1. Cat Ba Island

Cat Ba Island is the largest island in Halong Bay and the Cat Ba Archipelago (which includes 367 islands). The rice fields, the steep reliefs, a very dense forest make this island more charming. Unlike the other islands in the bay, Cat Ba Island is full of life, a bustling town and fishing villages. The island lies south of Ha Long Bay with the area of 354 km2 and is inhabited by 25,000 inhabitants. Half of the island and 90 km2 of the water surrounding it was declared a national park in 1986.

The climate

Found in the tropical monsoon zone, it is cooler in winter and cooler in summer than on land.

Precipitation: 1,700 - 1,800mm / year. The rainy season falls in July and August.

Average temperatures: 25-28 ° C. They can reach over 30 ° C in summer, and in winter the average temperatures are between 15-20 ° C but they can drop to less than 10 ° C when there is the northeast monsoon.

Tide: between 3.3 and 3.9m.

How do I get to Cat Ba Island?

- By boat from Ben Binh port, in Haiphong province or from Halong Bay

- By high-speed boat from Ben Binh, in Haiphong province to the port of Cat Ba

- By ferry from Haiphong province - Cat Hai island by Dinh Vu ferry, then take the Ben Got ferry for the trip Cat Hai island - Cat Ba island

- By ferry from Tuan Chau Island (in Halong) to Gia Luan Pier, west of Cat Ba Island, it takes 80 minutes for this journey.

Monkey Island:

As its name suggests, it is an island, with monkeys. It is a private island located 1.5 miles from Cat Ba town. The beach is one of the best beaches on Cat Ba Island. The sea water is so clean and emerald green, the climate is wonderful and the landscapes are beautiful. Around 4-5 p.m., when the tourists start to leave the island, the monkeys come out. And the beach becomes their territory from the moment they come out of their hiding place, in the lands in the interior of the island.

One kilometer from Cat Ba village, Cat Co's white sandy beaches within two charming coves, connected by a cliff-top walkway overlooking the reefs, make an ideal spot for swimming. Cat Co 2 is the less frequented, but also the more pleasant of the two.

The main beaches, apart from those in Cat Ba Town, are Cai Vieng, Hong Xoai Be and Hong Xoai Lon.

Cat Ba National Park

Unlike the bustling life of the Catba suburb, Catba National Park remains the quietest and most natural part of this island.

Located some 15 km from the suburb, the park occupies half of the island and 90 km2 of its coastal waters. Cat Ba National Park is home to extraordinary biodiversity. The fauna counts 32 species of mammals, including macaques, wild boars, deer, squirrels, hedgehogs, and more than 70 species of birds among which the falcon and the hornbill. Almost 800 plant species have been recorded including trees such as bằng, lê gọi nếp, lê sang lê and lê kim giao, and 160 medicinal plants. Endowed with great biological and climatic diversity, this park was classified in 1994 as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. A stroll in a world where mountains, sea, primitive forests, rare animal species, caves mingle ... will remind you of the adventurous films we watch on TV. It is also the greatest gift this island offers to nature lovers and hikers.

2. The wonderful bay of Lan Ha

Lan Ha is one of the most beautiful bays in Vietnam. It is located south of Halong Bay, and east of Cat Ba Island, the largest island in the region, 2nd island in Vietnam.

Lan Ha is a very calm bay like Halong Bay, in the shape of an arc. It is home to 400 islands and islets emerging from the sea, creating several beautiful coves in which several floating villages hide. The landscapes are truly breathtaking.

Some people think Lan Ha Bay is more beautiful than Halong Bay. Why ?

Simply because Halong Bay has experienced tourist development for about twenty years. A very important infrastructure system has been developed, with hundreds of hotels in the city and thousands of boats on the bay. This caused a stuffy atmosphere with boats during bay cruises. The floating villages, a big part of the bay's charm, have meanwhile been removed over time for a variety of reasons.

While Lan Ha Bay has only known tourism for a few years and benefits from a different point of view in administrative management. The bay of Lan Ha is still very little visited by mass tourism, no big boats at the tail-leuleu, no thousands of tourists. The huge floating villages remain for a few kilometers long, where you can see the daily activities of the fishing families such as fishing, oyster farming, fish farming or even pearl oysters. And while there are very few beaches in Halong part, Lan Ha Bay has up to 139 beaches, often almost deserted. These are the ideal places for swimming or sea kayaking.

Flotting Villages

A peaceful spot in Lan Ha Bay

Lut Beach