Many reading this will have heard of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. This bay of stunning islets set amongst soft emerald waters has rightly been giving UNESCO World Heritage Protection status. In fact, it is fair to say Ha Long Bay was the jewel in the crown of my Vietnam trip.
Why go to Ha Long Bay/Cat Ba Island?
In one sentence: Halong Bay is an unforgettable experience that presents even more to curious eye than the already beautiful first impression it leaves.
Cat Ba is, I suppose, the 'major town' or island within the wider 1,600 islands that make up what is known as Ha Long Bay. It includes all the ingredients for a wonderful adventurous holiday: jaw-dropping views in every direction of almost surreal masses of land jutting out of the island; dressed with thick and bright green forests on top.
Incredible beaches with warm waters and lush jungles sit atop of Cat Ba; offering great hiking trails as well as all the activities you can imagine in an adventurous tropical island: kayaking, scuba diving, trekking, boat tours, historical and spiritual/religious shrines and monuments abound around the mysteries and histories of the bay, shopping and restaurant experiences, and the genuine feeling of escaping the rat-race and fast pace of the mainland Vietnam cities.
Though it isn't so easy to get to (see below); our group of five friends spent four nights/five days in the bay and for us this was the perfect amount of time to enjoy its' wonders whilst still having down-time to just relax on the beach and do nothing, when we felt like it. Less than a few nights and you'd not feel relaxed enough after the travel to get there; and more than five nights might be a bit excessive (unless you happen to be on a gap-year, career sabbatical, or retired!).
What I love about Cat Ba especially is that it remains to be so inherently Vietnamese; yet has this vibe for almost everyone who is there (whether local Vietnamese on domestic holiday, or international visitors) that feels like "just chill out, drink a coconut, and admire the beautiful island and islet peaks framed by stunning rainbow-coloured sunsets over the horizon, and take your time". And for our group; when it came to sunset during our days there, that is exactly what we did.
Getting there:
Ha Long bay is a bit tricky to get to. Since none of the islands are remotely large enough (nor flat enough!) to host a landing strip or airport of any kind (and I imagine even if there was room; the UNESCO status would prevent airport development); the only way to get to the bay is by boat. Generally, most people leave from the industrial city of Hai Phong on the coast; itself is a deceptively long drive, private taxi, or bus, from Hanoi (the closest major airport city).
Now, Google Maps will happily tell you the roadtrip from Hanoi to Hai Phong is under two hours. I can tell you that is not the case! We took at least 4 hours to get there due to the bad roads and nonstop traffic between Hanoi and Hai Phong. Look, Hai Phong has an airport so I suppose you could fly there, but I'd only advise this if you are coming from the south. If you are in the north already, overland might be more efficient in the end. So allow 4 hours for that trip, then an hour or two to wait for your ferry/boat trip, then another couple of hours on the boat to get all the way around to Ha Long Bay. Basically, allow a day!
Hai Phong docks is pretty grimy, polluted, and industrial. Doesn't exactly build confidence that you are going to a stunningly tranquil natural beauty in the bay! As our boat ever-so-slowly made its way out of Hai Phong, our sense of disappointment continued. See, the river waters are pretty dirty and brown for some time and we were worried it would stay like this the entire way.
But about an hour in, something funny happened. The sun came out, the land disappeared behind us; the waters opened up and slowly began to change colour; change shape.
Before we knew it and as the sun was setting; the jaw-dropping pillars of islands started to appear in the distance ahead as silhouettes at first, then when we got closer; as works of natural art.
Once we arrived; any notion of city, of pollution, and of disappointment disappeared and bliss and serenity started to kick in!
Your boat will dock in Cat Ba town area; itself a fun area to check out for food and shopping options (plus said beautiful sunsets!); and from there a short tuk-tuk or private taxi can take you to your accommodation anywhere on the island.
In some moments and from some views I was reminded of that movie Avatar, in other moments I was reminded of that stage in Streetfighter (yes I am a bit of a gamer nerd), called 'Beautiful Bay':
Costs & expenses:
Vietnam generally speaking is very affordable as a tourist destination for most Western, European, and other Asian country tourists alike. Your dollars, Euros, Yen, and Yuan will stretch quite far in Vietnam, and in Cat Ba most incidental costs such as restaurants, taxis, and bicycle hires are comparable to Hanoi, if not slightly more expensive.
