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A trip to
Cat Ba island can be separated or combined with a visit to Halong Bay . This is the largest island in the Cat Ba Archipelago that consists of 350 limestone outcrops adjacent to
Halong bay.
This is an oasis where you can be apart for one or a few days during a long voyage. If starting from Halong Wharf it will take you 4 hours by a tourist boat, with stopovers for swimming, visiting spectacular karsts and having fresh sea food. In a single word, you can contemplate the
beautiful scenery of Halong before reaching the island. You can also buy a ticket of the hydrofoil departing from Hai Phong Seaport to reach Cat Ba if your itinerary saves Halong for another visit.
With an area
of 356 square km wide, Cat Ba encompasses forested zones,
coastal mangrove and freshwater swamps, beaches, caves, and
waterfalls. In 1986, the Northeast side of the island was
designated a National Park, including a protected marine
zone. Cat Ba Island supports a population of over 20,000,
most of whom live off fishing or farming in the South, in
and around Cat Ba Town. The town is small and ancient, with
clusters of fishing boats and inspiring sunsets across the
harbor. You can check out the catch of the day in the early
morning , see cuttlefish dried over hot charcoals, or stroll
around the old town. It's a short hike from Cat Ba town
through a tunnel to Cat Co Beach, whose mountains look like
a throne holding a marvelous sandy coast, or if you hike
further along, you will reach the rockier Cat Vang Beach.
As transportation on the town is not so well-developed, motorbikes is the most helpful means to get you to the larger Trung Trang Cave with many chambers, or to the National Park, or to discover other beaches around the island. A tour guide is necessary to help you communicate with the local drivers and introduce these viewpoints. The national park contains stringy trees, thick undergrowth and slippery vines. There is a great view that includes a French, now Vietnamese, farming village from the top of the mountain and a lake in the middle of the park that takes a half day to reach.
RELATED INFORMATION
Tours to Catba: Halong Bay junk cruise, Catba island
3 days
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