Top 5 things to explore in Cat Ba Island

March 27, 2020 By Uncategorized Comments Off

Located in Northern Vietnam, Cat Ba Island is the largest island of Halong Bay with an area of 285 km2. The charm of Cat Ba not only lies in the splendid islets of towering limestone in Lan Ha Bay but also in the serenity of a-lot-less-touristy destination. 

Cat Ba Island belongs to Cat Hai District, Hai Phong City. Geographically, this island is 30 km away from Hai Phong City and 25 km from Ha Long City. It is adjacent to the Halong Bay World Heritage site. In 2004, UNESCO recognized Cat Ba Archipelago as a World Biosphere Reserve as this island is the best example of a fengcong and fenglin karst landscape invaded by the sea. 

Only 2 hours from Hanoi, Cat Ba Island has unique experiences for travelers to truly immerse in the culture of Vietnam. 

1. Spend a night on the sea in Lan Ha Bay 

Belonging to the east of Cat Ba Island, Lan Ha Bay lies right next to Halong Bay. This undisturbed bay has nearly 400 limestone islets covered with trees, creating impressive and unique natural scenery. And there is no better way to explore these impressive outcroppings than traveling on a Lan Ha Bay cruise.

Although this is a popular tour in Halong Bay, cruises from Cat Ba are still quite new. Make the best out of your experience by adding cultural and historical value to your voyage. Currently, Heritage Cruise is one of the best Lan Ha Bay cruises operating this activity. Inspired by a highly intelligent Vietnamese entrepreneur in the 20th century called Bach Thai Buoi, Heritage Cruise is the first boutique cruise in Vietnam. The cruise ensures to bring relaxation along with culture and history in a sense of luxury.  

2. See the monkeys on Monkey Island

Monkey Island is 1 km from Cat Ba, but the only route to this island is via Cai Beo floating village on a boat from Beo wharf. Monkey Island can be named as the rising star of Cat Ba Island and Hai Phong City since it attracts many curious travelers who love… monkeys. 

The official name of this island is Cat Dua, but both locals and tourists renamed it since there are too many monkeys living on this island of the 3-kilometer parameter. These monkeys are familiar to humans due to daily interaction. They are now known for their hospitality. However, sometimes they can be too friendly and start robbing food from tourists. 

Monkey Island is famous for its unspoiled beauty of green mountains and white sandy beaches. You can stay at resorts on Monkey Island to fully enjoy nature. This island is also a popular stop for most cruises from Cat Ba Island.

3. Experience local culture at Viet Hai Village

Located in Cat Ba National Park, Viet Hai is a small fishing village of 141 ha and 70 households living. In comparison with other villages in Cat Ba, Viet Hai Village retains its pristine and untouched landscape. Surrounded by dense forests and limestone mountains, this small village is completely separated from the outside world.

The villagers and their ancestors have been living here for centuries – fishing, farming, and breeding. They create a unique and strong community where people are always there for each other. They are the most friendly and sincere locals ever. Pay Viet Hai Village a visit, enjoy this one of a kind experience with the locals and learn the key to live in harmony with nature from them.

4. Kayak in Cat Ba Island

If you want to truly immerse in nature and experience the scale of those towering limestone islets, kayaking promises to bring you an unforgettable memory. There are many destinations such as Lan Ha Bay, Dark & Light Cave, Three Peaches Beach, and Vem Cave to explore by kayak. Imagine sailing your own boat and feeling the majestic natural world around you. It is absolutely an inspiring activity. 

Hiring a kayak is not too hard in Cat Ba. If you have an adventurous lifestyle, you can rent one on your own and follow the map of Cat Ba. But this is only recommended to experienced kayakers as you might crash into the limestone reefs or get lost on an isolated island. Waves can sometimes be unexpectedly strong at someplace in the Gulf of Tonkin. Kayak tours in Cat Ba Island are also popular. For most travelers, they often enjoy kayaking while boarding a cruise in Lan Ha Bay. This ensures the safety of tourists yet the excitement of kayaking remains. 

5. Go swimming in Cat Ba Island beaches

A few hundred meters away from the center of Cat Ba town, there are three beaches all named Cat Co. None of them are too massive, but the water is clear and not too cold. There is a long wooden bridge along the curvy mountainside of Lan Ha Bay, connecting the three beaches. 

Cat Co 1 Beach is the largest out of the three. Surrounded by rocky mountains, Cat Co 1 is also the most popular beach thanks to its beauty. If you wish for a more tranquil place to sunbathe, Cat Co 2 is an ideal option with soft white sand. In case you are a good swimmer, you can go swimming in Cat Co 3 where the water is deep and the waves are strong.

10 must-try restaurants in Cat Ba Island 

March 27, 2020 By Cat Ba Island, Cat Ba Island, Cat Ba Island, Cat Ba Island, Cat Ba Island, Cat Ba Island, Cat Ba Island, Cat Ba Island Comments Off

Located in the Gulf of Tonkin of Northern Vietnam, Cat Ba Island can be considered the ideal destination for both its nature and culture. Most of all, the cuisine of this island is something visitors should never miss. Here is a list of 10 must-try restaurants in Cat Ba Island. 

1. Quang Anh Floating Restaurant 

Serving delicious fresh food at a reasonable price, Quang Anh Restaurant is the top-of-mind restaurant in Cat Ba Island. The menu is filled with traditional distinctive Vietnamese dining courses, especially fresh seafood dishes. It is usual to see Quang Anh Restaurant crowded with customers. 

What is impressive about this restaurant is that it is floating on water with strong and firm buoys at the bottom to prevent the restaurant from submerging. Your first step into Quang Anh Restaurant might be a little bit staggering, but be assured that it is totally safe to eat here without falling into water. However, if you are extremely sensitive towards seasickness, it is better for you to try other famous restaurants in Cat Ba Island instead of this one. 

Address: Ben Beo, Cat Ba Island | On the road to Cat Co 3, Cat Ba, Vietnam

Phone number: +84 98 259 51 59

Opening hours: 6:00 – 22:30 PM (Monday – Sunday)

2. Green Mango 

Green Mango Cat Ba has always been a popular restaurant in Cat Ba Island, especially for foreigners. This is a hotel’s restaurant, serving a variety of dishes of both Vietnamese and Western cuisine. You can either enjoy a Vietnamese noodles or an Italian pizza, or both. The place also serves cocktails and wine. 

The staff are enthusiastic and dedicated, ensuring your comfort while dining in. 

Address: 236 Một Tháng Tư, Cát Bà town, Cát Hải, Hải Phòng, Vietnam

Phone number: +84 31 3887 151

Opening hours: 7:00 – 23:00 (Monday – Sunday)

3. Phuong Nhung Restaurant

Like other local restaurants in Cat Ba, Phuong Nhung Restaurant serves excellent local food at a reasonable price. The restaurant is famous for its fried rice, fried noodles, spring rolls pho. Vegetarian and vegan options are available. This restaurant has breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner. Recently, the owner added tasty desserts such as fresh fruits yogurt to the menu. 

Address: 184 Một Tháng Tư, Cát Bà town, Cát Hải, Hải Phòng, Vietnam

Phone number: +84 97 605 38 23

Opening hours: 6:30 – 22:00 (Monday – Sunday)

4. Mona Restaurant 

If you love the idea of dining with a view, Mona Restaurant will definitely be your favorite restaurant in Cat Ba. This place has a rooftop overlooking the sea, where you can enjoy seafood and have a sip of beer while immersing in the beautiful scenery. Mona Restaurant is also a cafe with diverse and fresh drinks. 

A plus point is that they have gluten free options.  

Address: 180 Một Tháng Tư, Cát Bà town, Cát Hải, Hải Phòng, Vietnam

Phone number: +84 93 467 48 99

Opening hours: 8:00 – 23:00 (Monday – Sunday)

5. Phuong Phuong Restaurant 

Phuong Phuong Restaurant is one of the most crowded restaurants in Cat Ba. This place serves a variety of local dishes but mainly seafood. Here, they have the freshest ingredients including shrimps, crabs, oysters and squids. If you travel with a big group, it is recommended to book a table as Phuong Phuong Restaurant can be really crowded. However, there is no need to worry about being cramped as the restaurant is quite spacious. 

