The schedule is made according to the experience of reporter VnExpress and advice from Mr. Son Nguyen, Cat Ba National Park officer. The itinerary is suitable for travelers traveling from central Hanoi or Hai Phong, wanting a change of atmosphere on the weekend and are active people.
Day 1
Tourists travel from Hanoi to Got ferry, taking nearly 2 hours. If traveling from Hai Phong center, the time is about 30 minutes. Guests enjoy breakfast in central Hai Phong or at rest stops on the Hanoi – Hai Phong highway, with the typical dish being crab cakes.
This season is deserted, there are not many tourists, so the ferry crossing is quite fast. After buying tickets, visitors can immediately cross the ferry, or if they have to wait, it will only take about 30 minutes. After the summer peak season, the Got ferry (Cat Hai side) now runs the first trip every day from 5:30 a.m. and the last trip at 6:30 p.m. Schedule from Cai Vieng wharf (Cat Ba side) from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. There will be a trip every 30 minutes.
From the ferry terminal to the center of the island, visitors will go through one of the most beautiful island roads in Vietnam.
Part of the coastal route on Cat Ba island. Image: Giang Chinh
Morning
Trekking at Cát Bà National Park In cool weather, it is a suitable experience. Garden entrance ticket is 80,000 VND per person. If you rent a package tour, you will not have to pay this fee. Visitors can start from 8:30 or 9:00 am. People who regularly exercise, walk or jog should choose a long bow.
“Visitors can trek 6 km or 10 km depending on their needs and health. You can choose the shortest route, only about 2 km to Ngu Lam peak and back to the garden gate, visiting Trung Trang cave, about 2 hours. But it would be a pity if we couldn’t go 10 km to have more experiences and enjoy more beautiful scenery,” Mr. Son said.
If traveling 10 km, visitors will pass through all terrains, experience many beautiful scenes, learn about forest ecosystems and different forest types such as primary forests, tropical humid forests, mangrove forests, and learn about many types of forests. precious tree. Places to pass include May Bau peak and frog pond. The final point of the journey is Viet Hai village.
“The terrain of the entire route is quite diverse, many sections are flat through the forest, with steep climbs, mainly medium-height cliffs, with only a few short, steep sections,” Mr. Son added and noted. You should choose suitable shoes with anti-slip function and bring snacks.
The time for the entire 10 km trekking trip is about 4 hours, do not go too fast, rest when tired.
Afternoon
In the early afternoon, tourists return to Viet Hai village. This is a small fishing village located deep in Cat Ba National Park. There are only about 400 people living here, but there are enough services such as accommodation, meals, and foot massage with fish to relax after trekking.
Late lunch is mainly food grown by local people. Dishes that visitors can order in advance include: seafood and vegetables from the garden that are simply prepared but delicious and of good quality.
After resting with the fish massage service, 50,000 VND per person, cycling around the village is a must-do or wandering around watching the sunset.
“If you rent a room in the village overnight, you will get a free bicycle and can use it at any time. If you only visit the village during the day, the rental price is 50,000 VND.”, Mrs. Sơn said.
Fresh grilled food in the fishing village. Image: Tâm Anh
Evening
Dinner with grilled meat and wine in the cool, chilly air. Some houses in the village accept reservations for BBQ parties. This place often welcomes foreign tourists, so they are familiar with the diverse style of serving and preparing dishes, including Western food.
Rest and spend the night at Viet Hai village. Long Phuong Bungalow is one of the rental houses with the most rooms, private rooms for 2-4 people are optional, prices range from 500,000 VND to 700,000 VND per room. In addition, there are many homestays in the village, with cheaper costs, only about 200,000 to 300,000 VND.
Day 2
Morning
In the morning, wake up in the fresh air at Viet Hai village. A budget breakfast is served in the village with popular dishes such as instant noodles or vermicelli noodles served with fresh seafood. Each serving ranges from 20,000 to 25,000 VND.
Move to the pier to visit Lan Ha Bay. The boat takes people on the bay, past famous spots such as Cai Beo floating village, Rua island, Mo island and stops at Tay Keo beach for about 1-2 hours, where there is a quiet space. In the summer, visitors to the bay can combine swimming, but in the fall and winter, visitors should choose kayaking.
Noon and afternoon
Currently, raft houses serving food and drinks on Lan Ha Bay are no longer allowed to operate. Therefore, after experiencing a trip on the bay, tourists arrive at Ben Beo wharf at about 12:00 and have lunch on the island. Some reference restaurants: Hai Yen, Huyen Beo Grilled Hot Pot, Vien Duong, Fishing Village. The dishes here are diverse, in addition to seafood, there are also beef, pork, and hot pots.
Before leaving the island, visitors should take a trip to visit Cat Ba island on the road across the island by car to see how beautiful and peaceful this island is.
Arrive at Cai Vieng ferry terminal around 3-4pm to return to the mainland. “Note not to arrive late to the ferry, close to the last flight to avoid risks affecting your schedule”, Mrs.Sơn said.
Ben Beo Port. Image: Tâm Anh
Some alternatives: The above itinerary is suitable for people who have been to Cat Ba and are no longer strangers to this island because the group does not go to the town or attractions on the main island. If you want to relax, you should choose to stay in town, with some resorts such as Perle dOrient Cat Ba-MGallery or Flamingo Cat Ba, in the Cat Co beach area, with hot mineral baths. Tourists can also choose to spend the night on a cruise ship in Lan Ha Bay.
