General Information
Ha Long Bay has been named as a World Heritage Site since 1994 by UNESCO. The whole bay area consists of central Halong Bay, western Bai Tu Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay near Cat Ba Island. The Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay attracted million tourists every year by their evergreen charm, but the destinations become increasingly overcrowded. Cat Ba Island where travelers can access from Hanoi Capital via Hai Phong City, can explore the turquoise water of Lan Ha Bay, smooth sandy beaches, and nature activities. It is called the pearl of the Gulf of Tonkin, but Cat Ba Island has gone unnoticed by travelers for many years.
Thanks to the development of the transport system, tourists can now take the highway from Hanoi City to Hai Phong City in just about 2,5 hours and a short ferry to get to Cat Ba Island.
This short introduction hopefully provides useful information and helps you to have the unforgettable journey in the Gulf of Tonkin in the northwest corner of Vietnam.
Cat Ba Island is the main and the largest island among the 367 islands making up the Cat Ba Archipelago. Located in the Northeast of Vietnam, in Hai Phong City, Hai Phong province, about 150km from Hanoi capital. About 45 kilometers to the East of Hai Phong City and 25 kilometers from the UNESCO heritage site – Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba in Vietnam stands out as one of the symbols of local tourism. Covering more than 26,000 hectares of high biodiversity, Cat Ba is known as the 3rd biosphere reserve in Vietnam. Notably, in 2004, this island was recognized by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve Zone.
Cat Ba terrain is famous for its karst topography. This kind of topography, characterized by limestone mountains, stunning water caves, and smooth white sandy beaches, contributes to the unique beauty of this island. Visitors coming to Cat Ba Island include both domestic tourists and international tourists. Domestic tourists often go to visit Cat Ba Island in summer by the combo hotel stay and day boat (4 hours) cruising on the bay. International tourists, they prefer to stay on an overnight cruise, get to the less crowded part on the bay and enjoy activities: kayaking, swimming, floating villages, landscape admiring…
- Domestic and Asian tourists prefer to enjoy Cat Ba Island on a day cruise (4 – 8 hours) and stay at hotel in harbor
- Western tourists prefer to explore Lan Ha Bay on overnight cruise (1 night, 2 nights…)
- Western tourists, nature lovers, also love to explore the Island by combining 1 night on board and 1 night stay at a hotel in the harbor to do some hiking.
