Visit Cat Ba Islands

1. Introduction to Cat Ba, Hai Phong

Cat Ba archipelago (Hai Phong) consists of 367 large and small islands, of which Cat Ba Island (also known as Pearl Island) is an island favored by nature, with great potential for tourism development. Although known for a long time, Cat Ba still retains its natural features thanks to its isolation. 

Picturesque Cat Ba Islands (Photo source: collectibles)

Where is Cat Ba Beach? Where is Cat Ba Island? This is a question asked by many visitors. Accordingly, Cat Ba is located about 60km from the center of Hai Phong city, is a famous tourist destination chosen by many tourists. Cat Ba Hai Phong tourism is very suitable for summer vacations or weekend vacations with friends and family.

2. What is the most beautiful month to travel to Cat Ba?

Summer is the most ideal time to travel to Cat Ba Hai Phong. From April to October, Cat Ba’s climate is relatively cool, very suitable for relaxation and swimming. Especially until May, June, July, Cat Ba is full of tourists.

You do not need to worry about the weather because at this time there are very few storms. In July, August, the sea is rough, pay attention to the weather forecast for the next 3-5 days to make sure your trip to Hai Phong Cat Ba is not canceled due to storms. 

Summer is the most ideal time to travel to Cat Ba Hai Phong (Photo source: collection)

From November to March, Cat Ba is relatively deserted, the whole town seems to hibernate. However, this is the right time to experience and explore the natural beauty here. In winter, this place mainly welcomes international tourists to relax. 

3. How to move to Cat Ba Hai Phong tourist area?

From Hanoi, there are many ways to move to Cat Ba Hai Phong. According to the travel review of Cat Ba Hai Phong of many young people, with cheap Cat Ba tours, visitors can catch a bus to Hai Phong city bus station. Or for those who love to explore, motorbike is the most suitable means of transport. 

Cat Ba Hai Phong by motorbike is suitable for those who love displacement (Image source: collectibles)

Besides, you can also go from Hanoi in the direction of Ha Long to Tuan Chau. From Tuan Chau there will be a train to Cat Ba. Combining visiting Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba will be an interesting experience for your travel itinerary. 

In addition, from Hanoi, you can also travel by train to Hai Phong. Then, you go to Got ferry to buy tickets to Cat Ba very close. With this form of transportation, the cost of going to Cat Ba is very economical.

If you are in the Central and Southern regions, you can take a flight to Hanoi or Cat Bi Hai Phong airport to move to Cat Ba quickly and conveniently. From Hai Phong to Cat Ba tourist area, taking the cable car is the most popular option. Cat Ba cable car route has the starting point from Cat Hai island, the end point is Cai Vieng wharf area. The whole route has a total length of 3,955m, recognized as the world’s tallest cable car route.

Watching Hai Phong from above is extremely chill with a modern cable car system (Photo source: collectibles)

Traveling to Cat Ba by cable car, you will be suspended in the air, watching the image of Cat Ba Hai Phong from above, feeling the beauty of the magnificent and dreamy nature of this island. Surely, this will be an unforgettable experience in your travel journey with your family. 

4. Means of transportation in Cat Ba Island Hai Phong

Traveling to Cat Ba Hai Phong, visitors have many options for transportation such as:

• Bicycle:  This is a suitable choice for those who want to explore and enjoy the scenery on the island. 
• Tram:  Tram is the easiest vehicle to meet when traveling to Cat Ba Hai Phong. This form of transportation is suitable for large groups of people, without having to rent a car or wait too long.
• Motorbike:  With only 100,000 VND, you can rent a motorbike to easily explore all places on the island. 
• Walking:  Cat Ba town is not too wide. You can freely walk on the long beaches, white sand to see the whole beautiful scene of Cat Ba Hai Phong.

Cat Ba town is not too wide, you can leisurely walk, admire the natural scenery (Photo source: collectibles)

6. Cat Ba Hai Phong has something good?

Dubbed the “pearl of the Gulf of Tonkin”, Cat Ba Hai Phong has a lot of interesting things for us to explore. Cat Ba Hai Phong beaches have white sand, stretching, clear blue water, spoiled for swimming and check-in to explore.

Cat Co beach with clear blue water (Photo source: collectibles)

6.1. Discover and check-in Cat Ba the most beautiful tourist destinations

Traveling to Cat Ba Hai Phong, do not forget to stop and check-in at:

• Cat Co  Beach: Cat Co beach is one of the tourist attractions in Cat Ba that attracts a large number of visitors. The beach is divided into 3 zones, surrounded by mountains and forests. Explaining the name Cat Co, people here think that, when the land was still close to each other, the fairies in heaven often transformed into white storks who came down here to bathe and enjoy. Up to now, Cat Co still retains its wild beauty as if it had never been explored by human hands. 
• Monkey Island:  This is a small island not too far from Cat Ba Island. On the island there are many monkeys, visitors can freely play with this elite animal. However, as recommended by the island management, you should not tease or feed the monkeys strange foods. 
• Lan Ha Bay:  Lan Ha is like a miniature Ha Long with countless small islands and sandy beaches at the foot of rocky mountains. Traveling to Cat Ba Hai Phong, do not forget to take a boat to visit the beach, go to the floating fishing village of Van Gia to discover the life of fishermen on the sea.

