Cát Bà Island

I excepted more, but Cat Ba island is not really what I thought. Everything in the main island is quite basic, constructions, overpriced restaurants, not good quality seafood (some still nice but not all),… Only thing I can enjoy more is going to see the sea with the boat tour: nice sea with sunny light, you can take nice pictures and can go swimming there too, visit some caves bypass,… Think 3 days is enough to visit there.

Lots of construction on main beach - no access to beach and a sky full of cranes….id give this place a miss till they finish the work over the next 5 years. We stayed long enough to do a bay day tour (excellent) but the vibe on the main drag sort of ruined it we left a day early

Amazing experience in my life time . Thanks for preserving it . Enjoyed each and every moment starting from yatch cruise , swimming , banana boat ride

The main best attraction is an overnight cruise to Lan ha Bay and Ha Long Bay. Recommend going with Cat Ba Ventures. You may also want to spend an overnight here before the cruise or afterwards. (downside is that there is a lot of trash and debris in the water which is disturbing as a “westerner”. There appears to be no effort by the government to require the local operators of the day cruises or the local fisherman to keep the water clean. Vietnam should follow the example of the Philippines in Palawan, where the beautiful waters are treasured, and the scuba diving and snorkeling is phenomenal.) We stayed at the Moon Boutique which is affiliated with Cat Ba Ventures. It’s very cute hotel and reasonably priced with a very good breakfast. Cat Ba Ventures will also arrange for your transportation from Hanoi or Ninh Binh/Tam Coc . However, if your budget is a bit higher, consider staying at the 5 star Perle d’Oriente hotel, which is adjacent to Cat Co 3 beach with a lovely pool, a nice beach, a full pool side bar. Just a note, there is a lot of construction going on by Son world of a huge hotel complex with a man-made beach and yacht Harbour, which commenced in late 2024, and as I understand, it is scheduled to be a five-year project. But if you take the cruise boats, you will not see or be bothered by the construction.(Moon Boutique does look out on the construction. The five star hotel, Perle does not. )

Construction going on atm until 2030 at the front but if you take scooter you see beautiful beaches and coast - it’s just one part of the island when there’s so many other wonderful treasures that the island offers

Took cable car to this island, nice aerial view along the way. Went to village and saw heaps of water buffalos. From here, took the boat out to Lan Ha Bay which is very nice.

I really like this place very beautiful and peaceful, on the main island of Cat Ba there is a small town, but quite modern. People here live by seafaring and tourism, they are trying to catch up with the hustle and bustle of tourists from outside arriving on the island. However, the service here is not always good, when experiencing the restaurant here you should pay the price before ordering.

Great town for doing tours from or hiking in the national park. Some things were under repair from a storm in September 2024.