Cat Ba Island is located just off the coast of Hai Phong City in northern Vietnam, and is the largest island in the Cat Ba Archipelago. 2-3 days is best for visiting Cat Ba, and a great alternative to the busy and tourist packed city of Ha Long. From Cat Ba Island you can explore the famous Ha Long Bay, as well as the beautiful lesser known Lan Ha Bay. The island is surrounded by jungle and incredible limestone karst formations. Here is the ultimate guide to Cat Ba Island!
DAY 1
First things first, rent a scooter/motorbike! This is the easiest and best way to get around the island. The streets of Cat Ba are not nearly as terrifying or dangerous as those in the cities on the mainland. Scooter rentals are fairly cheap at about $4 USD (VND 90,000) a day. You can either rent them through your hotel or on the street. Make sure you have a driver’s license and travel insurance, and always wear a helmet!
Beaches
Time to explore the island! It’s pretty impossible to get lost here, there aren’t that many main roads. Scoot along the harbour to see all the colourful Vietnamese boats. Check out the sandy beaches near town of Cat Co 1, 2 and 3 where you can also walk along the coastline connecting the beaches. The beaches are surrounded by mountains and limestone cliffs. These beaches are the perfect spot for a swim, or a game of beach volleyball.
Cannon Fort
Head up the winding road into the hills and say hello to the couple of pigs outside Cannot Fort (15 min from town). This old war and historical monument has a small bar and beautiful viewpoint up here of the surrounding islands. It was built as a fort to defend Hai Phong during the Vietnam War. There are military caves and ditches built in the 40s as well as canons and other artifacts on display. It’s also a great place to watch the sunset on a clear night. It costs about 40,000 dong per person ($1.75 USD).
DAY 2
National Park
Head to Cat Ba National Park for a few hours of hiking adventures. It is now a designated UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The park is home to one of the most endangered mammals in the world – the Cat Ba Langur. Park across the street from the giant arch and sign. The park entry fee is 40,000 dong per person ($1.75 USD) and is open 8-5pm. The trail starts along the concrete road which will lead you up to a restaurant (Perfect stop on the way back for a cold drink or some ice cream!).
Hike to the summit of Ngu Lam Peak for some incredible views of the mountain tops. The hike to the summit takes about 45min, and is 3.6 km return. The trail is a steady and gradual uphill (getting fairly steep in some places) through the humid jungle. Make sure to wear proper footwear and bring water. It is well marked and maintained. The first look out point is a two story lookout tower in the hills.
Don’t stop there though! The next view point at the summit provides higher 360 degree views of the mountains. The last 5 min is the steepest along rock but is still safe. This trail is the most accessible and shortest in the park, but there are longer ones to choose from, and some do require a guide.
Caves and mangroves
End the day with exploring some caves. There are a few caves to choose from on the island including Trung Trang Cave, Hospital Cave, Hoa Cuong (Diamond) Cave and Thien Long Cave. The entrance fees are inexpensive (under $2 USD) and they are easily accessible, it’s worth checking out at least one during your stay.
Continue to explore the island view motorbike! Drive through the valleys, along the coast, and past mangrove forests. There are no shortage of sights to see on Cat Ba.
DAY 3
Rent a boat and visit the famous Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay. I mentioned this as Day 3, but just do it on whatever day the weather is best while you’re there because a sunny day will make it so much more beautiful and enjoyable! All the tour companies are relatively the same and will take you to the same places. The only thing I recommend is to stay away from the giant boats that visit the bay as it will be a lot more crowded. We opted for a private tour on a smaller boat, booked on the main street in Cat Ba.
The first stop of the day is Monkey Island, so called named because yep you guessed it – there are monkeys everywhere. You can do a quick climb to the top of the island for some great views. Fair warning, it’s a very steep climb that a lot of people were doing in flip flops and I’m not 100% sure how they didn’t all injure themselves. The monkeys here are pretty used to people, keep your food close and secure or they’ll viciously go after you and your backpack.
Before Ha Long Bay you will pass through the just as beautiful Lan Ha Bay. The emerald green waters are breathtaking, and you will pass a few floating villages. Lan Ha Bay is not as busy and filled with as many tourists as the famous Ha Long Bay.
Make sure your tour includes a kayak in Ha Long Bay! This was definitely a highlight of the day, the colour of the water was amazing and you get to kayak through some short caves leading you into small coves.
Ha Long Bay translates to “bay of the descending dragon,” if this doesn’t make you want to visit then I don’t know what will. It’s also one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World! This was a highlight of our time in Vietnam and definitely not to be missed. Enjoy the ride back to Cat Ba and the views of the sunset.
How to get to Cat Ba from Hanoi:
We booked the Cat Ba Express bus that picked us up from our hotel in the Old Quarter of Hanoi that took about 3 hours (with a bathroom stop) to the city of Hai Phong. The bus took us through this sketchy looking industrial section of town and we were then dropped off at a very small dock in the middle of no where. From here we all threw our giant backpacks on the middle of the deck and were ushered inside the boat, praying our bags would still be there when we exited and not thrown off the boat lol. The speedboat took about 30min to get to the island, and is not the most scenic of trips.
When we got to the island we piled onto giant buses that took about 45min-1 hour to Cat Ba town. The scenery along this drive is incredible as you’re introduced to the island’s jungle and limestone mountains. The total cost of the trip was 360,000 VND ($15.50 USD).
Where to stay on Cat Ba:
There are PLENTY of options to stay on Cat Ba including hostels, hotels, guest houses and resorts with varying prices. You can use booking.com to search them, just make sure to read reviews!!
We stayed at Woodstock which had it’s pros and cons, and definitely not for everyone. While this hostel has it’s own private beach, note that it’s not a swimmable one. It is however covered in thousands of beautiful shells. The hostel is about a 15min motorbike ride from town. While it’s nice not to be in the middle of town, you do have to scooter home on a sketchy, dark and empty road. We DEFINITELY recommend riding home while it’s still light out.
This hostel is good for those on a budget, but next time I would stay elsewhere. Mainly because of the loud techno music playing at all times of day, as well as the disorganized staff (it’s run by fellow backpackers). We pre-booked 3 rooms and only one was available when we arrived. Go through your bill at the end of your stay as well, as we found things on there we had never bought. The food was alright, but way too overpriced – better to eat your meals in town. The Vietnamese staff were always polite and friendly.
Where to eat on Cat Ba:
The main street along town and across from the water front is filled with restaurants accommodating both Vietnamese cuisine and Western food on their menus. While the food is good, be warned though, the prices here are much higher than at a classic Vietnamese Restaurant along a side street frequented by many locals. You can also take a short boat ride from the harbour to one of the floating restaurants in the bay.
When to visit Cat Ba:
We went in January during winter, and the temperature was not as cold as expected! We had a couple overcast days and a couple days of sunshine and shorts weather. Due to this being off season there are less tourists around and hotels/tours are usually cheaper.
Spring has sunnier weather but occasionally wet and humid with spring rain. It’s a great time to visit as it’s shoulder season before it’s chaos and completely packed with tourists during the summer months. Prices are more expensive during the hot summer season, and accommodations are booked out. Avoid Cat Ba in the Fall as it’s frequented by tropical storms during the rainy season!
The island of Cat Ba is growing in popularity and was undergoing new infrastructure when we were there, let me know if anything has changed since I visited in 2017! What was your favourite part about Cat Ba? Hope you enjoyed this ultimate guide to Cat Ba Island. If you’re heading south through Vietnam, make sure to read my post about 2 days in Phong Nha, the perfect stop for thrill seekers.
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