The largest island in Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba is an unmissable stop on your Vietnam trip. With beautiful mountainous terrain, sandy beaches and bustling nightlife – it encapsulates everything that Northern Vietnam has to offer. Plan your perfect trip with this Cat Ba Island travel guide including how to get around, where to stay, and things to do.
Cat Ba or Ha Long Bay?
If you’re heading to Vietnam, a cruise around Ha Long Bay is pretty much guaranteed to be on your bucket list. To cruise the bay, you can base yourself from one of two main points – Cat Ba island or Ha Long. We’d heard that the city of Ha Long itself is (understandably) very touristy and busy. Cat Ba is the place to go if you want somewhere more off the beaten track to experience the serene and beautiful surroundings that the bay has to offer. We’re so glad that we decided to stay on Cat Ba as it has a little bit of everything. Beautiful well-preserved beaches and a huge national park for exploring, with a variety of restaurant and bar options and a social backpacker scene without being overly crowded.
How to get to Cat Ba Island
The best way to get to Cat Ba is by bus, which will cross over to the island on the ferry. There are buses from most of the key surrounding areas in Northern Vietnam including Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Sapa. We headed there from Ha Giang and easily booked it through our hostel. Most hostels and homestays will book the bus for you if you ask, and it usually can be booked super last minute (I’m talking the day you want to leave).
How long should I stay in Cat Ba Island?
We stayed in Cat Ba for 3 days/3 nights and it was the perfect amount of time. We were able to take a boat cruise, see all of the nature the island had to offer, whilst still chilling out and being social. I’d recommend at least 3 days to see the island to it’s full potential, but if you’re pushed for time I think 2 days would be enough. That gives you one day for a boat tour of the bay, and one day to explore the island itself.
Where to stay in Cat Ba Island?
There are two main areas that are popular to stay in Cat Ba Island – Cat Ba town to the south of the island, or right next to the national park.
The most popular hostel in Cat Ba for backpackers is by far the Buffalo Hostel. This is right next to the national park for easy access to hiking trails, and it features a swimming pool, restaurant/bar, free breakfast, and a great social vibe. There’s not a lot of bars and restaurants around the area though, and it’s a good 45 minute walk to get to Cat Ba town. It’s super easy to rent scooters though, as Buffalo Hostel offer free rental for their guests. Conveniently, the bus also stops here when arriving/leaving Cat Ba.
The other option is to stay in Cat Ba town, where there are a variety of accommodation options, restaurants, and bars. You’ll also be within walking distance to the beach here. There are LOADS of hostels, homestays, and hotels in this area. We stayed in the Galaxy Cat Ba Elite and it was great for the price at £17/$21 per night. It was super clean, helpful staff, and a basic breakfast was included, but to be totally honest I think it’s pretty similar to most other hotels in the area.
How to get around Cat Ba Island
The best way to get around Cat Ba Island is by renting a scooter. Most hotels/hostels get get a scooter for you for a cheap price – around 120K (£4/$5). Otherwise, everything in Cat Ba town is pretty walkable.
Which boat tour should I do on Cat Ba island?
If you come to Cat Ba you’ll almost certainly be doing a boat tour- and there are TONS to pick from. It’s definitely something you shouldn’t miss whilst in Vietnam and is one of the most amazing natural landscapes I have EVER seen. You’ll tour around Lan Ha and Ha Long Bay, taking in the spectacular scenery of emerald green waters and dramatic limestone cliffs topped with lush rainforests. You can choose to do a 1 day or 2 day/1 night cruise, and the prices vary significantly depending on the level of luxury you’re after.
As budget backpackers, we opted to do the standard budget 1 day tour which cost 500K pp (£17/$21). We were glad that we went with this option – once you have seen the bay there is not a whole lot more to the tour. Unless you’re planning to do a luxury cruise, I wouldn’t recommend doing the overnight option. Most 1 day tours will take you to various kayaking and swimming spots and will include lunch. Your hotel will offer to book this for you, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. We booked through our hotel and if I’m totally honest, I think there are probably better tour options out there – so do your research and check trip advisor and google reviews first and foremost.
Things to do in Cat Ba Island
There’s loads of cool things to do do on Cat Ba, here were some of our faves!
Take a boat cruise – You’ll likely spend a day doing a boat tour of Lan Ha/Halong Bay. Check out our tips above to pick the right tour for you.
Trekking in Cat Ba national park – The beautiful national park is one of the main attractions of staying on Cat Ba. There are several trekking options and many providers will offer guided trekking tours. If you want to do a longer trek, we’d recommend going with a tour provider or guide to ensure you stay on the right track. The popular short hike to Ngu Lam Mountain offers insane views of the park and is easily accessible yourself. Simply scooter to the entrance of the national park (around 20 mins from Cat Ba town), and pay an entrance fee 80K VND each. The path is well sign-posted and the climb is short but steep. Be sure to wear insect repellent!
Explore the caves – There are lots of super cool caves on the island that are fun to explore, including Hospital Cave, Trung Trang Cave, and Hoa Cuong Cave. Entrance to Trung Trang Cave is included in the entrance fee to the national park if you’re looking to save some money,
Spend some time at the beach – If you’re travelling around Vietnam, chances are that when you arrive in Cat Ba you won’t have seen a beach for a while, so make the most of it! There are several beaches a short walk from Cat Ba town – our fave was beach 3. You can do a short but beautiful trail walk from beach 1 to 3 which is a great way to split up your chill time.
Try all the seafood – Make the most of being on an island and try the incredible seafood! There were so many amazing options for seafood in Cat Ba Island, with the fish literally sitting in tanks outside, so you can be safe in the knowledge that your food is fresh. Our favourite was Quan Cat Ba – super tasty, great service, and reasonably priced.
And there you have it! Our ultimate Cat Ba Island travel guide, to help you make the most of your time there. If you made it this far, thanks for reading!