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Voykit pocket guide · Vietnam
Cat Ba
Cát Bà
Go for 2 nights if you want Lan Ha Bay by kayak and a national park walk; skip if you want a quiet beach town — Cat Ba town is loud and built up.
Cat Ba is the largest island in the Cat Ba Archipelago and the land gateway to Lan Ha Bay, the quieter half of the Ha Long karst. About half the island is national park, home to the critically endangered Cat Ba langur. The town itself is a Vietnamese resort strip: construction, karaoke, touts. Most travellers come for two nights — one day on the water, one day on the island — and use it instead of, or alongside, a Ha Long Bay cruise.
- Country
- Vietnam
- Local name
- Cát Bà
- Best months
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (storms, peak domestic crowds), Dec–Feb (cool, grey, some boats idle)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- VND
- Money
- VND in small notes (10k–100k) for stalls, markets, xe ôm and tips at spas.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₫600,000–1,000,000 excl. bed · Mid ₫1,000,000–2,000,000 excl. bed · High ₫2,000,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Viettel, Vinaphone and Mobifone sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport and a face photo are required for registration.
- Emergency
- Police 113 · Fire 114 · Ambulance 115
- Plugs
- Types A, C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · Two-pin sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and cafés: Nothing; leave small change if you like.; Sit-down restaurant: Round up or 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Grab / taxi: Round up; tip in the app if you want.; Spa and massage: ₫50,000–100,000 to the therapist directly; some spas ask for more.; Guide and driver on a day tour: ₫100,000–200,000 per person for the guide, about half that for the driver.; Hotel porter: ₫20,000–50,000.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled and filtered water everywhere; hotel refill stations are common. Café ice is factory-made.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in cities and hotels; squat toilets and no paper in rural stops and on long buses — carry tissues. Old plumbing: paper in the bin.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or fruit smoothie | ₫25,000–50,000 |
| Noodle soup or rice plate | ₫40,000–90,000 |
| Seafood dinner at the market | ₫150,000–350,000 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | ₫20,000–40,000 / ₫15,000–25,000 |
| Motorbike rental, one day | ₫100,000–150,000 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₫150,000–350,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HPH · Cat Bi International (Hai Phong)
- About 1 h by road to Got pier, then ferry and bus to Cat Ba town; total 2.5–3 h.
- HAN · Noi Bai International (Hanoi)
- Most travellers come by direct bus-and-ferry from Hanoi, 3.5–4 h door to door.
Typical fares
- Hanoi → Cat Ba, bus and ferry
- about ₫320,000, 3.5–4 h
- Hai Phong → Cat Ba, bus 16C plus ferry
- about ₫25,000 total, 2.5–3 h
- Taxi Cat Ba town → Cai Beo pier
- about ₫50,000; drivers may ask ₫200,000
Get around
Cat Ba town is walkable. Rent a motorbike (about US$5 a day) for the island road to the national park and the beaches; petrol should not cost more than ₫50,000 for 1.5 L. Local buses leave from the western edge of town near the market. Electric carts run to the beaches for about ₫10,000. Grab works only intermittently here and meter taxis often cover the meter — agree the fare before you get in.
See and do
Known for
- Lan Ha Bay kayaking
- Cat Ba National Park
- Cat Ba langur
- Limestone karst climbing
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lan Ha Bay by kayak | Boat from Cai Beo or Ben Beo pier, 20–30 min out | Half or full day |
| Cat Ba National Park | Motorbike or local bus east on the main island road | About 30–40 min from town |
| Monkey Island | Short boat ride from Cat Ba town | About 20–30 min |
| Ha Long City | Bus to Gia Luan ferry pier, ferry to Tuan Chau, then Grab or taxi | 3–4 h |
| Hai Phong | Ferry from Cai Vieng or Got pier plus bus 16C | 2.5–3 h |
Sleep
- Cat Ba town waterfront (Duong 1/4)
- Hotels, bars and the boat pier within a 10-minute walk. Loudest at night; best if you have an early boat.
- Cat Ba town side streets (Nui Ngoc)
- One or two blocks back from the water: cheaper rooms, less noise, still walkable to everything.
