Cat Ba Island is the largest island in the beautiful Ha Long Bay region of Quang Ninh Province, northeast Vietnam. It is part of the Cat Ba Archipelago and features an attractive national park.
Cat Ba National Park covers half of Cat Ba Island and has the endangered Cat Ba langur, a golden-headed animal which is part of a conservation program here. Land and water are covered by the park, which also features giant squirrels and good walking.
Hiring a motorbike and riding around is the best way to get the most out of Cat Ba Island - it is only about 10kms long by 10kms wide. The town of Cat Ba itself is nothing to write home about, being a bit of a draw for visiting Chinese businessmen and seedy massage parlors.
Getting There & Away
The best way in to Cat Ba Island is to take a boat tour from Hai Phong, which lies to the north of the island. There are many tourist type boats, along with boat charters and passenger ferries. Hai Phong is about four hours east of Hanoi along highway 18, while getting in is by way of Noi Bai International Airport to the north of Hanoi.