Address: 232 Một Tháng Tư, Cát Bà town, Cát Hải, Hải Phòng, Vietnam

Phone number: +84 31 3888 254 

Opening hours: 6:00 – 23:30 (Monday – Sunday)

6. Quan Cat Ba Family Restaurant

This restaurant in Cat Ba is famous for its tasty local dishes with high-quality ingredients and a reasonable price. Fresh seafood is a highlight, especially the mouth-watering and savory grilled geoduck dish. Staff are friendly and enthusiastic. Quan Cat Ba Family Restaurant is popular among tourists, and is a safe choice for every meal in the day. If you wish to have a taste of Cat Ba delicacy, this restaurant is an ideal option.

Address: 195 Một Tháng Tư, Cát Bà town, Cát Hải, Hải Phòng, Vietnam

Phone number: +84 98 659 03 18

Opening hours: 8:00 – 21:30 (Monday – Sunday)

7. Yummy Restaurant

This is another restaurant in Cat Ba with reasonable prices and yummy local food. The quality of food is always guaranteed while the price can’t be any more affordable. The average price for a dish is about VND 50,000 and a beer is just VND 15,000. This restaurant rarely lets its customers wait too long for their food – this is a huge plus. If you want to experience the local life, have a bite at Yummy Restaurant.

Address: 180 Núi Ngọc, Cát Bà, Vietnam

Phone number: +84 97 795 09 06

Opening hours: 7:30 – 22:00 (Monday – Sunday)

8. Vietnamese Soul Food 

This restaurant is popular to both Vietnamese and foreign tourists. It can be a little pricey, however, high price comes with high quality food. “One of the best restaurants in Cat Ba” – a comment on Tripadvisor praised. Highly-regarded dishes are traditional Vietnamese food such as spring rolls, fried rice, fried noodle and pho. Staff are professional and dedicated. At Vietnamese Soul Food, you can find and explore the true flavor of Vietnamese food with hundreds of dishes.

Address: 131 Tùng Dinh, Cát Bà, Vietnam 

Phone number: +84 91 296 69 25

Opening hours: 8:00 – 22:00 (Monday – Sunday)

9. Quiri Pub Cocktail & Restaurant 

This might be the most creative and interesting pub and restaurant in Cat Ba. They use local ingredients to serve unique cocktails like Cocktail Pho, Autumn Hanoi Cocktail, Cocktail O Mai and many other signature cocktails of this pub. In addition to drinks, this restaurant is well-known for tasty dishes such as papaya salad, mango salad, sizzling beef, grilled fish with chilli and deep fried squids. There is absolutely no doubt about food quality here.

Address: 135 Tùng Dinh, Cát Bà, Cát Hải, Vietnam

Phone number: +84 98 162 30 96

Opening hours: 11:00 – 23:00 (Monday – Sunday)

10. My Way Cafe & Restaurant 

This cozy restaurant offers great dining experience with both Vietnamese and Western cuisine. It is an ideal restaurant in Cat Ba for homesick foreigners who suddenly miss the taste of home. Favorite dishes at My Way Cafe & Restaurant are burgers, french toast, pasta, pizza, and of course… pho. Beverages are as great as food. The restaurant also serves excellent egg coffee – a unique Vietnamese specialty. You can have breakfast, lunch and dinner at this place. 

Address: 184 Một Tháng Tư, Cát Bà town, Cát Hải, Hải Phòng, Vietnam

Phone number: +84 98 209 31 38

Opening hours: 7:00 – 22:00 (Monday – Sunday)

 

Monkey Island of Cat Ba: Vietnam’s hidden charm

March 26, 2020 By Uncategorized Comments Off

Cat Ba Monkey Island a.k.a Cat Dua Island is a new stop for nature lovers exploring Northern Vietnam in recent years. The charm of this island lies in its pristine nature and beautiful scenery. Currently, this island is still pretty much intact as it stays untouched by humans and travellers. If you visit Cat Ba, Monkey Island is definitely worth a visit.

I. How to get there?

Monkey Island is nearly 2 km from Cat Ba town center. To reach this island, travellers can come to Cai Beo Port and rent a kayak. From here, you can sail for about 10 minutes through Cai Beo floating village and some small islands to arrive at Monkey Island of Cat Ba. 

There are plenty of locals and tourists so there is no concern about safety. The opportunity to row by yourself along with other people will be so impressive and memorable. 

II. Why Monkey Island of Cat Ba? 

Monkey Island was once called Cát Dứa Island as there was shade of wild pineapple trees everywhere on the island. (Dứa in Vietnamese means pineapple.) However, the locals couldn’t eat pineapples at that time. They soaked the pineapples in cold water or dried them as a folk remedy to cure diabetes. 

Later, the locals also called Cát Dứa Island as Monkey Island of Cat Ba because of the large number of monkeys inhabiting this island. Most of them were brought to the island by forest rangers. The monkeys are really bold and friendly to tourists. Shy tourists might feel startled at first while uncareful travellers might get teased and robbed by these naughty animals. Regardless of their bad habits, the monkeys on Cat Ba Monkey Island always succeed in earning favor from visitors, especially children. The playful monkeys even like to join in (or… disturb) some beach sports with humans.

III. What to do in Monkey Island of Cat Ba?

Visiting Cai Beo floating village

On the way to Cat Ba Monkey Island, you can stop by Cai Beo fishing village. The locals here are very nice and friendly. They do not take advantage of tourists so don’t worry about that. This is a precious opportunity to learn about the aquaculture of Vietnam from the experienced fishermen. You can see with your own eyes how fish are raised in the cages and witness the daily life on water of the villagers. 

Life does not make it easy for them, but they are all optimistic and resilient. 

Swimming and sunbathing

There are 2 different arc-shaped beaches in Cat Ba Monkey Island: Cat Dua 1 and Cat Dua 2. They are about 1 km long. The white sand is formed by the coral pieces, adding the memorable beauty and pleasant to Monkey Island beaches. 

In terms of length, Cat Dua 1 is a bit longer as it is where a military station is based. The water is crystally blue and the sand is pleasantly smooth. It is not too crowded as the access to Cat Ba Monkey Island is still limited. All of these makes this an ideal beach to swim and sunbathe in Cat Ba. There is a resort on Monkey Island providing table and chair sets with leafy umbrellas to avoid the sun. There are some available services such as food and drinks, ice-cream and swimsuits/ lifeboats/ kayaks for rent. 

Cat Dua 2 is right next to Cat Dua 1, but you have to walk past a tiger-shaped ridge separating the 2 beaches. What is special about Cat Dua 2 is the garden of hundreds-square meters nearby. There are so many trees inside including wild pineapple tree, white apple tree, banyan and heliotropium foertherianum. This is home to many species of birds. You can lay down on the white sand and sunbathe while enjoying natural melodies from the birds.

Mountain climbing 

If you are the explorer type of traveler, you can cross the wild pineapple garden and climb up to the top of the mountain. From here, you will have a panoramic view of the entire Lan Ha Bay with hundreds of islands of all sizes. And if you pick the perfect location, you might even see Halong Bay UNESCO Heritage site. Noone would want to miss the experience of seeing hundreds of large and small green islands in the crystal blue sea water from above. That is for sure. 

Best food in Cat Ba Island: What to eat?

March 25, 2020 By Uncategorized Comments Off

Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, Cat Ba Island is an attractive but serene destination unlike its neighbor Halong Bay. In terms of cuisine, it is guaranteed that this island provides one of the most diverse foods in Vietnam. Here is a list of the best food in Cat Ba Island that visitors should not miss.

1. Geoduck clam (Tu hai)

It will be a big mistake to not try this famous food in Cat Ba. In fact, geoduck is popular seafood in Northern Vietnam, however, Cat Ba is the place where best geoducks are raised. In the past, only kings could have a taste of this seafood. Thanks to the developed aquaculture of Vietnam, we can now have the chance to try what was served to kings only. 

Geoduck clam is truly a specialty of Cat Ba Island. Clams are rich in flavors, and they are undoubtedly juicy and crunchy at the same time. Popular dishes are grilled geoduck with onions, fried geoduck, geoduck soup and steamed geoduck.  

