Cat Ba Island

Đảo Cát Bà

The largest island on the south side of Ha Long Bay, offering national park hiking, sunsets from Cannon Fort and the beaches of Cat Ba town; a base for exploring Lan Ha Bay away from the crowds.

Cat Ba Island covers about 285 square km. It is the largest island in the Ha Long Bay–Cat Ba Archipelago, belongs to Hai Phong city, and was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2004. Cat Ba National Park on the island protects the Cat Ba langur (golden-headed langur), of which only about 70 are left in the world. Cat Ba town at the southern tip is the island's only town, and the seafront road along the bay is lined with hotels, seafood restaurants and travel agencies. East of the town are three small beaches, Cát Cò 1, 2 and 3, linked on foot or by a mountain path, where swimming is possible. On the mountaintop west of the town is Cannon Fort (entry about 80,000 VND), a gun-battery site from WWII and the anti-French resistance. It offers a 360-degree view over Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba town and the sunset over the bay, making it the island's best viewpoint. The national park in the island's center has the Ngự Lâm Peak viewing trail (about one hour round trip, entry about 80,000 VND), or a full-day hike across to Việt Hải village. Hospital Cave, a wartime underground hospital (entry about 40,000 VND), is also near the park. Transport: the Cat Ba cable car across the sea, which opened in 2024, runs from Cat Hai, opposite Got Pier in Hai Phong, to the north of the island, then a bus goes into town. Alternatively, a combined bus and speedboat from Hanoi takes about 4 hours (about 300,000 VND). Motorbikes can be rented on the island for about 150,000 VND per day. A good plan is two nights: one day for a boat trip on Lan Ha Bay, and one day for the national park and Cannon Fort. Note: room prices double during Vietnam's summer season in July and August. Bring plenty of water for national park hikes, and watch for slippery paths after rain. Golden-headed langurs are extremely hard to see, so don't count on spotting them.

Cat Ba Island

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