Cat Ba island and beaches

Cat Ba is the largest of the 366 islands spanning 260km2 that comprise the Cat Ba Archipelago, which makes up the southeastern edge of Ha Long 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. It is commonly used as an overnight hotel stop on tours to Ha Long Bay run by travel agents from Hanoi.

Over view of Cat Ba island:

Cat Ba is the largest island in the Bay and approximately half of its area is covered by a National Park, which is home to the highly endangered Cat Ba Langur. The island has a wide variety of natural ecosystems, both marine and terrestrial, leading to incredibly high rates of biodiversity. Types of natural habitats found on Cat Ba Archipelago include limestone karsts, tropical limestone forests, coral reefs, mangrove and sea grass beds, lagoons, beaches, caves, and willow swamp forests. 

Cat Ba Island is one of the only populated islands in Ha Long Bay, with roughly 13,000 inhabitants living in six different communes, and 4,000 more inhabitants living on floating fishing villages off the coast. The large majority of the population can be found in Cat Ba Town which is located at the southern tip of the Island (15 km south of the national park) and is the commercial center on the Island. Since 1997, Cat Ba Town has grown rapidly and has become a tourist hub for both the Island and greater Ha Long Bay.

 

History of Cat Ba Island:

Archeological evidence suggests that people have lived on Cat Ba Island for almost 6,000 years, with the earliest settlements being found on the southeastern tip of the Island close to the area where Ban Beo harbor sits today. In 1938, a group of French archeologists discovered human remains belonging "to the Cai Beo people of the Ha Long culture, which lived between 4,000 and 6,500 years ago… considered to be perhaps the first population group occupying the North-Eastern territorial waters of Vietnam… the Cai Beo people may be an intermediary link between the population strata at the end of the Neolithic Age, some 4,000 years ago". 

In more recent history, Cat Ba Island was inhabited mostly by Viet-Chinese fisherman and was largely influenced by both the French and American wars. The Island was a strategic look-out point and bombing during the wars often forced local residents to hide among the Island's many caves. Today, the best reminders of the two wars have been turned into tourist attractions. 

Hospital Cave, which was a secret, bomb-proof hospital during the American War and as a safe house for VC leaders. This three-story feat of engineering was in use until 1975 is only 10 km north of Cat Ba Town. The second attraction, the newly built Cannon Fort, sits on a peak 177 meters high, offering visitors a chance to see old bunkers and helicopter landing stations as well stunning views Cat Ba Island, its coast, and the limestone karsts in Lan Ha Bay offshore.

Cat Ba national park:

At the heart of Cat Ba Island lies a visually stunning and ecologically diverse national park. In 1986, 9,800 [98 km²] hectares (approximately one third of the Island's total land mass) was annexed as Cat Ba National Park, the first decreed protected area in Vietnam to include a marine component (Dawkins 14). It had previously been the site of a timber company. 

In 2006, the boundaries of the national park were redefined, so the park contained 109 km² of land area and an additional 52 km² of inshore waters and mangrove covered tidal zones (langur website). The park is staffed by 92 people, including over 60 park rangers. In 2004, Cat Ba Archipelago was declared a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Area in order to protect the multiple terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems as well the diverse plant and animal life that is found on the Island. The UNESCO designation divides the archipelago into three distinct areas, each with certain functions and restrictions that regulates development and conservation measures on the Island.

Cat Ba national park

Cat Co Beach, Cat Ba Island

The white-sand Cat Co beaches (simply called Cat Co 1 and Cat Co 2) make a great place to lounge around for the day. They are about 1 km southeast from Cat Ba town over a steep headland; and can be reached on foot or by motorbike or taxi. The two beaches are separated by a small hillock that can be climbed over in about 20 minutes. Most; however; take the easier route along a new; 700m; wooden seaside walkway around the mountain. Cat Co 2 is the less busy and more attractive of the two; and also offers simple accommodation and camping. On weekends the beaches fill up with Vietnamese tourists. The main beaches; apart from those at Cat Ba town itself; are Cai Vieng; Hong Xoai Be and Hong Xoai Lon.

