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What to do in Cat Ba Island Vietnam? As the most beautiful island in Hai Phong province, together with the breathtaking Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba is famous for the transparent sea, dense forest, and ancient fishing villages. Indeed, this island is naturally blessed, which is ideal for a variety of activities, and the following is a list of top 10 things to do in this enchanting destination.

#1. What to do in Cat Ba Island: Swimming

If you ask “What does Cat Ba Island have for fun?” the answer is swimming. Nothing might be happier than soaking yourself in the cool and clean water in Cat Co 1, 2, 3 beaches which are fun. You can also choose to swim in the more pristine and cleaner beaches like the ones in Monkey Island or Lan Ha Bay. In order to get to the wild offshore beaches, you can head to Beo pier for a boat trip to the pristine island and Bay; this trip can also be combined with a sightseeing of the charming Lan Ha Bay.

#2. Cruising in Lan Ha Bay – The most efficient way to discover the Nature

As one of the most beautiful bays on the planet, Lan Ha Bay is a part of Cat Ba Island, which neighbors the famous Halong Bay. Being different from the celebrated neighbor, Lan Ha Bay owns around 400 islands and islets which are all covered by greenery and all pristine. It’s feasible to opt for Lan Ha Bay Cruises for rounds of sailing in this spectacular scenery. You can select the voyage of 1 day, 2 days 1 night, or Lan Ha Bay Cruise 3 days 2 nights, or even charter the cruise for your groups. The cruise itinerary covers various exciting activities like kayaking, swimming, rock climbing, and cave discovery. During the cruise tours, make sure you visit Dark Cave & Light Cave, Ba Trai Dao Beach, Ba Ham Lake, Trau Bau Area, etc.

#3. Kayaking and Diving

Kayaking in Cat Ba Island is an amazing experience. You are unlikely to forget the feeling of paddling a kayak to the middle of the sea, to discover the wild Lan Ha Bay, and to gain peace of mind. The joy of sightseeing from a kayak view is also distinctive and memorable. Combined with the kayaking activity is diving with the mask (cheap one) or swimming underwater using breathing equipment of cylinders of air. The bright kayaks are also great objects for photography.

Kayaking in Cat Ba Island

Kayaking in Cat Ba Island

#4. What to do in Cat Ba Island: Discovering Monkey Island

The little Monkey Island is quite favorable as people enjoy swimming in its cool beaches. Besides, it’s fantastic to try mountain climbing for a panorama of the Lan Ha Bay corners. In order to get to this pretty island, you can rent a local boat or even try kayaking as it is not far from Cat Ba Island.

#5. Watching the Sunset in Cannon Fortress

Sunset on the beaches is truly romantic, especially in Cat Ba Island, where owns the mountainous towers. And, the ideal place to watch the sunset is from Phao Dai Than Cong (Cannon Fortress). From this high fortress, it’s amazing to feast eyes on the magical twilight over the giant emerald sea. Also, this is a historical remnant of the wartime to study.

#6. Trekking in Cat Ba National Park

Cat Ba National Park is home to the endangered flora and fauna species, of which some are listed in the Red Books. Trekking in this Park lets you befriend Nature and contemplate the pictures of forests, mountains, and wildlife. In particular, Ngu Lam Peak is the special attraction from which it’s wonderful to view the panoramic island from a top dimension.

Trekking in Cat Ba National Park

Trekking in Cat Ba National Park

#7. Eating Cat Ba Seafood

Besides the fried squid, the island is reputable for mussels, mini crabs, nautilus, etc., which are all fresh and delicious. However, as the island becomes most crowded during summer, the seafood price will increase, so that is best to ask for the prices before you buy. When it comes to any local restaurants or eateries, make sure you try Tu Hai (geoduck clam), Ca Song (Garrupas), and Lobster, Sea Serpent, Red Snapper and Cobia, and shrimp noodle.

#8. Things to do in Cat Ba Island: Camping and Mountain Climbing

With nearly 139 pristine beaches, Lan Ha Bay offers fascinating zones for night camping. The “Robinson” experience in this wild beach will turn out to be memorable experiences, especially with a group of friends or family members. Perhaps you know that Cat Ba is a famous destination in northern Vietnam for mountain climbing. You can head to Dau Be Island, cliffs in Beo pier, Ba Trai Dao Beach, etc., for the adventurous trips. But if you don’t like to be adventurous much, it’s nice to try climbing the mountains right in Monkey Island Resort in which the challenging levels are for the public.

#9. Experiencing Nightlife – What to do in Cat Ba when its raining

What to do in Cat Ba when its raining? In that case it is better to stay overnight on Cat Ba Island instead of the boat. Note that nightlife in Cat Ba town is quite limited, besides some small bars and pubs in the town center. You can also take joy in pleasantly walking along the beaches at night. The pure breeze and sea wind can excite you. It’s also a great idea to rent a couple bicycle to bike some rounds. What’s more, the pedestrian bridges that connect Cat Co 1, 2, 3 beaches are the romantic hangout venues in the evening.

Cat Ba Town at Night

Cat Ba Town at Night

#10. Visiting Ancient Fishing Villages

Cai Beo fishing village is the largest ancient floating village in Vietnam, which is famous for the serene landscape, the sweet smiles of the villagers, and the on-the-water houses. Along with that, Viet Hai fishing village is the perfect destination for eco-biking and a peaceful lifestyle that keeps attracting holidaymakers to visit and even try homestay for days and nights. While some guests choose to kayak or take a boat trip to Viet Hai, the other thrill-seekers can try trekking through Cat Ba National Park to reach this age-old hamlet. The cultural experiences in the fishing villages are one of the best things to do in Cat Ba Island that will turn to be the sweet memory and inspiration for the next visit.

So what to do in Cat Ba Island? Carry out these top 10 activities and see if you can even discover a new venture. Let’s write a beautiful page of your life on this lovely destination!