I have read some negative reviews about this island being overcrowded, expensive and dirty. Well, the reason is that most of these reviews come from tourists going to touristic places, staying at touristic hotels and buying from touristic stores. If you want a real experience then you have to be away from tourists! Try to do some research and find good spots to visit. We had a great time exploring the jungle and one of the caves in an unpopulated area. The scenery of the mountains and the sounds of the birds are breath taking.

If you're planning for retirement,please reconsider to this island everything was affordable inclusive of property. People are friendly quiet environment,beaches and mountain surrounding this wonderfull paradise.

A picturesque place. Peaceful calm, ideally for both couples and family. Best part is it is also very budget friendly. You can spend a week in less than 500 dollars for a couple while staying in good hotels and good food

If you’re an experienced traveller, you’ll probably think this area overrated. There is no landscape or city that will create a wow moment. Nevertheless, it is a relaxing place with a couple of things to see (town/beaches). I would not stay more than 2 days.

Very peaceful starting from September until May. This time in the North the weather is very cool and is the low season for tourism, you will get good service at affordable prices.

DescriptionCát Bà Island is the largest of the 367 islands spanning 260 km2 that comprise the Cat Ba Archipelago, which makes up the southeastern edge of Lan Ha Bay in Northern Vietnam. Cat Ba island has a surface area of 285 km2 and maintains the dramatic and rugged features of Ha Long Bay. Cat Ba Island has been included in the itinerary of many Ha Long Bay cruises and a strip of tall, thin, five-storey budget hotels line the seafront, receiving more than 350,000 visitors a year.

Everything you read about Cat Ba mentions gorgeous beaches and crystal clean waters. It is far from it. The beaches are littered, and the water is mostly brown. We visited the first of three big beaches. It is small and filled with people, causing traffic havoc as more arrive. The main thing to do is boat trips which is what we want for. It was enjoyable, but if we had known what we know now, we would not have gone at all. We tried to choose sustainable activists as tourists, but unfortunately, travelling to Cat Ba merely adds to the situation.

Extremely busy, dirty and noisy. Avoid on weekends at all costs. Waters surrounding are heavily polluted. May appeal to some but we didn't enjoy our stay.

Sod Halong!!! This is much easier and less touristy (and cheaper) if you want to see the bays. Soooo glad we opted for Cat Ba.....what an AMAZING experience, absolutely mind-blowingly beautiful!!! ❤️

I really like this place very beautiful and peaceful, on the main island of Cat Ba there is a small town, but quite modern. People here live by seafaring and tourism, they are trying to catch up with the hustle and bustle of tourists from outside arriving on the island. However, the service here is not always good, when experiencing the restaurant here you should pay the price before ordering.

A must visit destination if coming to the north region Situated a few hours from the capital, Cat Ba Island is an amazing place with a number of activities to do and sightseeing including a ever-green national park ( NP ) having very good views and treks, an amazing promenade giving the city view, a few beaches, i.a. The most popular ( and the cheapest and feasible ) way to reach here is by a bus ( and then a boat, and then again by a bus ) which comes as a whole package, which run regularly from Hanoi. However, I took a way which can be called a long-cut but it allowed me to explore both the cities more and get a experience of the Vietnamese trains. It took me about 2.5 hrs to reach Haiphong, and then a mile-walk to the ferry station, only to come to know that ferries weren't working on that day. However, taking a ferry means more requirement of transfers and extra walk, as they won't go as close the boats go and take long time. Boat transfers by private agencies are about three per day, and it took me around 12.00 pm to reach the Cat Ba town. Ideally two to three days are recommend to explore here, one whole day for Cat Ba national park and the two caves, one day for the rock climbing and other sea activities, the beaches and local village sightseeing, and one for Lan Ha Bay tour. I did former and latter including a visit to just 1 beach. The slopes are sharp at most of the places in the city centre although the main road is wide and good to ride on. A night walk along the long promenade is recommended, and it allows one to immerse in fresh air and take a good view of the city. The island has something for all the budgets including good hostels and hotels from as low as c $5 and c $12 respectively, and from street food to decent to fancy restaurants and bars all along the main road. Public transport is very limited, however getting a bicycle or motorbike on rent is easy and at very good rates. The plush hotels are situated a bit away from the city centre and have private beaches. Overall, its a refreshing and affordable destination.

