The Island of Cat Ba with friends

Enjoying this natural paradise and embracing nature, foods and culture.

Cat Ba Island is a majestic archipelago of islands in Ha Long Bay with a big island destination to many tourists. Well known for its cruises in the archipelago that offer many activities including discovering lost beaches, cruising through the archipelago, swimming in the refreshing water, and kayaking. There is something for everyone. Here I give you my personal review of the tours I tried and how my trip went on the exotic island of Cat Ba.

It all starts in Ha Long Bay. It appeared on my radar suggested by friends. But I knew nothing about it. I went online and was fascinated by the pictures. I went to Hanoi and from there straight to ha long bay where I stayed for some days. My friends would soon meet me there and we would enjoy what is to be experienced in ha long bay, the food, and coffee. The lovely waterpark with lots of loops. The beach. The night of electronic parties on the beach. But soon we would be thinking of leaving ha long for Cat Ba, the main attraction and a very special place.

We went to the pier 5 minutes from Ha Long. It is a very basic pier. And the ferry is one of these big ferries for vehicles and people. I recommend taking enough money (Dong) before going to the island since you never know what is the condition of the ATMs there. It happened to me several times in Vietnam when the ATM machines were out of service.

The ferry is fully open and you can see all the islands from your sit. Even though there is nothing between the heat and you, it is a very enjoyable experience. Have your camera at hand during the journey on the ferry. When you get close to the islands get inspired and shoot. They look like nothing I have seen. They are generated not by volcanic action but by erosion. They were all part of a big mass with different stones. One is very easy to wash and another less washable. After erosion took its course the islands were left in this beautiful pattern we see today.

What a view to behold. It looks like another planet. Straight from a movie.

But before there is an important warning. Be ready for the crazy traffic. Look both ways before going in any direction. Traffic on the island is not like in Western countries. The drivers will be going fast and careless and will bump into you. If you are driving make sure the drivers see you by honking at them. This is one way I saw them do it and it works well.

Second, be ready to fight the mosquitoes in the morning and in the night. These guys go for the kill. This will only be a problem when you are near the forest, especially after a storm. Take precautions, use mosquito repellent, and take cover in your hostel or any other closed environment when the issue gets too much to deal with.

There is so much offer of tours on the island. I went on two morning tours. The first one was focused on kayaking and discovering caves. The second one was focused on discovering Cat Ba archipelago and how is the life of the locals living on the floating houses.

The main activities in both these tours are sightseeing the cat ba islands which are just beautiful to see. Swimming in their waters. Exploring their secret beaches and their caves. Going on an extensive kayaking excursion. There are other tours too. Special tours like the one where you climb their vertical island walls but I will only talk of the ones I tried myself.

I went on a day trip organized by Catba Wander Tours. We went on a kayak excursion around the islands. We explored the caves. We saw bats there. I didn’t see them in the darkness of the roof of the cave but could see them as they went airborne into the whole of the cave. I chilled as I learned to let go of my fear of wild animals. The bats were nice, they didn’t do anything to me.

Then we went to nice calm waters between the islands. Went for a swim there, near a beach. Then explored the cave that connected the beach with another one. Literally going through an opening in the stone close to the sandy floor that was the height of a four year old. Seeing the waves come and flood that small hole as I went through was exciting. I liked it.

Then we went back to the boat to have lunch. The lunch was abundant. Several dishes to pick from. Streamed cooked fish with vegetables. Batter dipped and fried fish. Pan-fried tofu. A plate full of french fries. All was accompanied by white sticky rice. Food is never an issue, just remember to tell the crew if you adopted a vegan or vegetarian diet. They will accommodate to your choice.

At all times the vibe in the boat is chill. We have a sound system that we use to play the typical summer songs. I would find myself dancing to the music while enjoying the amazing sights of the islands.

The second tour I took was the night tour. I took it with friends from California (shout out to Jack and Grace!). Here in the water of Cat Ba, there is a high density of bioluminescent plankton. I didn’t know what to expect. And the first part of the tour we just see a small light when we put our hand in the water and shake it. Then we start seeing more and more bioluminescence as we go to darker environments and more plankton density. It takes getting accustomed to the darkness and the slight pressure the little plankton reacts to get the full experience. By the end of the tour, we got to jump in the water and swim with the bioluminescent plankton. The brightness of seeing the plankton from the water wasn’t like the brightness we saw from the kayaks above the surface. Once you are in the water the light is ten times brighter. It was like my hands and feet were on fire. Amazing experience.

If you go on a tour that goes to the fish farms, you will see how these fish are fed and grown into these huge sea beasts. It is sad that the fish aren’t free. There is always a sacrifice to be made. In this case, fish farming requires the fish to be inside the space limited by the net in order for the fisherman to sustain themselves by selling the fish. Since Cat Ba has been declared UNESCO world heritage things haven’t been easy for the people living in the floating houses and the fishermen that live in this area. I heard one of their stories on a tour. I hope all improves for the fishermen and the people living in the floating houses since they are part of this beautiful place.

