Cat Ba Island is located in the southern part of Halong Bay in Northern Vietnam and is also very close to Hanoi. It takes around 3.5 to 4 hours to reach Cat Ba Island from Hanoi. There are numerous options to reach Cat Ba Island like bus, train, ferry, and cable car. However, this time, Travel Beyond availed the bus service to reach the island and then experienced an overnight cruise trip to explore the majestic natural beauty of the untouched karst landscape of Lan Ha Bay, the most beautiful destination in Cat Ba National Park. The entire landscape is dotted with numerous karst islands and limestone caves and outcrops. Cat Ba National Park is the largest biosphere reserve in North Vietnam and is designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In Cat Ba tour, the island stay and exploring the town and beaches is a completely different experience than cruise stay and exploring the sea and different secluded beaches while enjoying activities like swimming and kayaking in the midst of the bay. So Travel Beyond dedicates this video totally on cruise experience and the different activities that were included in these 2-days' itineraries.
Cat Ba Island trip is a great option for every traveler, and undoubtedly, one of the best options for adventurers. Cat Ba National Park is also an offbeat destination in North Vietnam and a better alternative for Halong Bay. The island has an age-old history since the colonial era amidst nature's lap. So a week long stay can be a perfect way to explore this island and the bay. But a short trip to Cat Ba Island can also be planned for 3D/2N Cat Ba tour with only a cruise or combining both cruise and beach instead of this 2D/1N Cat Ba cruise tour.
The entire Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay have more than 1500 small islands, outcrops, and limestone caves, all covered with dense greenery and create a natural habitat for different species- birds, mammals, reptiles, marine lives and many more. Most part of Cat Ba National Park is absolutely unexplored, and hence, many caves are inaccessible. The caves like Trung Trang Cave in Lan Ha Bay are accessible to tourists, but have a very lesser lighting system to maintain its natural condition and to preserve the natural habitat of the living species inside the caves. On the other hand, the limestone caves in Halong Bay are well equipped with light and sound systems for easy access to the tourists, but these ultimately disrupt the natural conditions.
So if you want a better and more natural experience in this trip, it is better to plan for Cat Ba trip. Also, this Cat Ba National Park tour allows you to experience local culture as you meet the local people from fishing communities in various fishing villages. Viet Hai fishing village is one of the famous in Lan Ha Bay, and a cycling tour is available in this village to experience the local life.
The most fascinating and wonderful moments of this trip are enjoying the sunrise and sunset in the karst landscape. A wonderful experience to witness on the lap of nature. It's a lifetime experience.
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Travel Beyond is a channel owned by Reeha Paul Roy and Sabyasachi Roy. We travel in different parts of world and share those experiences in our channel.
