Cat Ba Island Travel Guide – Vietnam

Exploring Cat Ba island, the largest island in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay is a highlight of any trip. Unknown to most travelers, this island is a perfect gateway to Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay. This guide will show you all you need to know to make magic happen.

Cat Ba Island Travel Guide – Vietnam

Our trip through Vietnam had been quite tiring and overwhelming. The cities are huge, bustling, and crowded. The air is smoggy and hard to breathe. We were getting quite ready to cut our stay within Vietnam short of our 3 month Visa, but we still had a few things we wanted to check out. Ha Long Bay was on our to-do list, so we decided that we would do that, then figure out what we wanted to do afterward. Ultimately, we settled upon Cat Ba island.

Upon a little research, Briana found a much better way to experience Ha Long. Typically, most people will shuttle onto a junk for 2 or 3 days and explore the bay this way while paying upwards of $150 per person. What Briana managed to find, was Cat Ba Island. Cat Ba is the largest island in Ha Long Bay, residing in the southwestern edge of the bay, and has several small towns on the island. Upon checking it out, we realized that we could spend more than a week on the island and still take a boat trip out from the island – for a cheaper price than the standard Ha Long excursion.

 

Traveling to Cat Ba Island

With a little work, we managed to figure out the journey to the island. It required several buses, and a ferry to get there, as no planes service the island. But, despite that, it was actually quite easy to manage.

For a full walk-through on how to arrive at Cat Ba Island, check out this post.

Upon arriving on the island, you immediately feel like you’re visiting Jurassic Park. Tall limestone karst cliffs rise from the sea, and dense, lush jungle clings to every surface. Swifts zip across the sky while other birds call out in the distance. We came in the off-season, at the end of February, and it was quite chilly upon arrival with a mist obscuring parts of the island – adding to the mystique.

There Are Only A Few Small Towns

Cat Ba Island is the largest island in Ha Long Bay but is mostly rainforest and jungle. The island is populated but has only a few settlements:

• Cat Ba Town – on the southern tip of the island, this is where you will be dropped off and spend the majority of your time. There are numerous hostels, homestay, hotels, and resorts to stay at. You can also find many restaurants, tour agencies, and sundry shops.
• Viet Hai Village – on the eastern tip of the island, accessible primarily by boat. Most people won’t venture here as you need to arrive by boat and it is a fishing port with little tourist infrastructure. However, a strenuous hike through the Cat Ba National park does end in Viet Hai Village, where a ferry will take you back to Cat Ba Town.
• Floating village – off the eastern coast of the island, the floating village is enormous and impressive. But, you will not be visiting unless you arrange for a private boat or take a junk boat excursion into the bay. More people live in the various floating villages than they do on the island itself.

Along the few roads that cross the island, you can find small homesteads and communities. Some of the larger valleys have rice paddies and small farms. While these are certainly small villages, they don’t have any proper names.

Despite a dramatic increase in tourism, the island remains a mostly forgotten paradise. Although there is some tourism, the crowds haven’t really hit Cat Ba yet – but we recommend checking out the island soon, it’s bound to be found out by the masses sooner or later. Coming in the off-season, there were very few people here, and it wasn’t exactly beach weather.

The water is pretty cool, and it’s overcast a lot, but it’s actually really good for exploring the island. During the summer, it can get sweltering and hiking could be miserable. As well, the waters in the bay can get very rough during the summer, while the off-season has very calm waters making for a more enjoyable tour of the bay.

Step Into A Primordial Jungle

A majority of Cat Ba Island remains undeveloped jungle and wilderness. It’s really not surprising either. Once you start to explore the island, you realize just how easy it is for the island to remain remote – steep, jagged, limestone karst mountains rise from the floor throughout. It’s truly a scene that will send you back a few million years.

Cat Ba National Park

Most of the island, in fact, is a part of Cat Ba National Park, with some communities living within the park itself. Established in 1986, the park covers 263 square kilometers, with 173 being land, and 90 of inshore water. The park is a special-use forest, as one of the world’s biosphere reserves.

The park is home to 282 species of animal, comprising of 32 mammals, 78 birds, 20 reptiles, and 11 amphibians. The most famous of these is the Golden Langur, which is highly endangered with only about 60 individuals left in the world. The likelihood of running across one of these though is highly unlikely. The park is made up of three zones: a visitor zone, a research zone, and an off-limits zone.

