Ngu Lam Peak – Hike Cat Ba National Park

Cat Ba Island is a phenomenal secret off the coast of Vietnam. By far, one of our favorite spots in the country, it is home to pristine wilderness. In Cat Ba National Park, we accidentally found ourselves taking the wrong hike and wound up at Ngu Lam Peak. Ngu Lam Peak offers great views and is a must-do for anyone visiting the island.

Ngu Lam Peak – Hike Cat Ba National Park

We started off our Cat Ba day by eating a meal at Buddha Belly in Cat Ba town, in preparation for our hike to come. We then returned to our Airbnb, and gathered our things in preparation for Ngu Lam Peak.

We rented a motorbike for the day from our host for 120,000 Dong (~$6) before making our way up the hill towards the town center, getting two liters of gas for 30,000 Dong (~$1.50) and continuing on the road.

You follow the main road for about 20 minutes (we took a few stops for pictures along the way) and then come upon the park headquarters and the main entrance to Cat Ba National Park. We parked our bike in the parking lot adjacent to the entrance and paid the entry fee of 40,000 Dong (~$2)  each and a parking fee of 5,000 Dong.

Normally, you can get a guide from the entrance, but this being the off-season, it didn’t seem like there was anyone there who would assist us – not that we wanted a guide, though. The person manning the entry gate told us, without prompting, that we would just keep going and there would be a sign that would point us to the trail.

The Signs Aren’t Always Clear, But It Doesn’t Matter

Originally, we thought we would be hiking the Lookout Tower Trail which is a very popular trail as it provides great views, a decent hike, and at a reasonable length. The guy at the entrance also assumed that this is the trail we were wanting, luckily he was right.

While we did hike this trail (we think), we did take a wrong turn somewhere and ended up climbing to Ngu Lam Peak instead of the Lookout Tower. This was no disappointment, though. 

The Specimen House

Upon entering the park, we came almost immediately upon the Specimen House. We decided to go in and take a look – and use the bathroom.

The house was pretty interesting, though a little bit of disrepair. There are two floors of rooms, each containing preserved animals endemic to Vietnam. Each room had its own theme: birds, reptiles, mammals, insects, and fish. While very interesting, it was also a little bit creepy. I would have liked to know a bit more, but unfortunately, nothing was in English. On the first floor is a giant relief map of the island that is worth a few minutes checking out.

Where Does The Hike Start?

We exited the house and then proceeded on down the small paved road. We passed by small homes with front gardens.

A few people were working the plots, and an old lady was selling drinks to hikers. We also passed by many dogs just lazing around in the dirt.

We continued on the road for a bit, wondering where the trail was going to be, and finally came to the end of the road, and the start of the trail.

The road culminated at what appeared to be a restaurant/bungalow. It appeared to be empty, but during peak season, we imagine it could be full of hikers taking a break or sleeping through a long trek. You could get food or drinks here. We ultimately didn’t get anything until our return (mistake, we were thirsty the whole way and hadn’t brought any water).

When You Enter The Jungle, Everything Else Fades Away

We climbed a few steps and then proceeded off to the left of the Lookout Tower Loop Trail. Almost immediately you dive straight into the jungle, climbing over twisted roots and navigating dangling vines. We visited in very early March on a somewhat cooler day, but in the summer the humidity and heat of the forest could certainly be too much to handle for some. But for us, the climb just had us take off our jackets a short way in.

Nearly the entire way was a pure climb up rough stone steps. There were barely, if any, flat parts. Luckily, the path was pretty clear and it isn’t difficult to get lost. But be prepared to take breaks as you climb so that you don’t exhaust yourself. Good shoes are also a must, especially if there has been a recent rain.

The limestone rocks are very jagged and very sharp. It would be very easy to trip, or twist an ankle and fall. A fall on these rocks will almost certainly result in some nasty cuts and injuries. Luckily we had no problems along the way.

Up, Up, Up

The climb up is pretty straightforward, although there are a few turns that veer off in directions that we weren’t sure about. But when in doubt climbing a mountain, you can’t really go wrong with “up”. So we continued to climb up.

In places, the trail devolved into just a scramble of jagged rocks that required all hands and feet to navigate. About an hour or so into the climb we came to a spot that gave us a little bit of confusion – the trail seemed to veer off to the left and right, but both ways were up.

We heard voices off to the left, so we chose left. This may have actually been the wrong direction, as we never actually made it to the lookout tower, but instead, we got to Ngu Lam Peak. At ~550 meters (~1705 feet), you get some great views.

