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Cat Ba island
 A
trip to Catba (Cat Ba) island can be separated or combined with a
visit to
Halong
Bay. This is the largest island in the Cat Ba Archipelago that consists
of 350 limestone outcrops adjacent to Halong.
This
is an oasis where you can be apart for one or a few days during a
long voyage. If starting from
Halong
Wharf
it will take you 4 hours by a tourist boat, with stopovers for
swimming, visiting spectacular karsts and having fresh sea food. In
a single word, you can contemplate the beautiful scenery of Halong
before reaching the island. You can also buy a ticket of the
hydrofoil departing from
Hai Phong Seaport to reach Cat Ba if your
itinerary saves Halong for another visit.
With
an area of 356 square km wide, Cat Ba encompasses forested zones,
coastal mangrove and freshwater swamps, beaches, caves, and
waterfalls. In 1986, the Northeast side of the island was designated
a National Park, including a protected marine zone. Cat Ba Island
supports a population of over 20,000, most of whom live off fishing
or farming in the South, in and around Cat Ba Town. The town is
small and ancient, with clusters of fishing boats and inspiring
sunsets across the harbor. You can check out the catch of the day in
the early morning , see cuttlefish dried over hot charcoals, or
stroll around the old town. It's a short hike from Cat Ba town
through a tunnel to Cat Co Beach, whose mountains look like a throne
holding a marvelous sandy coast, or if you hike further along, you
will reach the rockier
Cat
Vang
Beach
.
As
transportation on the town is not so well-developed,
motorbikes is the most helpful means to get you to the larger Trung
Trang Cave with many chambers, or to the
National Park, or to
discover other beaches around the island. A tour guide is necessary
to help you communicate with the local drivers and introduce these
viewpoints. The national park contains stringy trees, thick
undergrowth and slippery vines. There is a great view that includes
a French, now Vietnamese, farming village from the top of the
mountain and a lake in the middle of the park that takes a half day
to reach.
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