A Large Swath Is Protected

Most people visiting will only be able to go through the visitor zones, which encompass the hiking trails, zoo, and various other locations throughout such as the frog pond or the jungle village. The research zone can be accessed by rangers, researchers, and some students, and it is here that park officials conduct preservation experiments and probe the jungle for more information. The off-limits zone, which is located in the north-east of the island, and very difficult to attempt to reach, is off-limits to everyone and only accessed by officials and researchers in a strictly observational setting.

These protocols are established to help ensure the integrity of the forest and the park. Entering the park will cost 40,000 Dong per person, and parking (if you drove) will cost an additional 5,000. You can hire a guide as well for some excursions (recommended for some) but it is not necessary.

What To Do In Cat Ba National Park

There is plenty to do in Cat Ba National Park and you could easily make a week of it if you so desired. While we did not do all of these, I can give a little explanation to them. Some of the most notable items you can participate in are:

• Specimen House – upon entering the park from its headquarters, there is a large two-storied building to your left. Within the house are restrooms for you to use as well as several rooms displaying preserved or stuffed animals endemic to Vietnam. The specimen house seems to have seen better days, it is a bit of disrepair, and there are no signs in English. However, it is still worth a look for some interesting views.
• The Zoo – there is a zoo at the end of a 30-minute trail. We began our way down it at one point, but as the day was getting on, we decided to turn back. Near the entrance to the trail, however, is a cage for rehabilitating monkeys as well as a large field for deer.
• Trung Trang Cave – this cave is across from the entrance on the main road before you make it to the park headquarters if coming from Cat Ba town. However, the gates are locked and you will need to check with a ranger at the gate to get them to open it for you. Sometimes the cave floods or may need to be closed for various reasons. Rangers recommend you bring a flashlight as well.
• Butterfly Valley Trail – This trail leads to superb rock climbing on the island. Prices vary, but you can rent equipment from park officials at the cliffs who will assist you in climbing the difficult faces. We did not do this but overheard at dinner someone says the gear is in top shape, and they know what they are doing. The trail is a 3-hour hike from the park headquarters. You can ride a bike down the trail as well. It is recommended to organize a tour to do this.
• Frog Pond – Normally this pond is accessible via the Cang Viet Hai Trail. For those who do not wish to partake in such a strenuous hike, there is an access road that looks like it can be mostly ridden by motorbike. The road is just beyond the headquarters on your right.
• Cang Viet Hai Trail – This is the shining jewel of the hikes on Cat Ba, but it is very difficult. It is 18km and climbs up and down the mountains multiple times. It is recommended that you take a guide, but it is possible to go it alone. With a guide, you begin at 8 am and hike up to Frog Pond, you will then continue on until you reach a native village deep within the jungle. Here you break and eat lunch. If you are going alone, you may rent a bed for the night at their bungalow. After lunch, you proceed until you reach the ocean on the eastern tip of the island. There is a small town here, accessed via boat where the guide will arrange for a boat back to Cat Ba town. If you go alone, it is difficult to get a boat back and if you do they are likely to overcharge you, so you’ll most likely be hiking the whole way back to the park headquarters. We recommend a tour.
• Hospital Cave – the hollowed remains of a hospital during the Indochine War, you can access the cave via a hiking route from the park headquarters. The hike takes around a half day to get there and back at a length of 4 km. Or you can take our route and just stop off on the side of the road.
• Waterfall Sunset Trail – This trail can be accessed from the park headquarters and makes a steep 40 min climb up and down each. The trail is one of the shorter ones you can take, but will apparently give you a great view of some select waterfalls.
• Lookout Tower Trail – this is the trail that we took – Ngu Lam Peak – and we highly recommend it. This trail is a very steep, and moderately difficult trail. You should allow yourself about 3 – 4 hours for this to thoroughly enjoy it. The trail winds its way through the jungle culminating at the peak providing spectacular views from a lookout tower. Beware, this trail is hard on the knees and is not for those in poor shape.

What To Do In Cat Ba Town

Cat Ba Town waterfront offers a nice selection of hotels and hostels to choose from, as well as many affordable restaurants and cafes. There are also a number of activities to choose from.

• Cannon Fort – overlooking Cat Ba Town you can visit Cannon Fort – a Japanese installation from WWII as well as a monument dedicated to Ho Chi Minh.
• Ha Long Bay – this is the main reason that people will visit the island. We recommend this route for seeing the bay as it is actually cheaper to do so, and you get to see more. While those leaving from Haiphong only see Ha Long, from Cat Ba you also get to see Lan Ha Bay and go kayaking. We went through CatBaVentures.