Monkey Island ( Cat Dua island)

Monkey Island beach

Monkey Island stay in the area of Nam Cat, Lan Ha bay. There are 5 sandy beach here and Monkey Island beach is the most beautiful and the biggest one. From Cat Ba town, you have to take a taxi or motobike to Beo harbour where you go by boat to Monkey Island. It takes you about 15 minutes, throught the floating village and many beautiful islets with sea birds flying in group up and down.

In the past, this island was called Cat Dua island ( Pine Apple Sand Beach island) because there is a lot of pine apple trees on the sandy beach. In recent years, there are many tourists come and they found many monkeys on the island then this is called Monkey Island beside the name Cat Dua.

Monkey island is about 5 km round with the front side are 2 sandy beaches and the back side is like rocky mountain. The beaches here are very beautiful with pine apple trees on the beach and many kind of green trees on the mountain.

There are about 20 monkeys on the island. They live on the mountain, in the garden and some time go to the beach for foods given by the tourist. Coming here, you also can enjoy the song of the birds in the garden or see many fishes swimming in the clean water.

Monkey Island is an ideal place for tourist holiday with many activities like play football, volley ball on beach, swimming, snockeling or go fishing. Especially, you can do kayaking around as the water here is calm like in a lake with hundreds of islets around.

Cat Ba tourism:

Cat Ba Island has become the adventure-tourism capital of Vietnam, and many of the activities advertised are nature-based. Visitors can kayak and take boat cruises through Ha Long Bay and the Cat Ba Archipelago, hike through the national park, mountain bike around the Island, spend time on Monkey Island just offshore, explore the Island's many caves, swim on Cat Co 1, 2, or 3 (three sandy beaches a short walk from Cat Ba Town), or even rock climb on the limestone karsts. 

With its stunning scenery, its association with Ha Long Bay, its proximity to highly populous cities like Haiphong (50 km) and Hanoi (150 km), and even China (many regional visitors come to the Island in the summer, the busy season, to avoid the heat and pollution in the cities), and plenty to do, Cat Ba Island has become a major travel destination for foreign and Vietnamese visitors alike.

Cat Co beach in Cat Ba island in summer

The People

Cat Ba Island is currently inhabited by almost 12000 people, living in 6 communes - of which Cat Ba Town with 7820 people is the largest.
The area has two ethnic groups, namely the Kinh and the Chinese-born Vietnamese that are intermingled and not separated into different areas or communities. Based on archaeological remains, it seems that people have inhabited the Cat Ba area for at least 6000 years.
Local livelihoods in the villages are built on subsistence agriculture and fishing. Comparatively new sources of employment and income at the local level are shrimp and fish-farming, and tourism.

Traveling to Bai Dai beach

This is a new beach, which is mentioned recently. Bai Dai (in Cam Hai Dong commune, Cam Ranh Township) is becoming more crowded like the princess being wakened up after the years of sleeping quietly.
When the road of 21km connected the area of South Lo River, Nha Trang to Cam Ranh airport is brought into use since 30^th April 2004; Bai Dai became an interesting tourist spot to welcome the visitors in their journey from North to South Vietnam.

According to the planning, in the future, Bai Dai will become the important tourist spot of the South Khanh Hoa with the total usage area of 200ha. There are tourist spots of three and four stars with the beautiful resorts in the first place of Vietnam. However, that is the far future, now you can still come to Bai Dai to enjoy a pristine beach. Bai Dai beach is curling with more than 10km long; the far distance is the islands blocking the sea. Bai Dai’s current look has seduced many visitors who stopped here by accident or by the introduction of the friends.

 

From the beginning of Binh Tan Bridge to Bai Dai road, Nguyen Tat Thanh Boulevard leads you to the path of only 10km and about 12km from Cam Ranh airport. The curling road crossing Dong Bo Mountain is a circle. You continue to the soil road of more than 200m to Bai Dai beach in Cam Hai Dong commune, Cam Ranh Township. There are about 30 houses of local people to sell the products to serve the visitors even in the rainy or sunny days because even it is on rainy days, there are still people coming. The tents are also made to serve the fresh sea foods with the better price than the restaurants in Nha Trang city.