We really enjoyed our time in Cat Ba Island. It was recommended to us by a local in Hanoi in order to see Ha Long Bay on a budget. She was right! Full day cruises were a lot cheaper starting in Cat Ba and we had a chance to experience this quiet, seaside town. The locals are lovely and very hospitable and you will find anything you need on the island - it's full of small restaurants and cute cafes, there's grocery shops and pharmacies. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a budget friendly seaside trip, a little relaxing weekend on the beach or a starting point before heading to Ha Long Bay.

A very good alternative to Halong Bay. You can do a very similar cruise and you can explore the island with its national park and caves.

If you like trekking just go ahead CatBa island. You can hire a mortorbike and go alongside the beach would be more enjoyable! Remember to bring water and some breads cuz you’ll need them during your trekking. It’s not very tough to get to the peak, the paths are not very sloping. It’s around1 hour and 30 minutes for the whole journey! Btw, there are some lovely traditional cabins you can rent!

This is an absolutely beautiful national park located in the heart of Cat Ba island. There are caves and jungles to explore all over this national park. So many beautiful views and so many wonderful creatures are also around to see. Highly recommend visiting if you have the opportunity or are going on a cruise to this region.

We booked a guide for the Cat Ba National Park and it was such a great experience. Our guide for the day was just fantastic and shared with us so many interesting facts and insights about Vietnam and Vietnamese culture. We were lucky enough to be the only two people joining the tour making it even more special. In the first half of the day we hiked in the forest which was so relaxing, surrounded only by the sound of nature. From the main entrance we hiked for 9km going through 4 peaks. The trail is at times challenging and requires a moderate level of fitness and proper hiking shoes. This has definitely been one of the highlights of our trip in Vietnam. We stopped for lunch at the Viet Hai village where we got a bike to get to the pier from where we got on a boat and we rode around the wonderful rock formations in the bay.

The village is good for a walk through its gardening area and streets with little shops and a coffee. Streets are made of concrete, so e-busses bring tourists or you can rent a bicycle. During my visit I didn't spot much life or activities here, maybe during the hiking season it's different (?). Some boat cruise companies get their vegetables from here and support the village this way.

Plus point to complete the great picture of Cat Ba island where you have beaches, forest, lakes and mountains in same place. It should reserve to maintain this island attractives

Great beginner/intermediate trek, take water and proper shoes! The path is well signed and the top isn’t too difficult but 100% worth it! Amazing views but slim chances of seeing any monkeys.. you realise the scale when you get to the top. Make sure you go to the second viewpoint after the hut, only takes a few minutes and you see much more

Went there for a hike an afternoon. The place is well kept and clean, quiet so you can enjoy nature sounds. Just got a little confused by the signs of the route so at times we were unsure where to go, but we also had limited time as we wanted to be back before the dark. Still got to enjoy some good views from the top.

It took me 6 hours to walk through the forest after many times we got lost. It may be faster if you booked a tour guide. This trek required high strength and durability. Then, I came back Cat Ba island by boat (100.000vnd per pax). Despite of all the difficult, I still suggest this trek to challenge yourself.

Hire a taxi/driver from town and spend a few hours hiking in this lovely national park. Well maintained trail that gets a little tricky toward the top, some rock scrambling required. Stunning views overlooking the lush jungle below. Ice cream or cold soda awaits back at the bottom!

Nice walk trough nature, the path is some parts easy to walk and some parts more of a rocky climb. The view on top is great but you only see the land, so no sea view from there. For sea view over the island you should do the trekk to navy mountain top, higher up but also more exhausting :) You can visit the hospital cave with the same entry ticket as the national park.

The ascent was moderate with the occasional railings. It may be a bit more difficult for out of shape people but still very doable.

Extremely well maintained tourist site. The way to the site can be slightly difficult if someone has an issue with their knees, cardio or back. We had to change 2 buses and get to it from our cruise but it's an extremely easy commute and well worth the view.

