There is sometimes the tendency to assume that Cat Ba Island is nothing more than a stop-off point for tourists on the way to Lan Ha Bay. The natural beauty and history that reach most corners of the Gulf of Tonkin’s largest island beg to differ, even enough for UNESCO to declare Cat Ba Island a ‘Man and Biosphere Reserve Area’ for its importance in the lives of humans, animals, and plants over the course of its ancient history.
There are no shortages of things to do on Cat Ba Island, but picking just a handful of activities before heading out to Lan Ha Bay can be tricky if you’re short on time. At Amazing Halong Tour, we’ve found 5 of Cat Ba Island’s top attractions and present them to you here so that you can make the most of your trip to the stunning archipelago of 367 limestone outcrops.
Things to do at Cat Ba Island:
1. Go Swimming at Cat Co Beaches
There are three beaches on Cat Ba Island which are named Cat Co 1, 2 and 3, located pretty near the central town. The beaches are blessed with golden sandy shores and turquoise colored seawater and filled with tourist services from electric cars, food and drink to beachside activities. Water games are available at Cat Co 1 and 2.
On summer holidays, the beaches can get pretty crowded so if you want to have the beaches all to yourself, come early in the morning.
Cat Co 1 and 2 are also the beaches where you can witness a magical natural phenomenon: bioluminescent plankton. About an hour after twilight, the beach of Cat Co 2 begins to sparkle with the blue tiny dots from the marine organisms lighting up as a mechanism of defense against predators.
2. Trek Cat Ba National Park
Like Phu Quoc Island, Cat Ba Island also has a national park which offers great opportunities for trekking and hiking. Covers more than half of the island, Cat Ba National Park is at heart of the UNESCO Cat Ba Archipelago Biosphere Reserve and home to thousands of species including higher plants, terrestrial animals, birds and more.
The park contains in total 6 different ecosystem types which are a tropical rain forest, mangrove forest, tidal flat, marine lake, coral red, and soft bottom.
3. Feed The Monkeys at Monkey Island
There are up to 9 trekking trails and 5 boat trips for you to choose. The most popular tour that we’re recommending is the National Park – Frog Lake – Viet Hai Village Trail which is 14 km long, including 2 hours of boat and kayaking. National Park – Frog Lake is the most basic trail you can enjoy in the park.
Cat Dua (Pineapple) island or often known as Monkey Island is located in the area of Nam Cat, Lan Ha Bay. To get to this island, you’ll go to Beo harbor, hire a boat to go to Monkey Island. It only takes you 15 minutes before the pristine, beautiful island appears in front of your eyes.
Monkey island is about 5 km round with the front side are 2 sandy beaches and the backside is like a rocky mountain. The beaches here are very beautiful with pineapple trees on the beach and any kind of green trees on the mountain.
The most unique feature of the island are the monkeys – there are about 20 individuals living on the island’s forest. When the tourists come, the monkey comes down and get close in order to get food. You can feed them but it’s not wise to tease or bother them because they do bite and fight back.
4. Visit Cat Ba rustic fishing villages
Viet Hai Village is the top fishing village to visit in Cat Ba. The village is located about 18 kilometers from Cat Ba town, stretching beautifully along the coastline. One choice to visit the village is trekking the trail from Cat Ba National Park, passing Frog Lake.
Come to Viet Hai, visitors can enjoy the idyllic natural scenery, tranquil atmosphere and the simple, peaceful way of life of local people. You can also the friendliness of the villagers who are mostly farmers. Viet Hai is that place to be if you want to stay away from the busy world out there.
Cai Beo Floating Village
Located at Hung Thang Commune, Cai Beo isn’t only the oldest fishing village in Vietnam but also an archaeological site in the coastal area and the northeast island of Vietnam. It’s definitely a must-see spot to see around Cat Ba.
The village is home to more than 300 households and more than 600 people, highlighted in the backdrop of the marvelous sight of Lan Ha Bay. Floating houses are linked together into a group with cages raising fishes under the surface of the water. Seafood like fish, shrimp, geoduck …here is cheaper and fresher even.
5. Watch Sunset at Cannon Fort
The Cannon Fort on Cat Ba Island has long been the famous spot to enjoy the sunset with a view directly to the surrounding islands and Lan Ha Bay. Also known as High Point 177 or Divine fortress, a historical site where you can find tunnel system, cannons, and trench fortifications built about 40 years ago.
Especially when the day fades away, the sun glowing like a coal equivocal after the mountain, visitors will enjoy the sediment, romantic sunset on the sea.
6. Enjoy Cat Ba Island's Seafood
Like every island in Vietnam, Cat Ba offers the highest quality and quantity of seafood. If you’re looking for a gourmet BBQ party in Vietnam, Cat Ba is an excellent option. The restaurants here have great views of the bay, a diverse menu consisting of seafood goodies such as lobsters, shrimps, squids, fishes, abalone, and the list goes on.
One thing to take into consideration: the prices for seafood here are not cheap because Cat Ba town is heavily touristic but it comes with quality.
7. Cat Ba Town Nightlife
Nightlife in Cat Ba Island is quite limited when compared to Phu Quoc Island. However, you can still have a decent nightlife experience in Cat Ba Town. Here are our suggestions:
Have a bowl of local noodle soup: Hai Phong is famous for rice noodle soup with crab meat. There are quite a number of sidewalk stalls and small restaurants open until late. Sitting down to dig in a steaming bowl after a short walk would be a wonderful experience to do in Cat Ba town at night.
Ride the tandem bike with your friends and loved one: there is a service of renting a tandem bike, charged on hours. It’s a fun thing to do, especially with your friends and loved ones. You can just ask the hotels or resorts you’re staying to arrange for you.
Day Trips from Cat Ba Island
1. Halong Bay - Bai Tu Long Bay
Lying almost adjacent to Cat Ba, Halong is a wonderful day trip you can easily combine into your day cruise around the area. Halong has been known long ago as a world heritage site. Thousands of limestone islands and islets scatter all over the green water bay create such breath-taking scenery for any visitor come to Halong Bay.
A cruise tour combined Cat Ba with Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay is a comprehensive travel experience to truly see the best of nature in the region. Bai Tu Long Bay is comprised of many primitive caves, beaches, and islands that are still untouched by mass tourism. If you're seeking for a part of Halong that is not invaded by crowds of tourist, Bai Tu Long is your destination.
2. Lan Ha Bay
If time doesn't allow you to take a full trip to the two further bays, then a half-day or full-day trip to the nearby Lan Ha Bay will give enough satisfaction of being among nature and discover the fishing villages. Tour to Lan Ha is widely available on Cat Ba island and are priced at very reasonable rates.
3. Hai Phong City
If you have had enough of sea, limestone islands and caves, why not check out Hai Phong city?
With a lovely central park and lake, Hai Phong pulls you in with its elegant style and much slower traffic. You can spend hours on the city center's streets which have everything you need: a cafe, bars, restaurants, wet market, book stores, and historical landmark.
If you want to check to explore the city in-depth, you can visit the local temples and pagodas, some of them still keep its traditional architecture style intact. Hai Phong nightlife is also pretty active with a bustling food scene.
When is the best time to visit Cat Ba island?
Summer is the best time to visit Cat Ba for the sunny skies, less rain and high temperature which are suitable for all beachside activities, trekking in Cat Ba National Park. The summertime in North Vietnam lasts from May to August. Cat Ba Island in wintertime which falls between from November to March isn't the best place in Vietnam for swimming due to the cold water and winds.