The area of Bai Dai beach is only 1km long from the foot of the mountain to the next beach. The sand is smooth and clean here. On quiet day of the sea, the tide is low to let a whole white sand area (so this place is called Bai Dai). You would feel excited o meet the small crabs chasing each other in the sand without fearing the human.

The beach is quite shallow here, so it is safe for visitors even if they do not know swimming. The most interesting thing is that beside the beach, each trading household also has fresh water well with the depth of nearly 2m. The fresh water is free here.

The journey to Bai Dai today is also a journey of discovering. You would have to send your vehicles kept in the parking lot and carry the food and drink along to climb on the sand hill. Around the area, the sand is white with the interlace liana creating the green carpet. Let’s enjoy a sunny day with Bai Dai.

Son Dung beach - Nha Trang

There are many reasons for you to come to Son Dung beach in Van Phong – Nha Trang province, one of them is to come to the natural stones in the shapes of the animals.

Son Dung village is not so big and crowded. That is only a small village with 14 households. Some houses are built quite firmly leaning on the mountain cliff. On the right side of it, there is a very beautiful rock ground, which is suitable for swimming. At the back of the village, there is a mountain with the sand banks, and the sea guards in front of the village. When the tide is low, there will be a smooth white sand bank running tens of meters.

 

Son Dung has neither road nor vehicles. The main pathway in the village is along the beach to come in, and that would be tough when the water is full. The way to come from house to house is made by sea sand and coral. This village also has its own “fairy tale” story.

Once upon a time, there was a group of Dang Ha people drifting into this village in a sunk boat occasion. There were no cloths at that time so they had to use leaves to wear. There are boys and girls choosing to leave this part of sad sea land to find a way in the urban. However, there were people stayed for the love of this land.

Nowadays, there are about 20 children of school age, so there is a class of multi-level organized by the soldiers of the Border Post no 358. People in Son Dung do a lot of things for living. They raise lobster, catching squid, fish, collecting firewood and planting trees. They are also the travel operators now due to the demands of visitors for dropping by for one or two hours a day.

The first attraction of Son Dung, which is wanted by everybody, is the fresh water resource right in the beach. Visitors are all curious about the fact that the sea water is salty, but there’s only a hole of one hand deep would give the fresh water. The process of digging the “well” is made thoroughly for visitors by a kid. The visitors would also frequently bring a bottle of water from Son Dung back to their place.
Son Dung has no restaurant or shop, but there are some nets of fish and shrimp on the water surface of the sea to serve the demand of eating of visitors.

You should anchor your boat beside a tree or sometimes, you have to walk on the sand to come to the island. You could come to the houses of the local people, chatting with them, or you could climb on the sand hill to feel the adventurous feeling. Following local people, you could come to the nets in the sea and choose some fish or shrimp to buy. The way of cooking is not so complicated, too.  It would need only a firewood cook to grill them and taste along with the wine. In the vast area of Van Phong Ocean, that is an amazing feeling.

My Khe Beach – The charm of Danang

Coming to Danang, which has a large number of attractions including Son Tra Peninsula, Ba Na Mountain, Cham Museum and nearby Hoi An ancient town, you should not miss My Khe Beach, located about six kilometers east of Danang and 24 kilometers north of Hoi An. The beach is a nine-kilometer stretch of smooth sand and is famous for its fresh atmosphere and blue water.

The beach has been voted one of the six most attractive beaches on the planet by American business magazine Forbes. The Australian magazine, Sunday Herald Sun, also ranked the 900m-long My Khe Beach in the top 10 Asian beaches, saying that Australia is endowed with so many beaches but they can’t forget the first impression of My Khe with its crystal-clear blue water and long sandy beach.