The local dishes are something you need to try. Bun Cha and Pho were among my favorite things to eat in Cat Ba. The Durian ice cream in a coconut I ate there was also something amazing. Very fresh, creamy, and light on the stomach. What you would need on a hot humid day on an island.

Cat Ba is a natural paradise. The forest is luscious green. The mountains project into the sky like huge monoliths. The butterflies will surprise you on any highway, in any landscape with infinite different colors. The wind coming from the jungle carrying smells of flowers is a welcome surprise. The seawater you can find between the islands is crystal green. Can’t see very far through due to the quantity of plankton concentration. Cat Ba is mostly jungle. We saw a big Cobra on the highway coming back to take the ferry to Ha Long Bay where we were staying. We didn’t see many wild animals. That doesn’t mean they are not there. The jungle is full of animals that are as scared of our noise and activity as we are of life in the jungle. Remember to be aware and careful if you hear anything coming to you from the jungle.

Cat Ba Island is an inexpensive destination. That makes it attractive if you want to explore and are on a budget. The price of renting a scooter is 4 USD and a good dish of food can go as cheap as 2 USD. Also, accommodation is inexpensive going around 5 USD a night. The main cost will be the tours you take.

The night tour started at 17:00. We went to a floating house with a big deck. Swam and enjoyed the view of the islands. Then we had an abundant dinner. After that we headed on our kayak looking for a dark place between the islands with enough bioluminescent plankton. We went around the islands illuminated only by the stars and the occasional floating houses.

We found different places with different concentrations of bioluminescent plankton. It shined in the night just from rubbing the water a couple of centimeters below the surface. It is a magical experience.

The big cherry on the cake was jumping from the kayak and swimming on the high density of bioluminescent plankton. I never expected to see so much light from such a minuscule creature!

I jump into the water from my kayak. There I see tiny little particles of light hitting my snorkeling mask as I hit the water. I float and move. When I see my hands surrounded by this light. It is like my hands and feet are on fire. A green fire that is the color of the fireflies. We are floating and laughing with my friends. It is a very intense experience where I felt the wonder and mystery of nature and connected with it feeling this little glowing drop of water in this huge dark pond. We were like galaxies of bioluminescent plankton in the dark space of the waters of Cat Ba archipelago. Magical.

The food on the island is good. We had several local dishes and were not disappointed. The Bun Cha is Pork cooked in broth with white rice and steamed vegetables. The pork is very flavorsome and goes great with the sticky rice and the subtle notes of the greens. The Phu is another delicious Vietnamese dish we had. It consists of soup, rice flat pasta, vegetables, and dice of meat. The balance of the flavors and the quantity of the food will have you smiling in no time. We also tried ice cream made from tropical fruits. I went for the Durian ice cream. It was delicious.

I tried the Egg coffee and was rewarded by its creamy eggy flavor. It is like a dessert and a coffee. The coconut coffee is different, more light but in the same spirit very yummy.

Hospitality in Vietnam is very much part of the culture. Here they are very welcoming and will take care of you as best as they can. We spent our time in the Sadhu Garden Hostel. The beds are very comfy. The AC made the bedroom cool heaven away from the high humidity and temperature of Cat Ba. The staff are very nice and helpful.

There are Four nice beaches in Cat Ba. We saw Cat Ba Co 1 and Tung Thu Beach. The latter is wider. It is a good place to go in the heat to cool down. We were in season and the beach was full of people. Good to get a swim, get fresh, enjoy the view, and get out.

Beware of the security officers asking for money for parking your bike in public spaces. Is a very common practice. It is a given that at one point they will ask you to pay for parking your bike. If you prefer the free option you can just park somewhere else and walk to the places. Sometimes it is very inconvenient and you may want to pay. This is one of the negative aspects of Cat Ba as a tourist destination.

The national park is an intense hike for beginners. It has an amazing reward: the view from the top of a Mountain Viewpoint. You can get amazing pictures and amazing videos with a drone from there.

The hospital cave will transport you to a time in the not-so-far history of the Vietnamese War. It is a big cave that remains as a museum and testimony of the events that happened in Vietnam. Ask the receptionist of the cave for the story of the cave. He will be happy to tell you many details about it.

Scooters are very convenient to rent. Check the brakes and steering before you take it. The hostels rent bikes per day. You need to rent one to get around on the island. Take a ride through the coast, the Riviera. Then a ride on the center highway of the island is great to see all the rolling mountains, the jungle, and the omnipresent butterflies. They are very accessible too starting at 100 k Dong (4 USD).

Cat Ba was an amazing experience that reminded me to keep the chill in life. There is always time to take a break and enjoy a coffee, chill by the pool, sip on a beer, or have a delicious treat. There is a very cultural Vietnamese trait of letting all be with a smile. Vietnam reminds me of the famous quote “This shall pass too”. Vietnamese incorporated this wisdom into their everyday life. And so did I.

I must mention thanks to Hieu for helping me through the tour. He was there and gave me advice on what things to do on the island. You can find the information on tours to Cat Ba and other destinations on his web page.