2. Horseshoe crab (Sam bien)

It is always a pair of male and female horseshoe crabs clinging to each other. Describing this interesting habit, there is a Vietnamese saying that reads “sticking to each other like horseshoe crabs” (dinh nhu sam). The weight of a female is about 1 kg, and a male is only half the weight.

People only use the meat of the female when cooking horseshoe crabs as the male are often too small. There are a variety of dishes cooking from horseshoe crabs. Some of the popular ones are salads, soup, grilled, fried and some even eat horseshoe crabs raw. Ingredients used to cook this seafood are galangal, lemongrass, chili, vinegar or guise leaves, onions, laksa. Sweet and sour horseshoe crab is a must-try food in Cat Ba Island.

3. Garrupa (Ca song) 

Garrupa belongs to the fish group that inhabits the warm water and the Pacific. There are 37 different species of garrupa. 30 of them inhabit Vietnam, in which Cat Ba is home to 3. Garrupa is a predator that hunts other fish. As a result, they have high nutrient value. 

Popular garrupa dishes in Cat Ba are raw, porridge, grilled, hotpot and steamed. In addition to the savoury taste of garrupa, tourists also find fun going fishing to catch this type of fish at night.

4. Sea serpent (Ran bien)

Sea serpents are not too big. They are only 1-2 meters long with slender and flatten bodies. There are 2 little venomous teeth in the upper jaw. Sea serpents have very strong and hard bones, which makes cooking them become difficult. 

When cooking, people will get rid of the organs and only use the bile and fat layer. Then, blood will be rinsed off their bodies with 90-degree alcohol and let dry in the sun. Later, that blood will be mixed with wine or substances. Sea serpent might seem like a scary food in Cat Ba Island but it actually is a folk remedy to treat dizziness, back pain and bone pain. 

5. Lobster 

It isn’t necessary to praise this king of seafood. The firm, chewy and sweet meat of lobsters is what makes people fall in love with this food. Not to mention the two admirably giant and meaty crab legs that easily makes anyone’s mouth water. 

But the best part of lobster lies in the crab roe. There is no such food in Cat Ba. Crab roe will be mixed with brandy and eaten fresh before the lobster is cooked. The roe has high-nutrient value, especially antiseptic value to the digestive tract. Eating roe also helps to prevent intestinal infections. 

6. Mantis shrimp (Be be)

Mantis shrimp has many Vietnamese names that might confuse travellers. If you come into a restaurant and see “bề bề”, “tôm tít”, “bọ ngựa biển” on the menu, they all mean mantis shrimp. This food in Cat Ba is actually popular in many other places in Northern Vietnam. But only in Cat Ba can you find such meaty and firm mantis shrimps. 

There are many dishes cooked with this shrimp: roasted with salt, steamed, fried with tamarind and hotpot. Mantis shrimps are easy to find in any Cat Ba restaurants – all fresh and tasty.

7. Red snapper and cobia 

The 2 fish species are the precious gift from nature to Cat Ba Island. Thanks to cobia farming, fishermen in Cat Ba have the opportunity to change their lives and have a stable income source. Before that, their lives completely depended on offshore fishing. Fishermen used to put their lives at risk every time they sailed off to the great sea. Now, the locals have learned to raise red snapper and cobia to improve life quality. 

The best cobia are farmed in Cai Beo village of Lan Ha Bay. Raised by experienced fishermen, cobia in Cat Ba has the signature taste of salty sea with high quality and food safety. It will be a big mistake if visitors don’t try this local food in Cat Ba. 

8. Mountain goats 

As an island, Cat Ba is lucky as it is given both mountains and sea. Thanks to the diverse nature, the food in Cat Ba Island is very special in its own way. Mountain goats are one of them. They have been inhabiting Cat Ba for quite a long time, and are native to this island. They live on precarious limestone cliffs. 

Because of its location, Cat Ba Island has always been isolated from the mainland. As a result, the native mountain goats here are rarely crossbred with the goats in mainland. That’s why there is such unique taste of Cat Ba mountain goats. Besides, these goats have a diet of medicinal plant leaves on mountains. This helps their meat to have high-nutrient value. 

9. Chicken Lien Minh

Similar to Cat Ba mountain goats, chicken Lien Minh is a native chicken breed in Lien Minh commune, Cat Ba district, Hai Phong. They live near the mountains and often eat around the limestone cliffs. Chicken Lien Minh is quite rare so it is hard to raise them with large quantities. They are free-range chickens so their thighs are firm and their meat is more solid with low fat. 

In fact, chicken Lien Minh can grow into really big ones. The average rooster weighs up to 3 kg, some even weighs up to 4.5 kg. If you get fed up with seafood, chicken Lien Minh is a great choice of food in Cat Ba. 

10. Orange Gia Luan 

The flora and fauna biosystem of Cat Ba is incredibly diverse and special in its own way without being crossbred. Orange Gia Luan is a standard example of this. This orange species is slightly sour but mostly sweet. The skin is thin and is attractively eye-catching when ripened. Orange Gia Luan has a special aroma that can make people’s mouth water.

Every year, Cat Ba harvests and offers 100 tons of orange Gia Luan to the market. Don’t miss your chance of tasting this specialty food of Cat Ba at a cheap price while visiting this island.

Cat Ba Island caves: Tales of mystery 

March 12, 2020 By Uncategorized Comments Off

Located in the Gulf of Tonkin right next to Halong Bay Heritage site, Cat Ba Island has the perfect geography where pristine landscape and rare serenity combines. In 2004, UNESCO recognized Cat Ba Archipelago as a World Biosphere Reserve. And this island truly lives up to its title with the magnificent and mysterious caves in Cat Ba. 

An overview of Cat Ba Island

Cat Ba Archipelago is in Cat Hai District, Hai Phong City. It is 25 km from Halong Bay and 30 km from Hai Phong. Cat Ba is an isolated island so whether you go to Cat Ba from Hanoi or Halong, it is required to go pass the sea by ferry or speedboat. 

With an area of 285km2, Cat Ba Island is the largest island of Halong Bay. This destination is famous for Cat Ba National Park, splendid islets of towering limestone, fishing villages, sandy beaches and amazing caves.

1. Hospital Cave (Hang Quân Y)

13 km from the center of Cat Ba Town, Hospital Cave is in Khe Sau, Hai Son, Tran Chau commune, Cat Hai District. This cave is located on the way to Cat Ba National Park, halfway up the mountain.

In the past, it was called Hung Son Cave. From 1963 – 1965, Vietnamese soldiers built this cave into a field hospital in the Vietnam War. That is why locals renamed it as Hospital Cave. Hospital Cave has 3 floors and 17 rooms including function rooms, rehab areas and cinemas. With an area of 2000m2, this hospital and cave could accommodate more than 100 people. Hospital Cave is considered as a wartime masterpiece of construction.

Until today, the original architecture of Hospital Cave is still kept untouched, making this Cat Ba cave an interesting and unique historical site attracting many tourists. 

2. Trung Trang Cave (Động Trung Trang)

15 km northwest to the center of Cat Ba town, Trung Trang Cave sits in the Trung Trang Valley – the largest valley of Cat Ba Island with an area of 300 hectares. This cave in Cat Ba Island is 300 meters long into the mountains. 

Trung Trang Cave is a natural cave without any human touch. It is described as a masterpiece of heaven and earth dedicated to Cat Ba. There are thousands of sparkling stalactites in the cave, reminding visitors of a place existing only in fairy tales. Thanks to its mysterious darkness, this cave on Cat Ba Island is home to a diverse ecosystem including many creatures like birds, bats, reptiles and insects. In the Trung Trang area, tourists can also visit Kim Giao forest with very old trees and vines.

Trung Trang is a representative cave of over 150 large and small caves in Cat Ba Archipelago. Many traits of prehistoric Vietnamese such as fossil bones and stone tools were found here.

3. Diamond Cave (Động Hoa Cương)

Diamond Cave belongs to the northeastern mountain range of Cat Ba Island, particularly in Gia Luan Commune close to the ferry port from Halong Bay. 

Diamond Cave is one of the most intact caves in Cat Ba Island. The cave has an altitude of 50 meters above sea level and 15-20 meters above where the residents live. It is approximately 10 meters high. The biggest spot is 25 meters wide and 100 meters long. Inside the cave forms impressive stalactites with colorful shapes of people and animals. They are like a painting filled with myth. There is a small lake, reflecting the light and creating a mysterious atmosphere.

