Cat Ba, a specious jewel of Haiphong city, is considered as the lengthening part of Ha Long Bay, 30 km from Haiphong City center and 25 km from Ha Long City. Cat Ba is a beautiful and romantic island, located at an average height of 70m above sea level. On the main island of Cat Ba, there are primitive forests on the limestone mountains, with Lan Ha Bay to the southeast, Cat Gia Bay to the Southwest with small but clean sand beaches and gentle waves. Coming to Cat Ba, tourists can not miss the outstanding tourist spots on Ngoc (Jewel) island:
First of all, there are beaches in Cat Ba. Famous for its clear blue water and fine sand, there are Cat Co 1,2,3 beaches, of which Cat Co 2 is considered the most beautiful. From the center of the town, tourists can take a taxi motorbike or electric car to the beach, where you will be attracted by the activities like swimming, sunbathing, or sports such as football, water polo … Tourists can enjoy the cool air, calm sea, or watch the picture of the dawn and unforgettable beautiful sunset on the island.
Next, you will take a boat trip to Cai Beo fishing village. This fishing village is built on the sea surface, consisting of many boat houses and floating houses which are close together. Fishermen are associated with fishing, fish cage and tourism. Going through the fishing village and some small islands, tourists will head to Khi (Monkey) island. The attraction here is not only the crystal clear water but also the appearance of about 20 monkeys which usually entertain and communicate with tourists.
The prominent spotlight on the southeast of the island is Lan Ha Bay. As the second Ha Long Bay in the North, Lan Ha Bay stands out with the spectacular beauty of about 400 large and dense islands with many interesting shapes. All of the islands in Lan Ha Bay are covered with green trees, even if the island is extremely small. Lan Ha Bay has 139 beautiful clean sandy beaches. Many sandy beaches stretch between two rocky mountains, calm sea and gently rolling waves, really the ideal beach for tourists. In addition, for those who like to dive into the coral reefs can choose Van Boi, Van Ha … In order to feel the full beauty of the limestone islands as well as the majestic and poetic scenery of Lan Ha Bay, tourists can stream down the blue water and explore the Bay by kayak.
Located adjacent to Ha Long Bay, Lan Ha still possesses its own distinct beauty. Luon Cave is located on Bo Hon Island with steep cliffs and calm blue water as a mirror in all four seasons. Luon cave attracts visitors not only with its unique shape but also the harmonious and attractive natural landscape. With cool and fresh climate, tourists can enjoy Lan Ha Bay at any time of the year. The route to Lan Ha Bay is usually from Ben Beo, more than 1 km from the center of Cat Ba town to the northeast. From here, tourists can hire tourist boats, motor boats or canoes and it takes only 15 minutes to the Bay. After that, tourists can travel around the Bay, stop to go swimming or visit the fishing village…with your own itineraries.
The price of the boat ticket to Lan Ha Bay can be higher during the weekend and peak summer months. Based on the travel experience in Lan Ha Bay, if you travel individually or in small groups, tourists can ask for boat tickets to join into the bigger group, which is cheaper for each member. Also buying tour in Lan Ha Bay from the travel companies is quite convenient and reasonable. The most ideal for tourists is the experience in Lan Ha Bay for 2 days and a night on the Cruises with prices ranging from 3 million to 5 million VND.
Visiting Cat Ba, tourists can also visit some famous spots such as Cat Ba National Park, Trung Trang Cave, Quan Y (Military) Cave, Than Cong (God) Fortress… Not only being in harmony with nature when coming to Cat Ba Island, but tourists can also enjoy the special dishes characterized of the local, the unique specialties of Cat Ba island, such as: otter clams, salted mantis shrimp, green crab, grilled mussel with onion, dishes from fresh cuttlefish,…
