May to September is the ideal time to visit Cat Ba Island, when the sea is clear and the temperature is suitable for various water activities.
Cat Ba archipelago, located south of Ha Long Bay, is a famous destination of Hai Phong City. A cruise on Lan Ha Bay is an experience that tourists cannot miss when visiting here. Lan Ha Bay is a calm, crescent-shaped area with about 400 large and small islands.
The sightseeing tour takes visitors throughout the bay, past hundreds of large and small islands. Unlike Ha Long, all the islands in Lan Ha are covered with lush greenery or vegetation. If lucky, sometimes visitors can spot mountain goats foraging on the steep cliffs of the islands.
One of the stops on the journey is the floating fishing villages where people live by raising and catching seafood, such as Cai Beo fishing village (pictured), Cua Van, and Van Boi. Cai Beo fishing village is located near Cai Beo port, making it easy to get to.
Visiting the fishing village, tourists have the opportunity to experience the life of fishermen, admire the aquatic products in the cages, or enjoy local specialties.
On Cat Ba Island, there is also Viet Hai fishing village, famous for its ecotourism activities such as cycling, trekking through the forest, and experiencing traditional wine-making… There are 3 ways to get to the village: kayaking, boat or ferry, and trekking overland through Cat Ba National Park.
The coastal road leads to Viet Hai village. The road to the village will take visitors through caves, ancient trees, and rice paddies. The village has tourism services such as food, accommodation, and homestays.
Kayaking allows tourists to freely explore the bay. The water is calm and clear enough to see the coral at the bottom. Boat rental costs around 50,000-100,000 VND per boat. The journey usually goes through Sang Cave, Toi Cave bordering Ha Long Bay… and converges at Ba Trai Dao islet.
If you don't watch the sunset over the bay, another suggestion for tourists is a Cat Ba National Park trekking trip in the afternoon to see the sun set. Kim Giao - Ngu Lam is the most popular climbing route.
This route is physically demanding and requires participants to be in good health, however, children can still participate. Tourists need to prepare snacks and drinks as there are no shops along the way. Note that you should wear long clothes and bring insect repellent. The climbing time is about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
At the top, the stunning scenery will compensate for the time and effort you put in. In addition to the Kim Giao - Ngu Lam route, tourists can explore towards Ao Ech - Viet Hai fishing village, or Trung Trang cave - Quan Y cave.
Currently, from Hanoi to Cat Ba, tourists need to pay attention to the ferry operating hours on weekends so as not to affect the travel schedule.
According to Duc Kim – Vnexpress