In this poetic Cat Ba Island’s cave, Archaeologists found fossil teeth of ancient apes dating back 10,000 years ago. Since then, Diamond Cave has been a familiar destination for many researchers. 

4. Thien Long Cave (Động Thiên Long)

Another mysterious cave in Cat Ba Island is Thien Long Cave or Phu Long Cave. The cave belongs to Phu Long Commune, Cat Hai District. Besides impressive scenery created by nature, Thien Long Cave also attracts tourists because of its tales. Locals believe that Vietnamese ancients and pirates used to accommodate this place. 

The cave has a depth of 200 meters. There are huge stalactite pillars at the entrance of Thien Long cave, formed when the tree roots fall through the crevice. All of this creates a marvelous scenery of multi-colored rocks and iridescent stalactites inside this cave on Cat Ba Island.

There are stalactites that look similar to Guan Yin Bodhisattva with two hands placed against each other. Below are bizarre shapes of crocodiles, pythons and snakes. The cave owns a musical instrument made from stalactite and rock. With your hand or a wooden stick, you can play a song of unique sounds – exciting and holy with the sounds of water gurgling. 

Thien Long Cave includes 3 separate parts (First Cave, Second Cave and Third Cave). 

How to get to Cat Ba Island

March 5, 2020 By Uncategorized Comments Off

Cat Ba Island is considered as one of the largest islands in Northern Vietnam. This island is 350 km2 in area and consists of around 367 beautiful islets with diverse sizes creating an imposing scenery. 

There are many routes to reach Cat Ba Island. Transportation and the time might be different depending on your itinerary and even the styles of traveling. With the aim of helping tourists have better information, Heritage Cruises would like to provide different means of transportation to get to Cat Ba Island.  

1. Get to Cat Ba Island by air

– Cat Bi International (HPH) in Haiphong which is the closest airport, is 10 km far from Binh Harbour. You’ll get to Cat Ba Town from Binh Harbour by a ferry or a speedboat. Using aerial transportation to Hai Phong is a smart choice for those who are now in HCM City, Da Nang, and other big cities and who are foreigners. 

– From Noi Bai Airport (HAN) (Hanoi), it takes 3h30 – 4h to get to Binh Harbour (Haiphong). Then, you’ll reach Cat Ba Town from Binh Harbour. 

– Boarding on the Seaplane (Noi Bai Airport – Hanoi) to Tuan Chau Island (Halong City), with a 45-minute flight. From Tuan Chau, a private car would be necessary to take you to Binh Harbour. Then reach Cat Ba Town. 

–  From Van Don Airport (VDO) (Quang Ninh Province), you’ll take a car on the new highway to get to Binh Harbour, about  2 hours and then, get to Cat Ba Town. 

2. Going to Cat Ba by road

Getting to Cat Ba Island by road seems to be the most common way for tourists. You can reach Cat Ba Island from Hanoi City and Halong Bay. 

* From Hanoi: 

#Option 1: 

– Tourists can get on the coach driving them directly to Hai Phong City. A new highway 5B Hanoi-Haiphong helps to reduce the time for traveling to Haiphong City to 1h30 instead of 4 hours as before. This has removed the inconvenience of traveling to a sinuous and narrow road passing through many villages.

– Pros: The price is quite cheap compared to others and there is more than one trip per day.

– Cons: The place for guests to get on is pretty far from the city center. You have to go to the coach station for departing. 

– Coach-provider: Hoang Long

  • Nuoc Ngam Station (Hanoi) – Cat Ba: 5h20 -7h20 – 11h20 -13h20 
  • Cat Ba – Hanoi:  7h15 – 9h15 – 11h45 – 13h15 – 15h15
  • Booking: 0225.3920.920 – 0904.225.177
  • VND 280,000/person/1 way.

#Option 2: 

– Taking on a shuttle bus (not local public buses) goes directly from Hanoi to Hai Phong. It takes nearly 2 hours thanks to the new highway. From Hai Phong City, you’ll get to Binh Harbour and then, reach Cat Ba Island.  

– Pros: The shuttle buses are comfortable, convenient and proper prices, compared to others. They’ll pick you at your hotel in Hanoi around the Old Quarter and then transfer you directly to Hai Phong City so it has no stress on the way regarding time and luggage stuff with little or no waiting time. 

– Cons: It takes time for guests to find car-providers. 

+ Departure time: Hanoi – Cat Ba: 7h30; 10h45; 14h 

Cat Ba – Hanoi: 9h; 12h30; 15h45

Cat Ba Express No 37B Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 01248.244.999 VND 280,000/person
Good Morning Cat Ba No.13 Hang Huong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 0913.309.6281 VND 230,000/person
Daiichi Travel No. 85 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 024.6654.7070 VND 250,000/person

# Option 3: You can go to Cat Ba Island in a private car. This option is suitable for those who are a group of travelers or for a family trip. The price of renting a private car, VND 2,600,000. 

  • Pros: Going with a private car makes tourists feel more convenient and comfortable. 
  • Cons: If going by a private car, you have to go by ferry to reach Cat Ba Island. It takes much time to wait due to the congestion. 

# Optional 4: Tourists can go by motorcycle to reach Cat Ba Island. 

  • Pros: It’s convenient and comfortable for guests and suitable for the young. 
  • Cons: The distance from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island is quite long, so tourists might feel tired.  

Getting to Cat Ba Island is more easier than before since our cruise will offer limousine service or a shuttle bus transfer from the city center of Hanoi capital, normally guests will be picked up around the old quarter areas.

* From Halong: 

You’ll take a bus/a taxi from Halong City (Quang Ninh Province) to Hai Phong City within 45 minutes as before. Private cars or taxis are the most convenient choice, but public buses are also available. Then, you’ll reach Cat Ba Town from Binh Harbour (Hai Phong). 

– Departure: Muong Thanh Hotel at Halong Street, Bai Chay Ward, Halong, Quang Ninh. 

– Arrival: No 19, Nui Ngoc Street, Cat Ba, Hai Phong. 

– Price: 120,000 VND/person. 

3. Traveling to Cat Ba Island by train 

– You can get on a train from Gia Lam Railway Station (Long Bien District) or Hanoi Railway Station (near the Old Quarter) to Hai Phong Railway Station (Hai Phong City). It lasts nearly 2 hours 45 minutes. Well, taking a train will help reduce the time of finding car service providers. From Hai Phong Railway Station, you’ll take a taxi or a bus to get to Binh Harbour. Then arrive at Cat Ba Town. 

Please note that the time might change marginally so check your itinerary carefully before you go. The price of train tickets is also various and depends on whether you’re traveling on the weekend or weekday and choose hard or soft seats. 

  • Departure: Hanoi Railway Station – 120 Le Duan, Hoan Kiem District

or Gia Lam Railway Station at Ngoc Lam – Long Bien – Hanoi. 

  • Arrival: Haiphong Railway Station – 75 Luong Khanh Thien, Luong Khanh Thien, Ngo Quyen, Hai Phong. 
  • Time for departure: 6h, 9h20, 15h20, 18h15
  • Price: 

+ Monday – Thursday: 65,000/person for a hard seat; 70,000/person for a soft seat. 

+ Friday – Sunday: VND 75,000/person for a hard seat; VND 80,000/person for a soft seat. 

4. getting to Cat Ba Island by ferry

All routes lead the way to arrive at Hai Phong City, then you’ll take a taxi to get to Dinh Vu Port and reach Cat Ba Island by ferry. The ferry ticket is 15,000 VND/ 1 person. 

Apparently, taking a ferry is much cheaper than other ways but it takes much time and is more crowded. 

– From Dinh Vu – Ninh Tiep Port, you’ll take a ferry to get to Cat Hai Harbour, 45 mins. Then, you continue getting a bus/a car to reach Got Harbour. After that, you’ll get on another ferry to arrive at Cai Vieng Harbour (Cat Ba Island) within 20 mins, which is 20 km far from Cat Ba Town. Now, there are 37 ferries per day, 5 a.m to 5 p.m, each hour has one trip. 