Behind the beach is a dark green poplar forest. The beach is next to the city center and is easily accessible by road and various means of transport. It also has resorts, restaurants, bungalows and various abundant services right on the beach, creating favorable conditions for tourists to relax on the seashores with all home comforts.

The sea water in My Khe is cool with small waves so tourists can bathe all-year round, especially in summer from May to August. Han River suspension bridge has been completed and links the east area to the west area, making transportation easy. As a result, My Khe Beach is an attractive resort for tourists.

Tra Co beach, a significant stop-over on approaching Vietnam

Based at the first point of the S-shaped Vietnam, Tra Co beach, one of the most beautiful beaches, is an important stop-over when tourists arrive in Vietnam from the north.

Briefting 

Tra Co beach is located in the Northeastern extreme of the “S-shaped Vietnam”, in Quang Ninh province. It is by the border with China, and around 8 kilometers from Mong Cai mountainous town and some 170 kilometers far away from Ha Long. With its advantages in terms of location,  the beach is the destination of  a number of travelers, especially those who come from China. 

To the west, the province borders an extended forest and mountainous region. To the east, it is adjacent to the Gulf of Tonkin. It features a meandering coastline, numerous estuaries and tidal flats, and more than 2,000 large and small islands. Of which 1,030 have been named. The local annual temperature is around 22.7^oC with two main seasons (Hot and Cold). The best time for swimming is summer season from April to September.

How to get there?

From Hanoi, going there by bus is a bit tired because of a long and uneven way of about 300km, and a long time of 7 hours. However, it is worth that you can enjoy the scenes of the Red river delta and will be surprised at different natural beauties from time to time and from plain to mountainous area. 

Getting there by marine seems to be much easier and faster. After visiting Ha Long bay or Cat Ba island, we can take an express boat and reach to the beach after about two hours. By this way, you can also have a chance of enjoying the feelings of floating on the sea.

Why should you spend time here?

A fine and fresh sea environment

Tra Co is considered one of “the most lyrical beaches in Vietnam” with a wide and plain beach, white and smooth sand, and blue sea water all the year round. The beach is about 15 kilometers long, on the edge of Tra Co peninsula, which was created by waves and flows. As a result, it covers some 3-4m sand-banks. Just nearby you can see a shadowed casuarinas forest, used to protect the inner village from hurricanes and the sand from erosion. It is neighboured to an original eco-system of mangrove forest is the zone lung. Known as one of the most beautiful beach in Vietnam, Tra Co is occasionally put in comparison with Nha Trang beach. Accordingly, if Nha Trang is as beautiful as a modern girl, Tra Co is a coyly rural girl since it has not yet been much exploited for tourism. Tra Co beach is much far from the city, industrial zone and harbour, which make it possess a cool and pure air, and a quiet and pristine environment. 

A place of easy-to-buy seafood

If you would like to enjoy fresh seafood, Tra Co fishermen can surely meet your requirement. The fresh sea foods are always available on the seaside after fishing time. You can buy what you want at very low prices. Staying here, you still have a very good opportunity to taste every sea delicacies of your interest, such as lobsters, sea crabs, etc., while you can still save your money.

A picturesque view

Just 6 kilometers from the beach, there is a place where tourists could relax by watching the romantic sunrise and sunset. It is the beautiful Con Mang sand-bank, whose sand is fairly smooth and so solid that you can ride a motorbike on it. Imagine that you are sitting on the rocks, listening to the sounds from the sea waves. This will make you feel free, relaxed, and harmonized with the nature.

Closed to Con Mang, it is Vietnam’s border point with China, Sa Vi, where nature starts to write the “S”-shape of the nation. Tourists can clearly see China from this point. Though the Border War was left behind long ago, people can find some underground shelters, scattered along the two sides.

For those who are interested in local historical vestiges, Tra Co communal house, the pride of Tra Co people since it was built long time ago in 1462, should also be a stop-over, if time is available. Though having been repaired many times, it still retains the original architectural style as well as the sculptural art.All of six people who are worshipped in the house came from Do Son, Hai Phong city. They were the first people to step in the zone and established the village 400 years ago. Besides, they worship Quan He (Nguyen Huu Cau), a leader of uprising farmers under Le-Trinh dynasty.

