Top Things To Do In Cat Ba Island For Travelers

Cat Ba Island has a huge reputation for being one of the most famous destinations in Vietnam. Moreover, tourists will have a bunch of things to do in Cat Ba Island. People getting there become overwhelmed by the island’s magnificent limestone karst landscapes. Let’s make a journey to discover Cat Ba Island Travel guides through the article, and find out the top things to do!

1. Cat Ba Island Travel Guides

1.1. Location

Where is Cat Ba island located? Cat Ba Island, known as the biggest island in Halong Bay with an area of up to 300 kilometers, is situated in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the northeast coast of Vietnam. Furthermore, its location is quite special when placed near the two provinces including Hai Phong and Halong, having a scale stretching from the Chinese border near Mong Cai down through Halong Bay.

☘ Read more: Halong Bay vs Lan Ha Bay: Which one to choose?

1.2. Best time to visit

The best time to visit is from April to October. The weather is quite warm and pleasant. Especially, the island does not rain heavily during this time with the average temperature from 25-20 Celsius degrees. Thus, it suits people to join extra-curricular activities and enjoy natural landscapes.

However, we highly recommend you visit the island from Tuesday to Thursday. The space will be less crowded this time. If you go to the island at the weekends, you may meet a huge number of visitors due to the peak traveling time. Especially, tourists should avoid traveling from November to March because the weather rains frequently and it is cold outside. This is not convenient for outdoor exploration of hiking trails and beaches.

1.3. How to get to Cat Ba Island?

1.3.1. Hai Phong City to Cat Ba Island

Before trying several things to do in Cat Ba Island, you should know how to get to the island first. If you are in Hanoi, let’s book a car or take a bus to get to Hai Phong City first then choose the means of transport to reach the island. The distance from Hai Phong to Cat Ba is about 30 kilometers. When you arrive in Hai Phong, there are several vehicles for you to go to the island:

– You can go to Cat Ba Island by speedboat or hydrofoil. To buy the ticket, you need to stop by Binh dock in the city center. The one-way ticket price from Hai Phong to Cat Ba is 250.000 VND per person. The commuting time for the Hai Phong – Cat Ba route ranges from 45-60 minutes.

☘ Tips: You can buy the tickets directly from the dock. However, your trip will be smoother if you book the ticket in advance, especially during the important holidays.

– If you want to save the budget, you can choose ferries to travel to the island. You just need to go to the Got ferry stop or the Cai Vien ferry stop. You just need to pay about 12,000 VND for one route from Hai Phong to Cat Ba.

– Another option for you is to take the cable cars operated by Sun World to Cat Ba Island. In only 8 minutes, you will get to the island with 150.000 VND for adults and 100.000 VND for children.

1.3.2. Halong to Cat Ba Island

Another famous route moving from Ha Long to Cat Ba is from Tuan Chau Port taking a speedboat to Gia Luan Wharf Island. You only pay nearly 80,000 VND per person. Then you will have a chance to admire the sea beauty as well as reach Cat Ba in the fastest time.

2. Top Things to Do in Cat Ba Island?

There are many things for you to try when traveling to Cat Ba. Let’s take a look at the information below to find out what to do on Cat Ba Island!

2.1. Swim on Cat Ba Beaches

Cat Ba Island is famous for its picturesque landscapes, pristine beach sands, and crystal-clear water. Also, tourists will have a chance to take part in several water-based activities such as kayaking and swimming. There are several beaches for you to discover.

You can take a look at the below beach to choose one of them:

– Tung Thu Beach;
– Cat Co Beaches ;
– Cat Ba beach;
– Tiger Beach ;
– Moody Beach Cat Ba;
– Cat Dua Beach;
– Ba Trai Dao Beach.

2.2. Discover Fishing Villages

Getting to Cat Ba Island means that you will have an opportunity to discover fishing villages. This is a good way to get to know more about the local life and fishing careers of residents living in Cat Ba. There are the typical names in the list of fishing villages that you can visit when going to the islands: Cai Beo Fishing Village, Viet Hai Fishing Village, Cua Van Fishing Village, etc.

Here is the list of Lan Ha Bay cruises that you can take into consideration to book:

– Verdure Lotus Classic Cruise;
– Peony Cruise;
– Velar Of The Sea Cruise;
– Verdure Lotus Luxury Cruise;
– Sena Cruise;
– Doris Cruise.

☘ You can follow our Facebook, contact us via WhatsApp, or visit below tours to get the best information about the Halong Bay cruises and Lan Ha Bay cruises in Vietnam:

2.3. Make Lan Ha Bay cruises

Your trip to Cat Ba Village will become more incredible if you visit Lan Ha Bay and join Lan Ha Bay cruises to admire the unique beauty of the limestone karsts and islands. Besides, the cruise celebrates a lot of interesting activities such as going kayaking and diving in Lan Ha Bay to explore coral reefs and marine life up close.

2.4. Explore Cat Ba National Park 

Another amazing place for tourists to discover is the Cat Ba National Park, a World Heritage Site in Vietnam. The park is well-known for its rich variety of faunas and floras with over 32 species of mammal, including rare animals such as golden-headed langurs. Moreover, visitors getting to the island can try Cat Ba National Park hiking trails and spots like Ngu Lam Peak to admire the panoramic view of the sea with beautiful beaches and lush forests and cliffs.

2.5. Enjoy Cat Ba Specialties

Additionally, it will be a big loss if we do not enjoy local specialties when traveling. Cat Ba is famous for plenty of delicious dishes, especially seafood. Let’s enjoy fresh and tasty seafood! The famous dishes in Cat Ba include horseshoe crab, otter clam, lobster, shrimp noodles, and so on. Hence, do not miss the chance to try it all.

2.6. Go hiking and experience squid-fishing

Finally, a must-try activity when traveling to Cat Ba is to hike through the lush rainforest interior of the island. This will provide you with a rich experience in the wild world and a deep insight into nature as well as the landscapes on the island. Besides, if you have time, you can experience squid fishing at night on board, which is an incredible activity to do in Cat Ba Island.

☘ Read more: Halong Bay activities and 5 Most Luxury Halong Bay Cruises.

3. Conclusion

In conclusion, there are a lot of things to do and things to see in Cat Ba Island. This island is truly a potential factor in providing Vietnam with several values from tourism to natural resources. Sun Getaways Travel has shared with you all about the top things to do on Cat Ba Island. We wish you the best trip to this beautiful island.