5. By private speedboat

For speedboat, you can get to Cat Ba Island from Halong City (Quang Ninh Province) and Hai Phong City. Firstly, departing from Halong City, there are 2 options: 

# Option 1: 

You can depart at Tuan Chau Island (Halong City) by taking a private speed boat to Gia Luan Harbour (25 km far from Cat Ba Town), 20 mins to get there. Then, taking a taxi to get to Cat Ba Town. 

Here are several departure times: 

Tuan Chau Island to Gia Luan: 7h15; 8h30; 10h30; 13h; 14h30; 16h

Gia Luan to Tuan Chau Island: 8h; 9h15; 11h; 13h; 15h30; 16h30 

Price:  + 450,000 VND for less than 9 people 

           +  650,000 VND for 9 to 16 people 

# Option 2:

Departure from Hon Gai Port (Halong City) to get Cat Ba Island is properly the second choice for you. You’ll take a speed boat and go directly to Beo Seaport, 1.5 km far from Cat Ba Town. It takes about 40 – 45 minutes on the boat.  

Here are departure times: 

Hon Gai Port – Beo Harbour: 7h30; 13h 

Beo Harbour – Hon Gai Port: 8h30; 13h55 

Price: 150,000 VND/person

 – Secondly, after arriving at Hai Phong City, you’ll take a speedboat at Binh Harbour to get to Cai Vieng Harbour (Cat Ba Island). Then, taking a taxi/bus helps you arrive at Cat Ba Town. It costs 200,000 VND/1 person, 45 mins. 

Please note it down, the times for departure may change without notification. Make sure that you contact with service providers before your comings. Obviously, the speed boat is more convenient and time-saving for you, especially in high season. 

6. By Hydrofoil

You can take a hydrofoil from Binh Harbour to go directly to Cat Ba Port, 8 – 10 mins. The price is 180,000 – 200,000 VND/1 person. Obviously, the time for transferring is quite fast so tourists who are seasick shouldn’t use this vehicle. 

Here are some details: 

Hydrofoil providers Time for departure Ticket fee
Mekong Hoang Yen Binh Harbor – Cat Ba: 9h VND 200,000/adult
Cat Ba Island

Binh Harbor – Cat Ba: 9h, 13h, 15h

Cat Ba – Binh Harbor: 10h, 14h10, 16h

 VND 180,000/adult

Getting to Cat Ba Island is easier, isn’t it? Heritage Cruises has just helped you to look through all the possible routes from your home country, like Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hai Phong or other places to get to Cat Ba Island by different means of transportation. Each route has its advantages and disadvantages, travelers should take into account to choose the way, vehicles and the budget that is appropriate with your itinerary and present condition. If you need more detailed information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Cat Ba National Park: All you need to know before you go

February 11, 2020 By Travel Guide Comments Off

In recent years, Cat Ba Island has become one of the most visited destinations by both Vietnamese and international tourists. The visitors not only contemplate the beaches with pristine waters and white sandy but also have a chance to see spectacular attractions of this place, Cat Ba National Park. 

  1. An overview of Cat Ba National Park 

Cat Ba National Park is located in Tran Chau Commune, Cat Hai District, Hai Phong City. It takes 60 km from the city center of Hai Phong and 15 km from Cat Ba Town. In total, the protected area of Cat Ba National Park consists of 15,200 hectares including 9,800 hectares of forests and 4,200 hectares of the seashore. This national park which is considered as one of the biosphere reserve areas in the world comprises of the marine ecosystem, tropical rainforest ecosystem, coral reef ecosystem and so on.

Furthermore, situated in the northwest of Cat Ba Island, Cat Ba National Park makes a contribution to an ecologically diverse ecosystem of Vietnam in terms of plants and animals. Regarding flora, there are 745 kinds of plants consisting of rare wood namely Lat Hoa, Tri Ly, Lim Set, De Hoa, Kim Giao and white wood which are needed to put under strict conservation.

Interestingly, Kim Giao wood is the material used to make chopsticks for the Kings and nobles in the ancient times since it is stated that the chopsticks will turn into a red color when exposed to poisoned dishes. Regards animals, they can easily find 20 species of mammals, 69 kinds of birds, 20 species of reptiles and amphibians as well in Cat Ba National Park. Many of them are listed in the Vietnamese Red Book and put under solid protection. Especially, Vietnamese langurs or golden-headed langurs ( “Vooc” in Vietnamese) which might be only found on Cat Ba Island, are one of the most seriously endangered primitives on the planet.

Another interesting thing in Cat Ba National Park is a highly toxic type of fruit, called Ma Tien. If a normal person bites a small piece of Ma Tien fruit, he will absolutely die in a short period of time; however, langurs can survive by eating leaves and fruits of Ma Tien.

In addition, some archeological researches reveal that human beings have probably lived on these island for over 6,000 or 7,000 years. With a natural magnificence and various system of flora and fauna, Cat Ba National Park was recognized as one of the four Biosphere Reserves in Vietnam by UNESCO in 2004. 

2. How to get to Cat Ba National Park 

In this article, we recommend you some route options to get Cat Ba National Park. First of all, for those who go by airplane, you can land at Noi Bai Airport and take a taxi directly to Hai Phong City (about 130 km from Noi Bai Airport to Hai Phong).

Another way is taking a bus or a taxi to get Hanoi’s city center and then you catch the shuttle buses or coaches at the city center that transfer you to reach Cat Ba Island within 1 hour and a half. So whether you start from Hai Phong City or Cat Ba Island, you can easily access to Cat Ba National Park by a few available choices such as a private car, a bus, and a taxi. 

Secondly from Hai Phong, tourists can take a speedboat from Binh Port (“Phà Bính” in Vietnamese) to Cat Ba Island and continue getting to Cat Ba National Park on the bus. The second option from Hanoi is taking a train from Hanoi Railway Station to Haiphong Railway Station. Then, you will go to Cat Ba National Park as mentioned before. If you go by a private car from Hanoi, you will go along the new highway 5B to get Got Harbour (“Bến Gót” in Vietnamese), then get to Cat Ba Island and keep going a 15 km journey until to reach Cat Ba National Park. In short, traveling from Hanoi to Cat Ba National Park takes about 3 – 3,5 hours without traffic jams. 

If you are at Cat Ba Town, it takes 15 km to get Cat Ba National Park. Probably, you can rent a motorcycle and stop anywhere you want to enjoy the picturesque landscapes of this park. The budget from renting a motorcycle is quite reasonable, ranging from VND 70,000 to VND 100,000 per day. 

Finally, from Halong City, you will take a Tuan Chau ferry, 45 mins from Halong City to get Gia Luan Harbour and then take a 10 km journey by bus to reach Cat Ba National Park. There have been 5-7 ferries every day. 

If you want to know more information about transportation, you can see this article for more details. 

3. Weather conditions in Cat Ba National Park 

In Cat Ba National Park, the average temperature is 25 – 28oC. In summer, the temperature can be up to 30oC; however, in winter, it can go down, maybe around 10oC. 

Tourists can go to Cat Ba National Park at any time throughout the year. For Vietnamese people, they normally visit Cat Ba National Park in the summer, mainly in June and July which is a great time for them to avoid a scorching hot of summer. International tourists usually go to Cat Ba National Park in their winter holiday, from November to March. Apparently, with a huge number of tourists visiting Cat Ba Island every summer, this would lead to overcrowding at Got Harbour and increasing the price of transportations and accommodations, especially on the weekends and special occasions as well.

If you are planning to visit Cat Ba Island and Cat Ba National Park in particular, we highly recommend that you should go there on weekdays in order to avoid overcrowding, reducing waiting time for transports, running out of hotel rooms and increasing prices for other stuff. 

4. Accommodations around Cat Ba National Park 

Recently, due to a substantial increase in tourism patterns in Cat Ba Island, the number of hostels, homestays, hotels, and resorts which offer tourism services from low to high quality has shown up a lot. Since Cat Ba National Park belongs to protected areas, so you have to go to some places near Cat Ba Town to find proper accommodations. 

If you prefer low priced accommodation but good quality, hostels will be quite suitable for you. 

