Haiphong Holiday Weather today
Date/time of update: April 18, 2024, 9:43 am, Timezone: GMT+7
Broken Clouds
Temperature: 28.98°C
Temperature feels like: 33.45°C
Minimum Temperature: 28.98°C
Maximum Temperature: 28.98°C
Atmospheric pressure: 1003hPa
Humidity:74%
Visibility: 10000m
Wind speed: 5.14m/sec
Wind Direction: 170 degrees
Cloudiness: 75%
Sunrise: 2024-04-17 10:32:23
Sunset: 2024-04-18 11:13:11
Cat Ba Island is located south of Ha Long Bay, the island is under the administration of Hai Phong City.
Travel Guide to Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong
People and Population
There are 7 villages on Cat Ba Island and floating villages on the surrounding waters of the island. The main town is located to the southern most point of the island. The town can be explored on foot in 30 minutes.
What to See, Tourist Attractions on Cat Ba Island
Nice places to see in Cat Ba are the national park which can be done on a sightseeing trip or safari or trekking trip; the tranquil powdery white-sand beaches; the exotic fish market and the very relaxing walk on the waterfront.
A floating village near Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong, Vietnam
1/ Cat Ba National Park
The island is 354 km2 and inhabited by 25,000 people. Half of the Island and about 90 km2 of the surrounding water was declared a national park in 1986.
In the national park, there is a special kind of trees called Kim Giao which was used to make chopsticks for the royal families as it has the capability to recognize poisons in food. In the water of the national park, there's a kind of oyster-like creature called Tu Hai which is said to be endemic to the area. Besides there are the white-headed black monkeys inhabiting the rock cliffs on the edge of the islands. This type of monkeys is listed among the endangered species.
Floating Village near Cat Ba Island
2/ Cat Co Beaches
There are three beaches under the name Cat Co 1, Cat Co 2, Cat Co 3 which is 800m from the center of Cat Ba Town. The sand is fine and there are vertical and tall rock cliffs. The waves are quite rough and it is recommended you swim far from the cliffs.
3/ Cat Dua Beach, Cat Dua Island ( Monkey Island)
The beach on the Cat Dua Island can only be reached by a 15-minute boat trip. There are monkeys on the island hence another name Monkey Island.
4/ Quan Y Cave (Military Hospital Cave)
The wave was a shelter of a military medical team during the war.
5/ Trung Trang Cave
Another big and lovely cave, 300m from the Quan Y Cave.
6/ Thien Long Cave
The cave to the north of the island has amazing stalactites and stalagmites.
7/ Viet Hai Fishing Village
The village can be reached on a bicycle trip or via trekking through Cat Ba National Park.
8/ Canon Fortress (High Point 177)
The fortress is on top of a high mountain at Cat Ba Town offering great views of the whole surroundings.
9/ Ben Beo Pier
The pier offers great islands in the Lan Ha Bay.
Cat Ba Island Fish Harbor
10/ Cai Beo Fishing Village
The floating village is on the Lan Ha Bay. Local people catch and raise fish in cages underneath their houses.
11/ Lan Ha Bay
The bay is similar to Halong Bay. You can have a day trip on the bay visiting several deserted beaches and limestone caves and islands.
12/ Cat Ba Market
This is where locals trade their daily catch and daily necessary items.
Cat Ba Island Pier
Things to Do, Travel and Tours on Cat Ba Island
1/ Adventure Tours, Trekking Tours, Nature Tours
Cat Ba Island offers the travellers eco tours, adventure tours and relaxing holidays. You can have a short hiking tour for an hour to Ma Yen Peak and get rewarded with the panoramic view of the surroundings.
For those that want to have a hard adventure, then you can go trekking through the national park which takes a full day. It's recommended that you have hiking boots and insect repellents for the hiking and trekking trips. Alternatively you just want to get relaxed by the pristine beaches for the whole day. The beaches have white fine sand and very nice, but maybe crowded in the summer time when the Vietnamese travel.
2/ Day Boat Trips on the Lan Ha Bay
The waters surrounding Cat Ba Island offer unreal paradise with towering islands and small patches of powdery white sand. You can take part in one of Paradissa's discovery trips by boat or by kayak exploring the islands with secret lagoons and caves in the area. If you want to get wild, then sleeping on the deserted beaches could be an unforgettable experience.
3/ Luxury Travel, Luxury Junk Cruise on the Lan Ha Bay
There are luxury hotels and resorts on the Cat Ba Island that people can splurge for a week. Alternatively you can take on one of several luxury junk cruises on the Lan Ha Bay.
Where to Stay, Accommodation
There are many hotels on Cat Ba Island ranging from simple guest houses to luxurious 4 star resort. Rooms and services range from simple to very good. There are luxury junk cruises travel between Hai Phong and Cat Ba Island for 2 or 3 days with overnight on board.
Booking accommodations can be very difficult and expensive in the summer.
Getting there and away
1/ By road
The town of Cat Ba is about 60 km from Hai Phong. The road trip takes a few hours and involves a ferry crossing which may take a long time. Several Vietnamese tourists do this route and it is not recommended to the foreign travellers since it's not hassle-free some time.
2/ By boat via Ha Long Bay
This route is recommended as you can combine the trip to Cat Ba with a relaxing cruise through the most stunning area of Ha Long Bay. Take a private boat ride or ferry ride to Gia Luan Village on the Cat Ba Island where you start your discovery of Cat Ba.
3/ By speed boat from Hai Phong
There are speed boats running between Hai Phong and Cat Ba Island everyday. The trip takes an hour and require an overnight stay in Hai Phong if you don't want to get up early. Alternatively you can take the local ferry which takes 3 hours. The sea can be very rough in summer time.
Getting around
1/ On foot
You can explore Cat Ba Town on foot which takes 30 minutes or go trekking in the forest for the whole day.
2/ Xe Om (motorbike taxi)
This can be very fun experience for the adventure travellers to explore different places on the island. You can get the fresh air and be amid nature riding the motorbike around.
3/ By car
You can travel to the national park or explore the island by car from the town center. The road trip takes around 30 minutes to 1 hour.
4/ By boat
Traveling to Cat Ba from Ha Long Bay offers you a complete experience of this World Heritage Site. Otherwise you can hire a boat or kayaks and explore the surrounding areas and get exposed to the pristine nature.