Alcohol is more expensive than the mainland, though. Cocktails and beers you will pay a premium for (as well as anything requiring a freezer! Such as ice cream and so on); if buying them on the beach from your hotel bar, or in restaurants/bars. However, for those on a budget, you can stock up on beer and other drinks in the supermarkets and take them back to your hotel room fridge.
The 'rub' when it comes to costs though - oddly enough - were the hiring of any equipment. For instance, a kayak hire was quite expensive, at around 300,000 Dong (roughly USD $15), as were any snorkel/scuba or other water activities. Also, day-boat tours (I highly recommend you do at least one around all of the islands) were a bit pricier than guided day-tours in other parts of Vietnam.
Accommodation & Dining:
Accommodation also cost a lot more; though the five of us rented a share-house style villa on the beach in a mini-resort of only about a dozen or so villas. Between the five of us it was highly cost-efficient and came with good air conditioning. We were there during the peak of summer so some days were very hot - air conditioning was a hot commodity!
I know there were backpacker accommodations and of course more budget hotels in Cat Ba town, so I'm sure there are accommodation types to suit all budget types. In fact, our beach-resort - though lovely and definitely above-average - was not even high-end. On our hikes and boat tours around the island we saw some very exclusive and secluded high-end luxury resorts; the kind that you'd imagine the rich and famous would be staying in.
Plenty of food options, though generally slightly pricier than the mainland. Food was great! Lots of seafood dishes and influences, as one would imagine of an island with all of the beautiful old fishing boats hanging about! There is something romantic about the 'sustained decay' (as some call it) beauty of the old blue and red fishing boats dotted throughout the bay.
You'll find vegetarian options in many restaurants and of course you'll still get the infamous southern-style Pho up here in Cat Ba (though it'll be slightly harder to come by!) as well as western dishes in some restaurants for those who prefer that. Otherwise, our dining experiences were all highly pleasurable! Great food, combined with lovely warm people, and beautiful sunrise and sunset views out to sea, made every meal a bit of an indulgence.
Culture & People:
On the surface of things, it would seem Cat Ba doesn't have as strong a culture as mainland Vietnamese cities do. There is a regular permanent population living on Cat Ba, though there doesn't appear to be a significant cultural distinctiveness to Cat Ba at first.
But then once you discover things like Cat Ba's famous floating fishing villages; it is at this micro-level that you can observe the tight, genuine, and brotherly-love feel to the local Cat Ba culture. Locals are clearly proud of where they live and have adjusted the fishing trade and lifestyles to align with protecting the island's beauty and friendly atmosphere.
Some other oddities abound too (though often humorous and part of the experience!). For instance, few Vietnamese folks seem to know how to swim. At all. This is quite commonplace in Asia generally, but is very surprising for a country with most of its border (some 3200KM worth!) touching the sea.
So, we westerners get to the packed and crowded beaches on a nice day to go for a swim. At first glance we are disappointed with the crowds that await us in the water. But then we look at little closer and realise "hang on a minute, every single Vietnamese tourist in the water is wearing a flotation device and going no more than 20 meters into the water!" Since no one can swim; they don't venture out far. They just hire their black "O" flotation device (at previously mentioned expensive equipment hire rates!) and hang out up front.
So for us, we say we "had the beach to ourselves" because we simply swam out 30 or 40 meters and had the waters all to ourselves (much to the seeming fascination of the locals!).
Getting around:
You can hire bicycles, scooters, and motorbikes on the island. We didn't do that. The island isn't small; but it isn't big either. For a group of five we mostly walked anywhere that was 'walkable' and then hired taxis when all five of us wanted to go somewhere.
Boat tours are a must, to get around and explore the islands and waterways throughout Ha Long Bay. I wouldn't recommend trying to hire your own small boat.
Summing it up:
I probably haven't done Cat Ba and Ha Long Bay justice in this article. It truly was the highlight of my Vietnam trip. So much diversity and activities on offer; in a place that visually seems like you are on another planet at times.
Cat Ba is great for a romantic getaway for a couple, a family holiday, friends/backpackers, or even a solo traveller who is on their own, personal, journey. Cat Ba offers something for everyone.
The relaxed atmosphere, great food and sense of calmness away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland, even when you are hiking, snorkelling, or doing other activities, all adds up to memorable and fun trip.
End-note: all images used are my own, except for the Street fighter one that I pinched from Google Images.