  • Cat Ba Hostel, at 160 Nui Ngoc and 300m from Cat Ba Island. It has comfortable rooms, a great restaurant serving Vietnamese specialists and international dishes. The price is reasonable, ranging from VND 70,000 – 280,000. 
  • Cat Ba Central Hostel, No.204, ¼ Road, Cat Ba and 1.9 km from Dau Be Island. It has a beautiful view of a garden and a good restaurant. The price is ranging from VND 100,000 to VND 160,000. 

About homestay where you can know more cultures of local people, we highly recommend some homestays. 

  • Cat Ba Central Homestay, 1.4 km from Dau Be Island and No.6, Cat Beo Street. It provides a good quality of accommodation and excellent service from owners. The price is from VND 570,000 to VND 690,000 for King Room with a large double bed. 
  • Cat Ba Santorini Homestay, at No. 12, 4 Lane, Nui Ngoc, Cat Ba. It provides good accommodation and accesses to a garden with children’s playgrounds. The homestay offers reasonable prices, from VND 50,000 for a bunk bed to VND 1,000,000 (10 people)  for 5 double beds with a private bathroom. 

Actually, there are many hotels located around Cat Ba Island, here are some suggestions that may be helpful for you. 

  • Cat Ba Oasis Bungalows, 2-star hotel, at No. 254, ¼ Road, Cat Ba Town. The location is extremely convenient, near Cat Ba Ferry and Beo Harbour. It has an excellent quality of service and facilities, with a garden and terrace. The price is pretty proper, ranging from VND 180,000 for a single bed to VND 728,000 for a deluxe double room with a balcony. 
  • Hung Long Resort, a 3-star hotel, is at 268, ¼ Road, Cat Ba Town, Hai Phong City. This hotel is convenient for tourists because it’s near Cat Ba Port, 10 mins for walking and 15 mins walking for Tung Thu Beach and it takes nearly 5 mins to get the seafood market by car. The price is ranging from VND 350,000 – 450,000 for a twin room. 
  • Sea Pearl Hotel, a 3-star hotel, is at 219, ¼ Road, Cat Ba Town, Cat Hai, Phai Phong City. The price is VND 600,000 – 700,000. This hotel is quite convenient for guests because of its location, in front of Lan Ha Bay, 5 mins walking from Cat Co Beach and also a 5-min walking to Cat Ba Market. It features a magnificent view, good facilities in the hotel room and nice staff as well.  

Last but not least, resorts have been developed a lot to focus on high-end class. Heritage Cruises will suggest some resorts highly recommended by guests. 

  • Cat Ba Island Resort & Spa, a 4-star hotel, is at Cat Co 1 Beach, Cat Ba Island, Cat Hai District, Haiphong City. The normal price is USD 50. This hotel is designed according to the combination of French and Vietnamese traditional architectures. It has been received many positive feedbacks from guests. 
  • Monkey Island Resort, a 3-star hotel, is located in Monkey Island, Cat Hai District, Haiphong City. The minimum price is USD 49.5. The hotel is delighted guests in a beautiful view, professional and friendly staff and is pretty suitable for a long journey. 

5. Cuisines and restaurants around Cat Ba National Park 

When traveling to marine places, like Cat Ba Island, the seafood dishes are the thing that tourists cannot be missed. In this article, we would like to recommend for travelers some must-try dishes around Cat Ba National Park. 

Firstly, geoduck is the kind of meal possessing a high amount of nutrition and sophisticated taste; however, the source of geoduck is quite hard to find as well. Actually, there have been many techniques to cook geoduck but steaming geoduck with aromatic components is the best one. 

The second meal is about Song Fishes which normally have more than 30 species of Song Fishes in Vietnam. In particular, three of them are found in Cat Ba Island namely Song Deo, Song Mo, and Song Cao. This kind of fish might be cooked into varied dishes with its own flavor including salad, streamed, sauce, grilled dishes and so on. 

Another dish suggested for tourists is superb specially King-Crab. Normally, the residents in Cat Ba Island can process King-Crab into seven distinctive dishes. So if you have an opportunity and time, please don’t hesitate to try all kinds of those dishes to taste its superior flavor. 

The food cooked from the sea snake is the next dish. The sea snake is not only famous for its distinct seafood but an effective cure for sick people as well. 

Last but not least, rice vermicelli cooked with shrimp has a unique sense of taste by the harmonious combination of fresh shrimp, the broth, exclusive smell of betel leaves covering pork balls. This dish is also tasted with some herbs and some pieces of chili that makes a bowl of rice vermicelli with shrimp more colorful and appealing as well. 

Along with dramatically increasing the development of accommodation, the restaurant system on Cat Ba Island is also developing in recent years. Here are some suggestions about the restaurants around Cat Ba National Park. 

Firstly, Quang Anh Restaurant which is known as one of the best floating restaurants offers an extraordinary experience for tourists, well-cooked seafood. The address of the restaurant is Cai Bao Bay, Cat Ba Island, Haiphong city. 

Next is the restaurant highly recommended by local residents, called Phuong Phuong restaurant. The restaurant has a varied menu and expansive space for guests to enjoy the meals and the surrounding atmosphere. Phuong Phuong Restaurant is located in 232, 1 thang 4 Street, Cat Ba Town, Cat Hai, Hai Phong City. 

Additionally, if you want to try some restaurants that offer Vietnamese cuisines along with a variety of Western dishes, The Good Bar and Green Mango will be suitable for you. Those places are usually opened to serve breakfast for tourists. The Good Bar and Green Mango lie in 1 thang 4 Street, Cat Ba Town, Cat Hai, Hai Phong City. 

6. Different ecotourism patterns in Cat Ba National Park 

With a breath-taking beauty of the natural landscape, Cat Ba National Park has appealed a wide range of tourists by diverse biologies and the harmonious combination of land and ocean. Whenever you reach Cat Ba National Park, you might choose the varied ecotourism patterns that are offered by the conservation management of the park. Those patterns in Cat Ba National Park include forest ecological ecotourism, marine ecotourism, biological ecotourism, community-based ecotourism (CBT) as well as volunteer tourism. Regarding each ecotourism platform, there will be some tourism activities for tourists to get involved in. 

6.1. Forest ecological ecotourism 

For forestry ecological tourism, you have a chance to choose amongst various trekking routes of distinctive forest ecosystems including tropical primitive rainforest, mangrove forest and karst in Cat Ba National Park. With those geographical features, lots of trekking trails are exploited for tourism purposes such as Kim Giao Forest – Phu Lam Peak; Trung Trang Cave – Uy Ban Grotto; National Park’s Headquarter – Frog Pond; May Bua – Quan Y Cave; Frog Pond – Viet Hai Commune.

If you are interested in enjoying sceneries from the peak, the trekking route from Kim Giao Forest to Phu Lam Peak won’t be missed. It takes 30 mins on the 1.5 km route. You can start from the headquarter of the park to Kim Giao Forest to see the rare and endangered animals in the jungle and then get to Phu Lam peak to enjoy a marvelous landscape of the park and surrounding areas.

Besides, Trung Trang Cave – Uy Ban Grotto routes will satisfy you with a variety of mysterious stalactites and shelters of bat residents. National Park’s Headquarter – Frog Pond will help you to explore the flooded willow jungle and then reach Frog Pond, the largest freshwater area on the island. With the route from Frog Pond to Viet Hai Commune, tourists can explore the astonishing forest ecosystem and the culture of local people in Viet Hai Commune. 

6.2. Marine ecotourism 

Besides forest ecological ecotourism, the seascapes of Cat Ba National Park also have a unique magnificence. With the aim of discovering enormous marine resources, visitors might choose to get involved in some activities such as going sightseeing, going kayaking to explore the gulf and bay systems namely Lan Ha Bay, Viet Hai Bay, Tra Bau, climbing to the cliffs of some marvelous islands, diving under the seawater to see coral reef systems, going fishing and sunbathing near magnificent seashores and beaches and final, participating in several delighting water sporting activities. Each aquatic tour will last about 2 – 6 hours which depends on which activities that tourists take. 

For instance, challenging with deep water soloing which is executed on the slide of hazardous cliffs on the sea is the activity that travelers should try once when they have the chance. The average height for beginners is 10 meters; however, it’s up to 30 meters for the master. It is essential for climbers to have their courage, strength and brilliant calculations. People state that falling deep under the sea brings them a sense of freedom and comfort. Some say that deep water soloing also helps them to find the limits and try to break their own physical barriers. That sounds very exciting. 