When it came to food, we tried a few places, but we frequented two places every day.

• Buddha Belly – a wonderful Vegan restaurant with friendly staff. The food was filling, satisfying, and sanitary.
• Cat Ba Family Bakery – a simple bakery that was adjacent to our accommodation, we picked up sweets most days and grabbed a few Bahn Mi as well.

Biker’s Paradise

The best way to really see the island though is to rent a motorbike for the day and go exploring. The roads are practically empty and in good shape. With a tank of gas, you can easily traverse the entire island, exploring the mountains and valleys in the most fun way possible. Don’t bother with a Xe Om, just get on and ride. If you’ve never ridden, there’s no better place to learn.

What’s In A Name?

Cat Ba Island means – Sandy Woman Island. According to legend, three women washed ashore upon the island having drowned. The Islanders were saddened and built a temple to commemorate each one.

Over time, the island came to be known as the sandy woman island – Cat Ba Island. There are three beaches on the island, aptly named Cat Co 1, Cat Co 2, and Cat Co 3. All the beaches are located on the southern tip near the town.

The beaches have been dominated by the only resort style hotels on the island, but are still public access. If you want an even more secluded stay, you can make the jaunt over to Monkey Island. It’s just a ferry ride away, if you’ve made it as far as Cat Ba, it shouldn’t be a problem to figure out how to make it there.

An Island Worth Multiple Visits

We enjoyed Cat Ba immensely. It has probably been the highlight of our time in Vietnam. Here we tasted rural and secluded Vietnam. We traversed the jungle and saw life outside the city. It was mostly quiet, and the air was fresh.

People are generally happier here than in the city. The dogs certainly were happy running up and down the streets. We liked it so much here, that we immediately extended our stay on the island by several days.

The island truly is beautiful, and we can’t recommend it enough. There is so much to do here, and it’s much more relaxed Vietnam than Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi.

Be Prepared!

Cat Ba Island is pretty remote, so if you don’t bring everything you need with you, you’re likely to not find it on the island. Chances are that you’re really going to be left to your own devices with most activities on the island, and if you’re unprepared, things could go wrong. We’re here to help you a bit, that way you can fully enjoy time on Cat Ba Island.

• Travel Pack – Not sure what is the right luggage to bring with you to this beautiful island? Well, we’ve made our ultimate guide to choosing a travel pack, and it goes over everything you need to know to put you on the right footing.
• Water Bottles – Collapsible Water Bottles – These are some of our favorite items to bring with us. They’re really light-weight and you can also roll them up so you can store them away easily. If there is one item that is most important to bring with you, it is water.
• Hiking Clothes – It can be really tempting to just throw on your regular day clothes and march out into the jungle, and I won’t lie, we’ve done this more often than not. Cat Ba Island a very steamy jungle, and bugs are certainly buzzing around. A recent addition to my wardrobe has made a big difference so that I can be protected and comfortable. For him | For her
• Raingear – This is a tropical jungle after all, and storms in Vietnam don’t mess around. Keeping dry can mean the difference between happy and miserable. I really like this jacket because it’s light enough to wear without getting hot, but if it’s cool out – it will also keep you from getting chilled. As a plus, it can be folded into itself making it very easy to carry around or pack. For him | For her
• Headlamps – Getting caught in the jungle at dark can be frightening, or downright deadly depending on the location.  Cat Ba is not well lit and if you visit Hospital Cave you’re going to need a light, you definitely do not want to be stuck in the dark and you want your hands to be free, so we recommend these. Foxelli Headlamp Flashlight
• Trekking Poles – The trails are steep and treacherous and some trekking poles for stability would have helped greatly. Instead, we were constantly having to find good spots to stop and either push or pull the other to a safer position. Had we brought trekking poles, everything would have been easier. These are great because they can support a lot of weight, and when not in use they can collapse down for easier carrying. Trekking Poles
• First-aid Kit – You really need to be prepared for anything when hiking, which means you need to be prepared for injury. We don’t often get hurt, but we have. You never know what could happen so you should always carry a basic first aid kit to be able to patch up whatever may happen. First-Aid Kit
• Bug Repellant – As one might imagine, the jungles of tropical Vietnam just might be full of mosquitos and other nasties that bite. No one wants to come down with malaria, dengue, or any of the other awful diseases these bugs bring. Unfortunately, there is no way to deal with these really other than to be proactive. Off! Deep Woods Towelettes

Cat Ba Island Travel Guide – Vietnam

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