USD). When we went there were a lot of scooters
parked outside the gate, so we parked ours as well and walked up the hill. It’s not a hard walk, but it is kind of long,
so if you have a scooter I suggest you ride it to the top and just stop to take
pictures as you feel like it. At the top of the hill is also a small cafe where you can sit and watch the sunset from the best viewpoint on Cat Ba Island.
Beaches
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| Cat Co 1 Beach |
There
are three beaches to the southeast of town.
Cat Co 1 is the easiest to get to and is a walkable distance from
town. Cat Co 2 is just north of that on
the other side of the peninsula and Cat Co 3 is to the south. You can also walk along a cliff side path
overlooking the water from Cat Co 1 to Cat Co 3. The beaches, in my opinion, weren’t great and
it was a bit chilly.
Excursions
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| View of the northern bay |
If you
are wanting to get off the island or want to see it from the sea there are a
few excursions you can book in town. One
of the more popular excursions takes you around the island by boat and allows
you to kayak in and around some of the seaside caves. There are also a few companies that allow you
to book a Ha Long Bay cruise out of Cat Ba if you would like.
Where to Stay
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| Cat Ba from my hotel |
Cat Ba
has an array of both budget and expensive accommodations for you to pick
from. Many of the hotels along the
boardwalk advertise that they have rooms that are either ocean or mountain
view. I recommend being weary of the
rooms advertised as mountain view, as most of the hotels sit right along the
mountainside, which means your view will literally be the side of the mountain
(not very picturesque).
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| View of the bay from town |
We stayed in the Lang Chai Hotel, with a view of the bay from our room, and it was very nice. It was $11 for the room, but breakfast was
also included in the fare. It was
located at the end of the boardwalk, so it was quieter, but was only a short
walk away from where most of bars and restaurants were.
ATM’s
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| Statue at a temple in northern Cat Ba Island |
There
are two ATM’s in town; Siagon Bank and Agribank. Both of these ATM’s run out of money
frequently, so I recommend bringing enough money for the duration of your stay
with you. That being said, credit cards
are also accepted in many of the more touristy places like hotels and nicer
restaurants.
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