6.3. Biological research ecotourism 

Cat Ba National Park is known as for diverse biologies, both flora, and fauna. Therefore, the biological research ecotourism pattern has been promoted actively in recent years. Most international visitors coming to Cat Ba National Park would like to see these rare and endangered animals like langurs, red crabs, deers, butterflies and so on.

Especially, Cat Ba National Park has an endemic original, golden-headed langurs. The thing is that tourists have a little chance to see these langurs due to tight conservation policies. Nevertheless, travelers can easily see other originals, for example, red monkeys in Nam Cat Island, Eo Bua, Me Con, Dong Co or other islands and islets. 

6.4. Community-based ecotourism (CBT) in Cat Ba National Park 

This kind of ecotourism pattern will be suitable for those who want to explore the cultures of local people living in Cat Ba National Park. In this tour, visitors will have a chance to stay at a homestay with local residents in one or two nights.

Moreover, they can enjoy the daily routines of residential people including learning how to make the meals, working and relaxing activities in order to understand more about local cultures as well as appreciate beautiful sceneries on the island. Thereby, community- based ecotourism brings benefits in terms of conservation on the island and economies. In detail, it helps to raise awareness of tourists about conserving the natural environment and cultural values of residents in Cat Ba Island and in surrounding areas and improves the living standard of local people. 

6.5. Voluntary tourism 

For those who are environment lovers, voluntary tourism can be an ideal choice for them. Involuntary tourism, tourists can not only discover natural landscapes of the park but get involved in protecting and conserving the natural environment such as collecting garage, working as volunteers at the conservation center of the park and other activities related to conservation. Nowadays, taking voluntary tourism has become a trend for the youth and therefore, so many people come to Cat Ba National Park for this type of tour. 

7. All the things that you need to prepare before coming to Cat Ba National Park 

In this article, we provide you with something that you might prepare before going to Cat Ba National Park. First of all, due to frequently changeable temperatures on Cat Ba Island, tourists have to ensure that they take a waterproof and windproof jacket with themselves. When you decide to stay overnight on the island, mosquito spray is also a must.

Secondly, a lot of Cat Ba Island activities normally occur around or underwater areas; therefore, taking a quite dry towel is necessary. Moreover, waterproof bags are also needed to keep electronic devices safe.

In addition, if you are planning to visit a cave or a grotto, a head torch is essential as well. Last but not least, you should bring refill bottles helping to avoid using plastic bottles and keep the environment clean. 

Visiting the national park this summer, what do you think? Cat Ba National Park has appealed a huge number of visitors because of its magnificent beauty and biodiversity in recently.

For this article, Heritage Cruises provides the information that travelers need to know before they go to Cat Ba National Park. It includes biological features, transportations to get Cat Ba National Park, weather, accommodations, cuisines and restaurants, ecotourism patterns and necessary items when traveling. Hopefully, this information above would be helpful for you when visiting Cat Ba National Park. 

Top 7 Cat Ba Beach Resorts

November 22, 2019 By Uncategorized Comments Off

Cat Ba Island, known as the largest island in Halong Bay, is endowed with spectacular landscapes and seascapes and nice weather conditions. Obviously, this island has still remained pristine natural beauty and rugged features of Halong Bay. Many tourists recently have shifted to visit Cat Ba Island, which helps tourism on the island more and more to develop. Spontaneously, other services including accommodations, foods and beverages, tourism activities included, spa and so on also have been increasing. It can be noticeable that the accommodations in Cat Ba Island have developed a lot from basic accommodations to luxury ones. So with the aim of helping tourists get a memorable experience, Heritage Cruises will give you brief information on Top 7 Cat Ba Beach Resorts that you want to try when visiting Cat Ba Island. 

1. Cat Ba Sandy Beach Resort

Located on a  private island – Nam Cat Island in the middle of Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba Sandy Beach Resort, one of the best Cat Ba beach resorts, offers distinctive wooden bungalows. It is endowed magnificent seascapes and surrounded by a wide range of limestones, white sandy beaches of pristine water and diverse flora and fauna. It takes around 30 mins from Cai Beo Pier by junk boat to reach Nam Cat Island. 

This resort distinguishes from others by its architectures and special experiences to the guests. The cozy bungalows are built on stilts and feature with classical wooden furniture and large windows. Those bungalows are quite suitable only for relaxing and nature lovers. Since it’s a remote area, the room facilities are simply basic, no wifi/internet connection and electrical power is limited. Therefore, when coming to Cat Ba Sandy Beach Resort, you absolutely can leave bustling lives and workload behind to enjoy the tranquil beauty of the island. 

Staff at the receptionist desk can arrange activities for guests including diving and visiting the island. Moreover, tourists can taste local dishes in the restaurant and light snacks and beverages served at the bar. The price of meals is reasonable. Lunch/dinner cost from $10/person (5 – 7 dishes), a can of soft drink costs $1.5, a bottle of mineral water – $1, a can of beer costs $2, etc. 

Regarding prices, it offers the best price, ranging from $55 to $95 (around VND 1,300,000 to 2,200,000) per night and the prices depend on the room’s type. 

To book bungalows, you can visit its website. 

Contact information: 

  • Location: Nam Cat Island, Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba, Hai Phong Province, Vietnam 
  • Tel: (+84) 24 3926 2326 or (+84) 963 500 788 
  • Email: [email protected] 

2. Cat Ba Sunrise Resort

Cat Ba Sunrise Resort is the ideal island paradise featured by uniqueness, luxury and, breathtakingly natural beauties. Located on Cat Ba Island and settled in a sandy bay protected by marvelous karst cliffs, the gardening resort gives its guests panoramic views of a crystal clear water ocean and magnificent islets. It takes about more than 2km from Ben Beo Harbour to Cat Ba Sunrise Resort. 

All rooms have standard facilities and spacious balconies with distinctively sensational sea views. Moreover, outdoor facilities consist of a sparkling pool, Jacuzzis, beachfront bar – The Coco Bar Lounge, and easy access to a soft beach and a magnificent cliff-side walk away. On the other hand, for indoor amenities, the guests can enjoy VOCO Restaurant, 4-star restaurant serving Western cuisines and Asian foods, and fully immerse in spa services and completely relax in Vietnamese theme lounges. Besides, the place is appropriate for meetings and events as well. 

Regarding its recreation, this Cat Ba beach resort offers Karaoke, GYM room, and Kid’s Club. The Kid’s Club provides spaces for children including various toys, games, computers offering games’ offlines to maximize the child’s interests, so it’s a perfect place for family. 

Offering a swimming pool inside the resort and an interesting corner to play for children is the bonus point of Catba Sunrise Resort compared to others. Another thing is that the ideal location is in front of the beach. It must be great for guests to take a few steps to get the seashore and enjoy the sunrise as its name. 

Prices are ranging from around VND 2,700,000 to 4,700,000 for 2 people/night. 

To book rooms, contact via its website 

Cat Co 3 Beach, Catba Island, Hai Phong City, Vietnam

Phone: (+84.225) 388 7360 

Email: [email protected] 

3. Cat Ba Island Resort & Spa

Ideally located on a cove near Cat Ba Island, Cat Ba Island Resort & Spa is considered as a perfect place for tourists to experience relaxing ambiance and enjoy the natural beauty of Cat Ba Archipelago as well. Well, the ocean view resort attracts guests with magnificent beachfront views, the freshwater in swimming pools and sufficient facilities being ideal for a honeymoon, romantic weeks, family vacations and resting weekends.  

Generally, Cat Ba Island Resort & Spa offers 165 spacious rooms and suites designed the concept of island-inspired decorations and modern amenities. The guests can choose amongst rooms with varied views and different types including deluxe suites and condo-style suites. Additionally, all rooms are equipped with flat-screen televisions, free wifi connection and many of them feature private balconies to overlook ocean views or mountain views. Cat Ba Island Resort & Spa also offers friendly lodgings for those who’re traveling with their pets. 