A well maintained and planned off-the-beaten-track place overall About 18 miles away from Cat Ba town lies this place full of greenery and excellent views which has adequate number of facilities and proper sign boards. The journey throughout the route is surrounded by varieties of trees and the road is very good, clean and quite wide. Taking the motorbike is the most flexible and reasonable option given that the two caves are miles away from the park gate ( and outside the park premises ). The busses are very limited and bike taxis only come for half day meaning that there becomes a limit on the extent to which one can explore the park. I took a bus at 8 am( which was going to Haiphong ) to go here, and it was pretty cheap at 40,000 VND and reached in ~1/2hr. The park opens at 8 am and closes at 5:30 pm as per their website, and the entry fee is decent at 80,000 VND which also includes the entrance to Trung Trang Cave which is about a 3/4th mile from the park gate. When asked for, I was told that the last bus comes around 4pm. So, going by that it gives a good 7-odd hours to explore the whole park ( and the caves ) with plenty of trail options to consider. The shortest one Ngu Lam trek which was a mile ( 1-way ) is what I began with ( A separate review is available on the Ngu Lam Peak ). Other options being the Viet Hai village trek which I didn't attempt given that I learned it is c 6 miles and takes ~4.5hrs, and has multiple diversions which increases the possibility of getting lost when not going with a guide. I attempted another trek to a pond too, from the park gate, which showed ~2.25 miles and turns out that it was a botched one. Not because I couldn't complete it, but because it simply ended with no pond around. From the second diversion point, this trek asks you to take a left and shows about 0.625 miles, but both me and another guy with me started the distance tracking on the map, and it almost touched a mile. Forget the distance inaccuracy, but the disappointment was the pond never came and the route ended. There were boards, half of which were rusted with nothing visible, and half of them having only local language displayed on them. The route was incline and decline, but no stones to climb. One of the very few things which disappointed me was the absence of toilet maintenance. Not only was it unclean, it neither had the spray nor a water supply and there was an absence of tissue paper too. The taps too had no water. If this wasn't enough, there was no latch to the door, and also didn't seem to have a flush button. It is highly recommended for anyone to carry a bunch of tissue papers. Another thing of a complain is, contrary to what the park website or board says, I didn't see much of plant, insect or animal species ( although there were plethora of large trees ). This could be limited to the two trails which I attempted or maybe could depend on the whether pattern, so can't say more on it. Overall, the national park is clean, and evergreen and the whether was perfect, which didn't make the walk feel boring or tiring, and I do recommend to visit this place. There are also guesthouses available in case one want to stay in the park. And bicycles are available too, although they would be of limited use in the park premises, but can be used to go to the two caves ( reviews of these caves are available on their apposite pages ) which are outside the park.

Nice walk. We picked the hard walk. Definitely wear a trainer, as have some parts where need to climb up on rocks.

We did guide tracking in hostel was 800k Whole Journey was tacking -biking-kayak-swmming in island Was 100%worthy to do u can do all activities in one day if u don't have many times I'm recommend to do this tour !!!! But tracking is not east there's no tracking rail sometimes u should climbing with your hand and not easy and nothing special view for me at least you can experience what is jungle

it's a wonderful Natural park that allows you to have a total contact with the Natural environment of this island. have 2 amazing outlooks with beautiful View one from a dedicated monolith Rock and another one from a man-made platform on the top of one of the mountain peak.. grate experience if you are an enthusiast of Nature and Jungle...

We did the trekking to the village. Around 8km, you can do longer to one place that you can take a boat to come back. But they drop you in the city. So, think about the logistic before if you arrive with a bike to the entrances of the park. This trekk was one way and coming back to the same way. Amazing trekk inside the forest. I definitely recommend you to do that one. It worth it. Medium difficult. Also you have two others shorter. One to a cave and the other to a viewpoint, also worth it.

Steep and slippery steps all the way to the top. The view was beautiful but there was not even a place to seat down, rest and enjoy your hard work. Small cabin at top. It was not rewarding. The cafe before you climb up was so dirty. Don't follow the arrows on the map and from cafe don't go to left unless you know rock climbing. Instead go right and you'll see the steps which takes you all the way to the peak.

My third visit here. Worth the visit if you like nature and long walks among nature. Very good viewpoint at the peak.

The hike to the peak was the main attraction here. It was a short one with some steep sections. The path is well marked, but it’s advisable to take a photo of the map at the entry. Overall the views at the top are amazing and make the trek worth it.

Cool place to visit for a bike ride to Viet Hai village. I hope we visit the island on a return visit as I think there's a lot more to see and do...

