A month in Vietnam: Part 7 - Cat Ba Island

Boat tour through Halong Bay near Cat Ba Island

Cat Ba Island was the final stop on our month-long journey through Vietnam, before we all headed home via Hanoi. The island is located in the north of Vietnam near Hanoi, and is right next to the famous Halong Bay, which is considered one of Vietnam's most beautiful landscapes. A lot of people stay in the small city nearby and take boat cruises through the bay, but if you have more time, choosing to stay on Cat Ba Island may be a much nicer experience.

The island is accessible by ferries, which you can buy tickets for in Hanoi or possibly other areas nearby. We were able to arrange a bus and ferry through our hostel in Phong Nha. Once arriving on Cat Ba, you board a second bus which takes you into the main town on the island. 

Since it was the last part of our trip we really wanted to just take our time on Cat Ba and relax before heading home. Anna and I even splurged on a fancy private room in a hotel, which was totally worth the money after weeks of night buses and shared rooms. Most people just spend 2-3 days on the island, but if you have the time, it's a great place to just relax for awhile and explore.

Short walk to one of the town's beaches

Beach near Cat Ba town

Cat Ba Town harbor

Cat Ba Town loves it some LED lights

The town itself has a lot of good food and a couple of beaches that you can walk to. In the summer months, I think it gets pretty crowded and there's more nightlife. In February, it was a bit cold and rainy, but we still occasionally had warm, sunny weather. If you're missing western food, Cat Ba town had some pretty good options, as well as a very tasty vegetarian restaurant called Buddha Belly.

View from the old fort

We went on a short hike up to the old fort above Cat Ba town, which has been converted into a park. It's about a 15 or 20 minute walk from town. In the park you can walk through the fort, which has some old tunnels and military equipment. There is also a great view of the many islands surrounding Cat Ba and it's supposed to be especially nice at sunset. 

You can also rent motorbikes and just wander around the island or get to some of the other hikes in the area. We chose to just explore on foot and took a long walk one day to a little beach that was covered in beautiful shells, and picked up a little friend along the way.

The main attraction on Cat Ba is the boat tours around the islands and outdoor sports. We chose a tour from one of the many agencies in town that offered to go through both the quieter areas and Halong Bay, with a couple of hours of kayaking and lunch provided. For all that was being offered the price was very reasonable.

Floating fishing village near Cat Ba Island

Dogs playing on the boardwalk of a fishing village

Our guide was a local who spoke English well, and he did a great job of telling us about the area and pointing out landmarks along the tour. At the beginning we passed by some of the floating villages, where people have built interconnected houseboats with walkways in between. You could even see pet dogs and cats running around the boardwalks. 

Passing through a small cave into an enclosed lake

In my happy place

The kayaking was amazing; it was in fairly smooth waters in between the islands, and we went through small caves into enclosed lakes where you can sometimes see monkeys. We were not so lucky, but I love kayaking, the scenery was beautiful, and the weather was perfect, so I was having a great time regardless. I've done kayaking in the past, but no experience was necessary to try it out on the tour. 

After lunch the boat stopped in an area where it's possible to jump off and swim, which a few people did despite the fact that it was starting to get cloudier and cooler at that point. We also got to do some bonus kayaking around another couple of small islands. 

On the way back we all relaxed on the cushions on the top deck, enjoying the fresh air and the amazing views. It was the best way possible to end our time in Vietnam.