- Cat Co beaches (1, 2, 3)
- Resort strip 10–15 min by electric cart or motorbike from town; quiet, pricier, thin food options.
- Viet Hai village
- In the national park, reached by boat or a long walk; homestays only, no town amenities.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Xin chàosin chow |
| Help me! | Cứu tôi với!kuh-oo toy vuh-ee |
| 1, 2, 3 | một, hai, bamoht, hai, bah |
| How much is it? | Bao nhiêu tiền?bow nyew tyen |
| Please take me to this address | Làm ơn chở tôi đến địa chỉ nàylahm uhn chuh toy den dee-ah chee nay |
| Excuse me! (to a younger server) | Em ơi!em uh-ee |
| I have a booking | Tôi đã đặt phòngtoy dah daht fong |
| What time? | Mấy giờ?may zuh |
| Thank you | Cảm ơnkahm uhn |
| Call the police! (113) | Gọi cảnh sát! (113)goy kahn saht |
| 4, 5, 6 | bốn, năm, sáubohn, nahm, sow |
| Too expensive! | Đắt quá!daht kwah |
| I booked a Grab | Tôi đặt Grabtoy daht grab |
| I'll have this one | Cho tôi cái nàychaw toy kai nay |
| Do you have a room free? | Còn phòng không?kon fong khohm |
| Now | Bây giờbay zuh |
| No, thank you (street sellers) | Không, cảm ơnkhohm, kahm uhn |
| Fire! Call the fire service! (114) | Cháy! Gọi cứu hỏa! (114)chai! goy kuh-oo hwah |
| 7, 8, 9, 10 | bảy, tám, chín, mườibay, tahm, cheen, muh-ee |
| Come down a bit | Bớt đibuht dee |
Say it for greetings, prices and 'no ice'. Show the screen for addresses, allergies, medical problems and anything you need done exactly — a wrong tone on those costs more than the embarrassment of pointing at a phone.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Nod and smile; handshake with men, let women offer first; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses with people you have just met
- Names: Title plus given name — 'Anh Nam', 'Chị Lan' — the given name comes last; avoid: Calling someone by the family name alone (Nguyễn, Trần)
- Handing things: Both hands, especially money, cards and gifts to older people; avoid: Tossing things across a table
- Conversation: Expect questions about age, marriage and income; they place you, not pry; avoid: Raising your voice or correcting someone in front of others
- Temples and pagodas: Covered shoulders and knees; step over the raised threshold; enter by the right-hand door; avoid: Sitting with your back to an altar; climbing statues for photos
- Photos: Ask first, especially in minority villages; avoid: Paying children for photos — it keeps them out of school
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit, tea or sweets; accept at least a drink; avoid: Pointing your feet at people or the family altar
- Beckoning: Palm down, fingers waving towards you; avoid: Curling one finger — it is used for animals
Scams and watch-outs
- Meter taxis in Cat Ba town frequently cover the meter; agree a price first. Town to Cai Beo pier should be about ₫50,000, but drivers ask ₫200,000.
- Some ferry ticket sellers quote inflated prices or sell printed tickets above the official fare; buy at the pier counter.
- Boat tours sold in town vary widely in quality and group size — confirm the route, kayak inclusion and group size in writing before paying.
- Cat Ba town is a domestic resort strip: expect karaoke, touts and construction noise, especially Jul–Aug.
- The national park peak trail is slippery and muddy after rain; wear shoes with grip.
- Monkeys near Monkey Island and some beaches are habituated to food and will grab bags.
Cat Ba is generally safe for tourists; the real risks are boat and ferry ticket scams, unmetered taxis, slippery park trails and summer storms that cancel sailings.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Cat Ba yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lan Ha Bay kayaking
- Cat Ba National Park
- Cat Ba langur
- Limestone karst climbing
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Vietnam National Authority of Tourism: vietnam.travel/
- Wikivoyage: Cat Ba, revision 5117944 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5117944
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Cat BaCát Bà
Làm ơn cho tôi đến địa chỉ này
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on Cat Ba; most are in Hanoi. The US and UK have embassies in Hanoi (check the address).
Ferry and bus timetables change with season and weather; confirm the day before you travel.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/cat-ba). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.