National park tickets comes with the Trang Trung Cave tickets at 80K. Beware that there is parking of 10K. This national park is good if you love to do longer walks/ hikes. Have good views, and didn’t manage to do it as I went too late (after 3pm) . Be there earlier so you can enjoy all attractions.

A lovely national park with parking directly outside. Cost is 80,000vnd per person and includes entrance to the park and to Trung Trang Cave! The hike itself up to the viewpoint is reasonable, not bad for people of lower fitness levels. The top gets trickier with more intense and steep climbing over rocks but still manageable.

Such an unusual excursion shows the length and possibilities that can be taken to ensure safety and refuge for hospital. It’s a largely concrete structure formed within the depths of a massive cave in effectively untouched nature. Easiest way to get there is via taxi or hiring moped, small parking area for bikes is available. It is only a short walk and climb of stairs to get to the attraction from the ticket office.

Costs 40.000vnd for entrance :( i think it's so expensive. overall, this is nice experience for me when i go alone :) hospital cave quite far from the center, when you go you will see many mountains, very interesting

Hospital cave is a quick stopover for Cat Ba island visitors interested in learning more about the Vietnam-American war. Hospital cave is located on the way to Cat Ba National Park and is only accessible by private transportation. Steep stone staircases bring guests to the cave entrance high up in the mountain at the site. During the Vietnam War, the hospital cave served as a crucial hiding site for communists. It is invisible from the ground or the air, and it is also bomb-proof. With Chinese assistance, a hospital and safe house for the North Vietnamese soldiers were established inside the cave, as the name implies. Entry fee is applicable.

Not worth the 40k price. This should be much less or free or included with the 80k for the other cave and national park entrance. There's no information about the hospital and it's significance. The rooms are very plain and boring. No effect was put in to how it actually looked and felt back then. Just some tables, beds and dummies laid around in each room. The caves up the road are much more interesting.

Pretty cool place to check out. They charge you 5k for parking and then 40k entrance fee to get in. There is a guide who will take you around... we were 2 people and we started with 2 others and the guide but couldn't understand him so we just wandered around inside on our own. we saw another group and their guide spoke better English though. It only takes 20-30 minutes to go through but it's it's an interesting piece of history to visit. there is a restaurant and bathroom as well, food was decent.

This cave was used as a hospital bunker for wounded soldiers during the American Vietnam war. Entrance fee of $40,000 Dong per person is collected near the scooter parking. The entrance has a steep but short set of stairs to climb. Upon entering the cave you will be self guided around several different rooms which are named according to their usage in the war. There is really no other information provided besides the room names and several plaster models depicting soldiers. I found this sight to be very interesting and even a little spooky. I wish there was more information about the history of this area. Worth a visit in my opinion.

Took motorbike to cave entrance where we paid 40VND per person. Really cool to explore. Just wish there was more historial information about the cave throughout.

Great historic site on the island, a must see & do! Please do the official tour by buying a ticket. A lot of people sneak in the back way without paying but for just around £1.30 please support the Vietnamese tourist industry...its really not a lot to pay and tour doesn't last too long but is informative so you are told about how the hospital was used.

The hospital in a cave, totally inside a mountain. It was built by the army in the war 1965 - 1967. There are many special rooms here: weapon store, treatment room, medicine store, warter tank, security room, meeting room, ... Wounded soldiers were moved into here to cure and recover their strengh then go back to front line. It contributed to our great vitory.

Great experince. This place shows you how a hospital looked like in vietnam war which was made in a cave. The tour guide speaks English and explains everything. Entry price 40.000 VND / person including tour guide. You also can bring your pet inside the cave.

I saw this place suggested as one of the highlights of Cat Ba Island. I'm interested in history, so thought it would be a good place to stop off. I left feeling underwhelmed, there's no information available so you're just walking through a very humid cave. It's a piece of history certainly...just don't expect too much!

Cool little tour, very interesting to see the cave and how they used it as a hospital. Could recommend for a visit but had hoped to look around more but didn't get the chance as it was a guided tour, only lasted about 20 mins.

