Where is Cat Ba?

What to do in Cat Ba? 12 experiences not to be missed

Visit Lan Ha Bay

It is one of the most beautiful bays on the planet, formerly belonging to Ha Long Bay but later Lan Ha Bay was separated. Probably for that reason, people rarely mention Lan Ha Bay than Ha Long Bay.
 
However, this causes Lan Ha Bay to preserve its wild and deserted beauty. Visiting Lan Ha Bay is an experience you cannot miss when traveling to Cat Ba.

Kayaking, scuba diving

An experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is impossible to forget the feeling of climbing a kayak out to sea, where the waves are crashing, then back to the pristine islands in Lan Ha Bay to swim. Refer to the Cat Ba kayaking schedule
  Swim and explore Monkey Island

Monkey Island is located not far from Cat Ba Island, one of the small islands most visited by tourists in Cat Ba. Monkey Island has two sides, one side is a resort for foreign guests to stay, the other side is a beach for everyone. Besides swimming, you can climb to the top of Monkey Island and see a corner of Lan Ha Bay. To get to Monkey Island, you can buy a kayak, rent a boat or boat.
  Watch the sunset at the cannon fortress

Sunset at sea is always extremely romantic. Especially on Cat Ba Island, where there are undulating rocky mountains on the sea. The most suitable place for you to watch the sunset with your other half (or family) is the cannon fortress. Standing on the fort, you can see the whole town from above. In addition to watching the sunset, you can come earlier to visit the relics left from the war.
 
Explore Cat Ba national forest

Cat Ba National Forest is the home of the rare langur species, recorded in the red book. Along with rich vegetation, this is an opportunity for you to get close to nature. In particular, in Cat Ba National Park there is Ngu Lam peak, standing there you can observe the endless mountain scenery, one of the most beautiful viewing angles on Cat Ba island.
 
Eat seafood

In addition to dried squid and grouper, Cat Ba is also famous for many other seafood dishes such as phi phi, shrimp, octopus, crab, clams, oysters... You should definitely try one of these seafood dishes. However, tourism in Cat Ba is only most crowded in the summer, so prices this season are also higher than usual.
 
Tips:

– You should ask the price before buying

– You can buy seafood and find a deserted beach to organize a BBQ with friends (suitable for young groups)

Camping on a deserted beach

One of the suitable experiences for groups of young people when traveling to Cat Ba is renting a boat (or kayak), then climbing out to the deserted beaches outside Lan Ha Bay to camp overnight. The feeling of being a Robinson on a deserted island will definitely be an unforgettable memory for any young person when going to Cat Ba.
 
Climbing

Maybe you don't know, Cat Ba is a very famous adventure tourism destination in Northern Vietnam. One of the subjects most loved by people who love adventure travel is mountain climbing. Favorite climbing locations include: Dau Be island after 2 hours by boat from Cat Ba tourist port, cliffs at Ben Beo (2 km from Cat Ba center), Ba Trai Dao island (22 km from the tourist port). km south as the crow flies)... Also, if you don't like adventure, you can also climb mountains right at Monkey island resort.
 
Walk around Cat Ba town at night

While daytime activities are exciting and abundant, nighttime activities in Cat Ba are very limited. In addition to the small bar and pub services in the town center for those who like excitement, walking along the beach at night is also an interesting experience that you should try. The fresh air from the sea breeze will definitely make you enjoy. You can rent a double bike or 3 or 4 person bike to go for a walk with your family. In addition, the staircase area connecting Cat Co 1,2,3 together is one of the very romantic places in the evening.
 
Squid fishing

Night squid fishing in Cat Ba is an interesting form of entertainment, but quite expensive. A short fishing trip costs about 500K. You can ask the hotel owner to contact you for help, or directly ask the rafters and boatmen at the town center wharf.
 
Visit the ancient village

The last experience, perhaps you have visited it while kayaking or boating around Lan Ha Bay - is visiting an ancient village. In Cat Ba, there is Cai Beo fishing village, the largest ancient floating village in Vietnam. I can't forget the peaceful scene when kayaking through the floating village, the raft houses, and the bright smiles of the women in the village. They were very loving and even invited me to go on the raft to play.

Cai Beo fishing village is located right near Cai Beo port, not difficult to get to. However, in Cat Ba there is also Viet Hai ancient village, also very famous for its types of eco-tourism. There are three ways to get to Viet Hai: kayaking (~2 hours), taking a boat (~300k/trip) and trekking across Cat Ba national forest.