Notes: At the end of the fifth lunar month, local people always organize the Village festival. A group of activities, such as boat paddling from Tra Co to Do Son - the father land, from 25^th to 30^th, cooking competition, boat racing, and so forth.

Ca Na Beach – “Sleeping Princess”

As one of the most wildest and beautiful beaches of Vietnam, Ca Na Beach, the “Sleeping Princess” of Ninh Thuan province, is warmly beckoning tourists.

On the map of Vietnam tourism as well as the world’s, Ca Na is amongst the impressive names for a picturesque landscape of sea, mountain, forest, and even a Cham culture. It is this combination of natural beauty and cultural value that makes it a tourism heaven for any kind of visitors.

A quick look. Ca Na is fortunate to be granted such a favorable location, which is on the trans-Vietnam railway, right on the 1A Highway, and around 200km east of Ho Chi Minh City. It stretches as far as 10km with blue sky and purely green water. Ca Na is attractive to tourists not only for the mentioned charm, but also the ideally pure and cool weather all the year round. If staying here overnight, you will deeply feel the Ca Na night’s delicate harmony of with moonlight, hissing sea wind, and whistling waves. Do come and feel it yourself, no regret at all you would have! 

Why is it named so? A legend tells that in the past, under Nguyen dynasty, there were a King and a queen who went swimming here, and found it a rare magnificent charm in the region. They then named it “Nang Tien Ca” (translated as “fairy fish”). Ca Na is the name in Cham language, and exists until these days. For the other beautiful way of calling, “Sleeping Princess”, the reason is very simple; the beach still remains wild, even most pristine as compared to others in Vietnam, and more importantly, it does look graceful and fascinating! 

Deep attraction to tourists

 

Picturesque landscape. One side is rock, one side is the beach! On your one side is a very vast sea that normal eyes could not see through. On the other side is the mighty Truong Son mountain range with side by side upright rocky limestone mounts. Getting deep into the area is tropical jungles, where live so many kinds of rare and precious animals... Actually, it must say, Ca Na is a harmonious sonata of nature!

The rocky mountains turn up imposingly. In spring, apricot blossoms in the mountain, making up a rich source of inspiration for artists. Thousands of islets with different shapes gather together create vivid images just nearby the road.

Ca Na corals

The beach is excellent! It curls like a sickle, white sand and high salty degree. Salt in Ca Na beach is considered the best one in Southeast Asia. The beach slopes gently to the sea with the depth of one to two meters. The weather is sunny and warm all the year round. Climbing up the mountains, and swimming in the crystal – clear water in this place are very enjoyable. Also, you can take photos of rocks protruding into the sea.

Looking to the sea farthest, you may see a small islet turning up, which is called “Hon Lao”. This is a popular spot of Ca Na for numerous species of sea birds, Tien Well, and the famous Thach Grotto with 7 skulls, attracting a huge number of adventurous tourists.

Popular Sea food. Apart from Ca Na’s most famous specialties, such as salt and Nhi fish sauce, tourists are offered a great chance to taste delicious seafood, say, shrimp, crab, shellfish, etc. There are a number of beautiful tiny things here to buy for gifts, among which the most popular one preferred by tourists is the sea coral. 

Besides, tourist can visit the Cham’s special structures and traditional villages, where a lot of Cham people are living with nearly genuine traditional custom, just in the nearby surroundings. This is the last but actually not least absorptive beauty of this popular beach of Ninh Thuan.

Cat Co Beach in Quang Ninh

Visiting the large beach of Cat Co, which is separated by a small range of mountain, you can swim in the blue and warm water, so clear that you can see the golden sand beneath.

The white-sand Cat Co beach make a great place to lounge around for the day. They are about 1 km southeast from Cat Ba town over a steep headland; and can be reached on foot or by motorbike.