Great view from the entrance to the cave, but the “hospital” itself looks very empty, nothing in English, it was hard to “feel” the history there

Overall ok experience, very interesting to see how they managed to build bunkers inside a cave. However theres nothing to read about the hospital and its history. Bunker rooms are very boring with very little artefacts.

entrance fee: 40k dong duration spent: ~15mins Hospital Cave served both as a secret bomb-proof hospital during the American War and as a safe house for Viet Cong (VC) leaders. It’s a pretty small cave, pretty interesting to see it. 2 levels were open

It is a very interesting experience. A true piece of historical value. A proof of resilience of the Vietnamese people. Don't miss it.

80000 for two tickets. I am not the most. In shape guy but it was good stairs going up to the cave and out to the road was alright. Seeing the cave was so nice. One thing off my list for Catba island.

Great cave for only 20k each. Only takes around 20 minutes in total. No lift and very steep stairs to climb

A piece of history that is nice to see but would definitely benefit from some history charts and turning it into a proper museum. It would be nice to have more info about the war itself and how this place became a hospital so far from the frontlines.

We payed 40k entrance fee and although that is not much, it really was not worth it. The whole visit took about 20 minutes including walking up the very steep stairs and wasn’t very exciting.

Interesting attraction and well worth the visit. You can really feel the history thru the exhibits and era artifacts. Appx. 50 cents to park the scooter and one US dollar entrance fee. A nice respite from the jungle heat.

We visited the cave as a requisite stop on our cruise in Ha Long Bay. If you’ve seen other caves, this is not spectacular, but certainly a worthwhile stop and walk regardless. If you haven’t seen a cave before, this is interesting, but could be done better. It should have some interpretive information, but there really is none. You will be subject to the limited explanations of your guides, which may be of minimal expertise.

This cave is the first I have been so far and it’s amazing and scary at the same time! There are entrances where you need to bend really low. We even thought we were lost because we’ve been inside for 20 minutes and we don’t see any exit! But just follow the path and it will lead you to the exit. It’s just an amazing experience. The ticket you get here, you can also use it for Cat Ba National Park. So you pay for 80,000 vnd and it will be for 2 places already.

A beautiful natural wonder located on a remote island. To reach the caves you need to reach the island using a small boat and then take a bus to reach the caves. The bus takes about ten minutes from the dock to reach. From there you need to climb about a hundred steps to reach the mouth of the cave. From there you enter a beautiful world of stalactites and stalagmites with lights playing it's own games. You need to be careful while maneuvering through the caves as at some places there isn't enough room to walk straight. The views both inside and outside the caves are magnificent making you wonder about the natural beauty

I'm not an expert when it comes to caves, I have visited a few and this one was quite underwhelming. If you come with a group it'll be pretty packed, you'll all move in a single line and not much time to explore, look around or take photos. Pretty quick walk through. If it's raining bring a rain coat and waterproof shoes. Overall a pleasant experience but not something that is a must see.

A great cave but it does require you to bend over and almost crawl in spots. There is also quite a few stairs leading to the entrance and when you exit.

The caves are a must for beginner cave enthusiasts and for those who love rock/cave formations of stalactites abd stalagmites. It does have its tight spaces and might not be recommended for those who are claustrophobic, but rest assured these are not long stretches, so its still possible to be tried by everyone. It is not a long walk, but there are quite a bit of stairs to climb to the cave entrance, and on its way out too. Please be mindful if you have some back issues or breathing issues, but if you have time, you can take the frequent breaks in between the walk to pace yourself. Expect to complete this short walk within half an hour, so taking care and pacing yourself will get you through thus exciting walk through one of nature's wonders.

Epic caves! The views from the entrance are spectacular. The ticket gets you entry to the national park as well. There's a little cafe from which you can grab smoothies. A must-see for a visit to Cat Ba.

Just 1.5km before getting to the national park, you can find this cave on your left. Nice and big with some really beautiful formations to see. Some parts you will have to bend as the ceiling is very slow but it is a lot of fun. And getting that fresh air in comparison from ouside is good. Be aware it is better to park 300m before the entrance on the parking lot because that is where you will go out of the cave. Entrance is combined with the national park.

We went here as a couple with a tour guide on a half day trek. 9-12pm It was great, especially having someone explain and show you everything. Entrance is 80k pp. this included the cave and entrance to the national park which is a hike up to look right over cat ba. Definitely worth seeing and visiting while on cat ba island. feel if you weren’t sure of details of the cave you probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much that why we liked having a local take us through and explain minor and major details.

