Cát Bà Island

Very peaceful starting from September until May. This time in the North the weather is very cool and is the low season for tourism, you will get good service at affordable prices.

Sod Halong!!! This is much easier and less touristy (and cheaper) if you want to see the bays. Soooo glad we opted for Cat Ba.....what an AMAZING experience, absolutely mind-blowingly beautiful!!! ❤

I really like this place very beautiful and peaceful, on the main island of Cat Ba there is a small town, but quite modern. People here live by seafaring and tourism, they are trying to catch up with the hustle and bustle of tourists from outside arriving on the island. However, the service here is not always good, when experiencing the restaurant here you should pay the price before ordering.

A must visit destination if coming to the north region

Situated a few hours from the capital, Cat Ba Island is an amazing place with a number of activities to do and sightseeing including a ever-green national park ( NP ) having very good views and treks, an amazing promenade giving the city view, a few beaches, i.a.

The most popular ( and the cheapest and feasible ) way to reach here is by a bus ( and then a boat, and then again by a bus ) which comes as a whole package, which run regularly from Hanoi. However, I took a way which can be called a long-cut but it allowed me to explore both the cities more and get a experience of the Vietnamese trains.

It took me about 2.5 hrs to reach Haiphong, and then a mile-walk to the ferry station, only to come to know that ferries weren't working on that day. However, taking a ferry means more requirement of transfers and extra walk, as they won't go as close the boats go and take long time. Boat transfers by private agencies are about three per day, and it took me around 12.00 pm to reach the Cat Ba town.

Ideally two to three days are recommend to explore here, one whole day for Cat Ba national park and the two caves, one day for the rock climbing and other sea activities, the beaches and local village sightseeing, and one for Lan Ha Bay tour. I did former and latter including a visit to just 1 beach. The slopes are sharp at most of the places in the city centre although the main road is wide and good to ride on. A night walk along the long promenade is recommended, and it allows one to immerse in fresh air and take a good view of the city.

The island has something for all the budgets including good hostels and hotels from as low as c $5 and c $12 respectively, and from street food to decent to fancy restaurants and bars all along the main road. Public transport is very limited, however getting a bicycle or motorbike on rent is easy and at very good rates. The plush hotels are situated a bit away from the city centre and have private beaches.

Overall, its a refreshing and affordable destination.

We really enjoyed our time in Cat Ba Island. It was recommended to us by a local in Hanoi in order to see Ha Long Bay on a budget. She was right! Full day cruises were a lot cheaper starting in Cat Ba and we had a chance to experience this quiet, seaside town. The locals are lovely and very hospitable and you will find anything you need on the island - it's full of small restaurants and cute cafes, there's grocery shops and pharmacies. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a budget friendly seaside trip, a little relaxing weekend on the beach or a starting point before heading to Ha Long Bay.

A very good alternative to Halong Bay.
You can do a very similar cruise and you can explore the island with its national park and caves.

One of the best experience in cat ba island don’t miss to stay atleast one night

Beautiful island. Still very raw and untouched. Restaurants and hotels are very affordable. Rent a bike for 4$ and explore this magical place!

Best place I’ve been to in Vietnam, Highly recommend a break from the busy streets of Hanoi the people are so nice and the scenery is amazing I could stay here forever if I could 👍👍👍

Cat ba is a beatifull island, with a very freindly klimat (March 23c average ), lokal people are friendly and hard working ones. Prices are very low here from accomodation to food and bewerages. One need to be carefull when dealing travel agencies. You can easaly pay to much for trips to sourandings attractions. It is much cheaper just to go to the harbour and buy tickets to lokal islands. Cat ba is under development. In another words they are still learning. Small missunderstandings can happed but this is what is the most charming about it. They are not greedy here. At the moment they are building some big resorts here and it can be noisy with trafic. I have not met one unfriendly person even do they are generaly not good to talk english. There is something for everyone here, backpackers can find cheap hostels, ordinary travellers can get much for money and enjoy.

DescriptionCát Bà Island is the largest of the 367 islands spanning 260 km2 that comprise the Cat Ba Archipelago, which makes up the southeastern edge of Lan Ha Bay in Northern Vietnam. Cat Ba island has a surface area of 285 km2 and maintains the dramatic and rugged features of Ha Long Bay. Cat Ba Island has been included in the itinerary of many Ha Long Bay cruises and a strip of tall, thin, five-storey budget hotels line the seafront, receiving more than 350,000 visitors a year.

Beautiful, not easy to see the island if you can’t ride a motorbike. A boat trip is well worth it

Nice island, touristy but also lots of local people - living their normal life.

It was a nice place,I was there five years ago and I really enjoyed the place. we spent two days there before we went back to Hanoi. The people were lovely,people are on the waters enjoying life till late in the night,the place was so lively both young and old were enjoying life

I have lived and worked on this island for 11 years, as a person who likes to explore beautiful places, historic sites on this island I feel like a paradise for beauty lovers. nature and want to learn the epic war history of the Vietnamese people. The friendly and hospitable Cat Ba people are happy to welcome you from all over the world.

Both the beach and the road around the island are beautiful. Hotels and foods here are not too expensive.

Natural, fresh, peaceful - it is Cat Ba island. Welcome to Cat Ba island and Lan Ha Bay

Good place to visit Halong bay

A Wonderful trip to CatBA island by a motorbike

Very beautiful and peaceful place but transferring to touristic extremely fast