Outside the door room, tourists can immerse rays of sunshine on the Cat Ba seashore or on the deck chairs near two beachfront swimming pools which separates space for adults and family. Besides, you can enjoy Jacuzzi Spa with unique experiences at the relaxing beachfront resort. The resort also invites guests to enjoy tropical cocktails at lively Pirate Bar. The guests are delighted by the 100-square-foot Fitness Center in the resort and some activities like beach volleyball. Moreover, they can enjoy a peaceful garden featured with a green grass cover and a reflecting pond. Cat Ba Island Resort & Spa also offers a shuttle service to reach the city center being famous for friendly local shops, bustling nightlife, and dining. Besides, if you want to discover Cat Ba Island, you can find all kinds of packages at the receptionist’s desk. 

Especially, Cat Ba Island Resort & Spa is a distinctive destination for meetings and events. The resort will overwhelm guests with 6,000 square feet of function rooms and different details creating signature events. Whether you’re planning to organize a conference over 200 guests or a close wedding near the beach, Cat Ba Island Resort & Spa certainly brings you unforgettable experiences. 

Each type of room offers a different price. Prices are from VND 2,500,000 to 3,700,000 for 2 people/night 

To book the rooms,  contact via website. 

 Here is some information: 

  • Location: Catba Island Resort & Spa Cat Co 1, Catba Island, Cat Hai, Haiphong, Vietnam.  
  • Reception Tel: +84 (225) 368 8686 Fax: +84 (225) 368 8989 

4. Monkey Island Resort

Monkey Island Resort is perfectly located on an isolated beach of Monkey Island (also called Cat Dua Island) in Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba Island. It’s about 3,2 km far from Cat Ba Town and it takes about 10 mins for guests to get to this resort by boat from Ben Beo Harbour. 

All rooms in Monkey Island Resort are equipped comfortably for your staying with full modern facilities combining with distinctive views from the rooms and private balconies to contemplate hundreds of islets in front. The restaurant’s Monkey Island Resort lying next to the beach and spectacular eco garden serves the guests with Vietnamese cuisines and Western foods. Additionally, there might be great to take part in a daily BBQ party on the beach. 

The unique feature is that Monkey Island Resort is located on a private island in which tourists can see easily and play with friendly monkeys. Playing and feeding for monkeys are absolutely distinctive experiences that the resort brings to the guests. When staying in bungalows, you can feel the cozy atmosphere and be familiar with Vietnamese architecture. Most bungalows and furniture totally made of wood, which brings exceptional feelings for the guests. If you’re interested in watching monkeys and immersing in the natural environment, Monkey Island Resort will certainly be a perfect choice for you. 

For pricing, it offers reasonable prices for the guests. With different types of rooms, it costs different prices which are ranging from around VND 1,400,000 to 3,500,000 for 2 people per night. 

To book rooms, contact via its website 

Location: 25 Lac Trung Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi 

Tel: 0981 222 029 – Reservation: 0981 222 028 

Email: [email protected] 

5. Cat Ba beach resorts on Nam Cat Island

Being totally isolated from the mainland, Nam Cat Island Resort certainly makes guests satisfied with the preference of discovering and traveling. After 30 mins on board from Beo Harbour, the guests are present at a beautiful islet to explore spectacularly natural sceneries and provided accommodations with wooden houses being surrounded by cliffs. 

For rooms, you can choose rooms with a sea view and no air-conditioning and rooms with sea view and air-conditioning. Rooms with no air-conditioning have big windows and doors which brings a sense of being closer to the environment for the guests.

Nam Cat Island Resort offers the guests a wide range of services including kayaking, submarine diving, firewood camping, fishing at waiting for houses overnight, visiting Viet Hai Fishing Village, exploring Monkey Island and Lan Ha Bay as well. In the evening, you can go to the mountain bar for drinking, singing karaoke with many friends from different places. Maybe you can enjoy dancing before going to bed until midnight or walking with your partner on the beach nearby. 

Regarding pricing, Nam Cat Island Resort offers appropriate prices for the guests. It ranges from VND 1,200,000 to 2,000,000. 

To book the resort, contact its website

Here are some details of the resort: 

Address: CatBa – Hai Phong – Vietnam 

Hotline: Mrs. Diu 0977.157 822 – Mr. Vuong: 0989 555 773 – Mr. Phong: 0989 555 811 

Email: [email protected] 

6. Cat Ba Eco-Lodge Resort

Cat Ba Eco-Lodge Resort (originally Suoi Goi Resort) is approximately 13 km far from Cat Ba Town and it takes 15 mins to get to Cat Ba National Park. This resort is an absolutely different world of tranquility, pure air, magnificently natural beauty, and biodiversity. 

Lying on the top of a private hill in Xuan Dam Village, Cat Ba Eco-Lodge Resort is the most out-of-the-way resort in Cat Ba featured by primitive forests and melodic songs of various wild birds. Moreover, it’s designed and comforted in mind and Muong Ethnic Culture with rooms that are arranged in three separate buildings around the restaurant. 

Rooms at Cat Ba Eco-Lodge Resort are designed as wooden stilt house styles, with a long corridor. The rooms in this Cat Ba beach resorts are spacious and pretty suitable for those who travel in a big group of friends and for a family holiday. It’s noticeable that the resort helps guests immerse themselves with natural landscapes which is totally different from other resorts. 

Tourists are appealed by its friendly-environmentally surroundings and Muong people’s architectures. The bungalows and restaurants have lied deeply in the forest which makes the surrounding temperatures cooler. This helps the resort differentiate from others. Obviously, this resort is constructed as a place of peace and tranquility, providing guests an opportunity to escape from a bustling daily life and the workload. If you’re an environmental lover and seeking for a luxury vacation, Cat Ba Eco-Lodge Resort is an absolutely perfect option. 

In terms of pricing, the resort offers quite competitive, ranging from nearly VND 1,000,000 to 1,900,000. The prices are pretty cheaper than other resorts. 

For booking, contact it via website 

Location: Xuan Dam, Cat Ba, Hai Phong, Vietnam 

Office: 136 Ngoc Tri Street, Long Bien, Hanoi

Phone: (+84) 225 688 966 – (+84) 973238686

Email: [email protected] 

7. Cat Ba Beach Resort

Cat Ba Beach Resort is situated in Cat Co 2 Beach which is known as the most beautiful beach on Cat Ba Archipelago and featured by a primitive landscape and seascape and stretching white sandy beaches. 

The resort consists of 21 bungalows including Seaview Bungalow and Seafront Bungalow which brings a private space and comfort for guests and Duplex Family which provides the guests with a cozy atmosphere and conveniences. 

Additionally, coming to Cat Ba Beach Resort, tourists have chances to enjoy special and fresh dishes of seafood at Rock and Sea which are front beach restaurants. 

Like other resorts in Cat Ba Island, Cat Ba Beach Resort is in front of the beach with clear water and white sandy beach. However, the resort offers a large area for guests to go on a walk and relax under the canopy of coconut trees. This area is full of coconut trees and the path is arranged skilfully by a different piece of rock. 

More interestingly, the guests will have an opportunity to visit The Cannon Fort. From The Cannon Fort at the highest point of 177 meters, you can look forward to farthest distance, the ocean, the high mountain, blue clouds, and the skylines. All huge objects now look tidy in your eyes. Especially, it’s extremely marvelous to see the sunset on the top of Cat Ba Island.

The prices are ranging from VND 1,200,000 to 2,800,000 for 2 people/night.  

To book rooms, contact it via website

Address: Cat Co 2 Beach, Cat Ba town, Cat Hai, Hai Phong 

Tel: +84 31 3888 686

Hotline: 098 659 6363 | Email: [email protected]

All resorts mentioned above offer a good location, rooms with modern facilities and high quality of accompanied service regarding accommodation, restaurant, spa and tourism activities included. So, how can you decide the best place to stay? If you want real comfort, you can also choose to go on a cruise from Hai Phong and have a chance to visit all the major destinations in Cat Ba Island, coming back to the comfort of your room afterward. Unlike other Cat Ba beach resorts, Heritage Cruises offers authentic experiences on the cruise ship with modern amenities in Lan Ha Bay and Cat Ba Archipelago. If you’re interested in living on our cruises, you can contact us for more detail. Hopefully, that information might help you to choose a place to stay for your fascinating holiday on Cat Ba Island. 

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