Yes loved it.. Its a 15 minutes soothing ride from the boat pier. Scant crowds, well built amenities. U start with a 100 mts walk from the main gate, followed by 90 odd steps to reach the cave entrance. Then a 20 minutes walk across into the well lit and not so cramped cave and you are at the exit . A further flurry of steps through the foliage and you reach the main road.. In all an enjoying experience even for my elderly parents.. Thanks to the weather, the overcast conditions saved us from the scorching sun.

The entrance fee is 80k, it's both for the caves and for the national park. You'll see quite large caves but without a guide. The caves are not properly taken care of -- molds, moss, grass on the walls in the places where ppl go or where the light shines. Nevertheless, it's very nice. Rent a motorbike. And come here.

The caves situated about 3/4th of a mile away from Cat Ba National Park ( NP ), are a go to place should you visit this area. The NP tickets includes the caves, so one doesn't need to purchase a separate ticket for entrance. Post 100-odd steps, the caves begin and directions are properly labelled, and there is only one major diversion, which is basically a shortcut to the exit, and should you take that, you will exit the caves perhaps inside half an hour of the start. The caves are adequately lit, and there are directions asking which way to proceed, so chances of going in communication are next to none. At times, the height of the caves come down to as low as 1.25m, so tallies have to be careful. The caves at normal pace shall take a little over 0.5hr to explore ( excluding the time of ascending the steps to the mouth of the caves ). The route down could be a bit slippery if it drizzles, but not nocuous as was the case when I went there. The route ends near a restaurant.

What a breathtaking experience. The pictures do not give any credit how huge and astonishing this cave is. It’s a must when you are on Cat Ba. You should be fit since the cave ceiling is just 1 m high at certain points you have to cross.

So entry was 80.000 and gives the option to go to the park as well only thing that kinda kills the vibe is you still need to pay parking fees i do feel eating elsewhare might be a better experience but the coffee looks nice

There’s nothing incredibly special about this location, it really depends on your tour guide’s storytelling ability. To be honest. I work up early to get here, and found it a little underwhelming. It’s a cave. With a concrete man-made path. It would be so much better to have some sort of signage or storytelling “device” throughout to show what it was used for or why it’s important I am sure there are stories to tell here, inspirational moments to share from Vietnamese history and culture, but right now it isn’t feels like a moot point.

Beautiful cave which the tickets comes with national park ticket (mainly for hiking/ walking) (Map of the national park in the picture below). 80K comes with both the Trung Trang Cave ticket and the national park ticket while the Hospital Cave tickets were 40K. There will be some bending of back, especially for tall people in this cave , but it’s pretty. Recommend this cave for people who like to take photos/ see pretty stones and the hospital cave for people who wants to learn more about Vietnam history. It was easy to get the tickets but beware that the national park has 10K parking fee. The rest of the caves parking are for free.

Trung Trang Cave is situated in the middle of the National Park on Cat Ba island. A short 300 meter walk is not too difficult. But the entrance is situated 130 steps up the cliff wall. And a further 100 steps down at the end. You can see the formation of stalactites and stalagmites that have formed over thousands of years. Some point you have to stoop low in order to pass. So if you have problems, you might want to skip it. It is included in some cruise itinerary.

Awesome caves to walk through. Well lit and quite long. It's 80k for the ticket which includes the national park up the road. Worth checking out.

really love this cave! you have to crouch and bend to navigate at some parts, haha pretty cute. I love how empty it was, not overpopulated with tourists so you can take your own sweet time to explore this cave! took us around 15-20mins to walk around this cave, really enjoyed it!

It does not really worth it to organize a trip to visit the cave. We came as part of our cruise so we stayed for 45 mins. If you have a family it is perfect but i would prefer to stay on the cruise.

Beautiful cave with interesting rock forms. it doesn't take long to visit, around 20-30 minutes, but it gets narrow/low to pass at some points, so watch out not to hit your head. Entrance is 80k per person and the ticket includes entry to the Natural Park that you can visit later (the peak Ngu Lam -entrance around 1 km further).

You can enjoy the limestone cave in a natural cave located in Lan Ha Bay. We recommend that you wear clothes that are easy to move in. And also the ground is slippery, so we recommend sneakers with good grip.

Tried some snake wine - tasted a little like vodka. Was a bit freaky with the snake in the bottle. Meant to help your back.