Cat Ba is the biggest island (100 sq. km) out of the 366 islands on the Lan Ha Bay. It is a tourist spot, attractive for its natural beauty and wonders endowed by nature.

Right from the moment you set foot on Cat Ba gangway, looking afar to contemplate the enchanting scenery of immense sky and magnificent mountains and breathing the fresh air from the sea, you will feel comfortable and your tiredness after a long trip will disappear. Surely, you want to go on with your journey at once. 

Cat Co Beach is separated by a small hillock that can be climbed over in about 20 minutes. However, you can take the easier route along a new wooden seaside walkway around the mountain. The beach offers simple accommodation and camping.

The mountain adjacent to Cat Co Beach has a tunnel and fascinating caves and grottoes, such as Hang Luon, Khe Sau, Trung Trang, Gia Luan and Kim Cuong. Visiting these caves and grottoes you will get the feeling of the explorers, discovering the wonders and mysteries endowed by nature. 

The fauna living on the Cat Ba National Park is diverse: 20 kinds of animals, 69 kinds of birds, 20 kinds of  reptiles, rare wild white - headed langurs. Coming out of the caves and grottoes you should spend a little time to contemplate the sunset over Lan Ha Bay. On the golden background of the horizon and the dark blue of the sea, the heaving islets become multiform, the white sea-gulls hover and sea-eagles make circles in the sky, all beautifying the immense and fascinating space, and enchanting the visitors.

Cat Co Beach is a tourist spot, attractive for its natural beauty and wonders endowed by nature.

Enchanting Ninh Chữ

Ninh Chữ beach, with its 10km length, is situated in Khánh Hải commune, Ninh Hải district, about 6km to the East of Phan Rang - Chàm temple-town, and is considered one of the most beautiful beaches of Việt Nam. At this place, besides swimming and enjoying the fresh seafood, visitors can also visit many places of interest. By cruising in class-bottom boats, visitors will enjoy coral reefs, Thùng beach, Cốc beach, Đá Vách beach and contemplate the wonders of nature on the steep seaside cliffs.

Ninh Chữ beach in Ninh Thuận - Photo: Đỗ Hữu Đức

In Ninh Chữ, visitors also have the opportunity to visit the Phước Dinh mobile sand dunes. Twice a year, these dunes at times move into the mainland, at others move out into the sea and are therefore called "mobile sand dunes". Under the hills are small streams curving to lead water into the ocean, and some blue shining lakes.

Night eating is a pleasure for visitors in Ninh Chữ. You can order the delicacies of this region such as clam porridge, or a squid pancake at midnight and still receive a welcoming smile from the vendor. Ninh Chữ, Phan Rang, attracts visitors by its hospitality and friendliness of a tourist site that stays up late.

Right in Phan Rang town, a Chàm temple is situated on the top of Trầu hill in Đô Vinh district, about 9km to the Northwest of the town named Pôklông Garai temple. It was built at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries. Upon coming here during the Katê festival, the biggest festival of the Chăm people sometimes around October, visitors will be able to observe rituals for offering costumes, sacrifices and bathing ceremonies for the Pôklông Garai statue. At the foot of the Pôklông Garai Chăm temple, a Chăm museum has been erected to display the artifacts of Chăm culture. Along the road from Phan Rang to the sea, a series of big and small hotels have sprung up. A bit further away, visitors can visit Vĩnh Hy bay about 40km to the northeast of Phan Rang. The bay is in the middle of the Vĩnh Hy village (Vĩnh Hải commune, Ninh Hải district) and is a magnificent range with towering mountain tops surrounding a white beach, with mysterious caves, and white bubble waterfalls that carry an air of pristine landscape created by nature.

Ninh Thuận also attracts visitors by its boundless Nam Cương sand dunes, the mystery of the Núi Chúa dried up forest and the distinctive features of Chămpa culture. It is an important connection node constituting the touristic triangle of Đà Lạt - Nha Trang - Ninh Chữ. 

Thanh Tâm