Cat Ba Island

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)

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. 

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.

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).