More Stairs?

Near the top, a few steep stone staircases presented themselves and allowed us to climb out of the tangled underbrush and break through the canopy to spectacular sights. At the top of stairs and rocks, there was an observation tower (not the lookout tower) that made for a wonderful panoramic view of the park. We sat here for a few minutes enjoying the views before we noticed that there was yet another peak just a little bit further up the trail.

With a little convincing, I managed to get Briana to accompany me to the top of that peak. Here we were presented with even more great views, situated about a hundred feet higher than the previous peak. We sat on the ridge and rested for a few minutes.

Don’t Try This At Home

I saw a cool little perch a ways over and took a (dangerous) climb over to it. I was very carefully climbing my way along the edge of a cliff face, with roughly a 300-foot drop on my left before it began to slope out to the floor about a thousand feet down.

Once at my perch though, I got a nice view, and a couple good shots. When I was ready, I carefully made my way back to the ridge and then we proceeded on down the trail.

Ultimately, we spent around an hour at peak, it’s really not too difficult to do so. But if you visit in the summer, be warned that the peak is completely exposed. So make sure to wear sunscreen and bring water. Also, pay attention to any storms that could pop up, as the peak is sure to be a magnet for lighting.

Descending Back Into The Jungle

Our descent went rather quickly but was just as difficult as the way up. Descending had to be done very carefully, and required a lot of assistance from trees, railing where available, and at times just turning backward and literally climbing down.

At one point, there was a lot of rustling off tot he left, but we could never quite make out just what it was we were hearing. We thought we saw a bushy tail or two, but the forest creature(s) was elusive. We had thought about trying to go up the trails that we had passed on our way up, but our legs were pretty tired, and we were very thirsty, so we just went down instead.

Lazy Dog Days

Along our way back we passed several more dogs out relaxing in the sun, and later a dog interested in some monkeys (caged for rehabilitation) we passed by at one point. We heard some commotion as we went past this area and think one of the monkeys may have reached through the cage to provoke the dog.

Finally, we came back down and arrived at the little bungalow again. And here we bought ourselves a lemon green tea. It was very good, and just what we needed.

We did explore another area which did not involve any steep incline on the way back. The climb was good, and it was a great journey through the jungle. It’s certainly not easy, and if you have knee problems you may want to avoid the hike – but if you can handle a little workout it’s certainly worth the trip.

Prepare for your Hike!

Cat Ba Island is pretty remote, and this hike is even more remote. Chances are that you’re really going to be left to your own devices when hiking this trail, and if you’re unprepared, things could go wrong. It is a rough trail with steep drop-offs in the middle of the jungle after all. We’re here to help you a bit, that way you can fully enjoy your hike safely.

While hiking Ngu Lam Peak was easy enough for us to manage on our own, Cat Ba National Park is huge and has many other hikes. Some of those hikes should not be taken alone, but if you have the time are well worth the effort. A popular full-day hike will take you through Frog Lake and on to Viet Hai village, where you will get to have a local lunch as well. Book your hike here.

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• A Good Pack – The right pack can make a world of difference. Out in the jungles of Vietnam, you don’t want to go unprepared. We’ve got a guide that will help you get the right fit for you.
• 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. This trail takes you through very steamy jungle, and bugs are certainly buzzing around. A recent addition to my wardrobe has made a big difference. For him | For her
• Raingear – This is a tropical jungle after all, and storms in Vietnam don’t mess around. 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 folds into itself making it very easy to carry or pack. For him | For her
• Headlamps – Getting caught in the jungle at dark can be frightening, or downright deadly. We’ve gotten caught in the dark on trails that went longer than expected, and we’ve intentionally entered caves – in all cases, headlamps are essential so that you can see where you’re going hands-free. On this trail, 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 – We did not have poles with us on this hike, but boy do we wish we had. The trail was 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. 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
• Water Filters – There’s few worse than getting lost and running out of water. These drinking straws allow you to drink straight from the source of almost any water and have a safe drink. LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
• 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
• Sun Screen – If you don’t cover up with clothes, then you should wear sunscreen, especially in the tropics. TSA Approved Sunscreen
• Bug Repellant – As one might imagine, the jungles of tropical Vietnam are full of mosquitos and other nasties that bite. No one wants to come down with the awful diseases these bugs bring. Unfortunately, there is no way to deal with these other than to be proactive. These wipes serve us well and they are small enough to fit in your carry-on! Off! Deep Woods Towelettes

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