Lan Ha Bay is beautiful in the eyes of tourists (Photo source: collectibles)

6.2. Experience interesting activities in Cat Ba Island Hai Phong

In addition to discovering famous tourist destinations, coming to Cat Ba Hai Phong, you can also experience interesting activities:

• Kayaking : Sitting on a floating Kayak in the middle of the sea, wriggling into the caves where the rocks are, you will love the charming young water scenery that the Creator has bestowed on Cat Ba.
• Overnight on a yacht:  This will be an interesting experience in the Cat Ba Hai Phong travel itinerary. Visitors will be able to watch the sunset on the horizon or get up early to catch the first rays of the sun, enjoy premium dishes made from famous chefs… right on the sea. 
• Snorkeling to see corals:  This activity promises to bring you memorable experiences. Witnessing many rare and precious seafood species, watching the schools of fish racing around, visitors will have a different view of life in the ocean.

Kayaking is an interesting experience in the journey to discover and travel to Cat Ba Hai Phong (Photo source: collection)

7. What to eat in Cat Ba tourism?

Coming to Cat Ba, in addition to relaxing moments, exploring outdoor activities, visitors also enjoy famous delicious specialties. 

7.1. Steamed green crab

Cat Ba blue crabs are caught wild or raised in brackish water lagoons. The fresh, delicious crabs are processed in the way of the fishing village people, keeping the sweetness just enough. A plate of steamed green crab is always a menu not to be missed if traveling to Cat Ba Hai Phong.

Green crabs are processed in the way of fishing villagers, keeping their sweetness intact (Photo source: collectibles)

7.2. Cat Ba shrimp vermicelli

Traveling to Cat Ba Hai Phong without enjoying the specialty shrimp vermicelli is a mistake. This is a dish with a typical flavor of the sea, sophisticatedly prepared. 

Shrimp vermicelli – a specialty not to be missed when traveling to Cat Ba Hai Phong (Photo source: collection)

Fresh shrimp peeled, fried with dried onions, wood ear mushrooms until hunted again. The vermicelli is blanched in boiling water, placed in a bowl, then shrimp, fish cake, bay leaf rolls, a little chopped laksa leaves, and a few tomato slices. The broth is simmered from the bones and the shell of the shrimp, which is sweet. Enjoying a bowl of vermicelli, you will feel the sweetness of shrimp and fish mixed with the sweetness from the bone, awakening the taste buds of all visitors.

7.3. Surface roasted with salt

The characteristics of the surface animals in Cat Ba are round, large and glossy bodies. In order to get a delicious salt-roasted surface, people have to go to the market early and choose to buy fresh ones. When processing, the meat must be whole, not crushed. The surface of roasted salt has a characteristic delicious taste, attracting all visitors. 

Roasted salt surface – Hai Phong sea specialties (Photo source: collectibles)

7.4. Sea Sams

Cat Ba beach Hai Phong has many sea sam. Sam is processed into many delicious and nutritious dishes, bearing the characteristics of the sea such as: sea sam salad, grilled sea sam, sweet and sour sea sam, grilled sam’s egg…

Sea sam is a delicious dish, sophisticatedly processed (Photo source: collectibles)

According to the local people, sea worms always go together, if one is caught, the other will die. Therefore, if you enjoy sea sam, you must order both to avoid “cold stomach”. 

7.5. Comedian

Tu Comei, also known as the heliotrope snail, is a nutritious seafood. Tu comei live in many different seas, but the most delicious must be on Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong. This seafood species can be processed into many dishes such as: Tu comedy salad, Tu comei porridge, grilled onion fat… 

Delicious and attractive grilled onion fat (Photo source: collectibles)

The meat is sweet, chewy and fragrant. Traveling to Cat Ba Hai Phong, you must definitely try steamed or grilled onion soup. The salty taste of the sea mixed with the smooth dipping sauce creates a perfect dish, attracting visitors.

8. Notes to remember when traveling to Cat Ba on your own

I just had a trip to Cat Ba Hai Phong self-sufficient 2 days 1 night. To make the trip safe, more complete and meaningful, I would like to note some of the following issues:

• The weather in Cat Ba is quite cold at night. My experience going to Cat Ba is to bring a warm coat in winter or a thin coat in summer to avoid catching a cold.
• All services on Cat Ba have intermediaries. To avoid guillotine, visitors should learn carefully, consult the price before using the service.
• Night squid fishing is an activity often invited by “storks”. However, there are very few houseboats that can guarantee this quality of service. You need to be careful with invitations if you are not sure of trust. 
• On holidays, holidays, weekends, a lot of tourists flock to Cat Ba, making the service price much higher. To save costs, avoid waiting, it is best to avoid going at this time. 

Pay attention to the costumes when traveling to Cat Ba Hai Phong (Photo source: collectibles)

Favored by nature with many attractive and beautiful scenes, Cat Ba Hai Phong tourism always attracts all visitors. Hopefully, the information about  Cat Ba Hai Phong tourism  that we provide above will help you plan a suitable schedule. What are you waiting for, just pack your bags and go.