Vietnam: Cat Ba Island

Cat Ba Island is the largest island in HaLong Bay. It used to be a fishing village, now it has a tourist village of hotels and restaurants right next to it. During COVID, Cat Ba became a major destination for domestic tourists in the summer. Going there in January meant cold weather sans crowds. The setting is scenic. Our room had a view of the sea. There was a vegan restaurant, we ate there 3 times, a rare occurance at a beach town. We were content.

There are several ways to get to Cat Ba Island. By one of the world's longest cable car rides (1st below). We arrived by bus and a claustrophobic, death trap, speedboat (2nd and 3rd).






View from our Hotel Room.


The hotel breakfast was tasty, and the passion fruit a tangy addition.


We wore our wool caps and puffer jackets on our evening walk.


The evening walk was scenic; a continuous view of the coastal waters, karsts, and fishing boats. The sandy beaches, crowded in summer, were deserted.










A few of our fav dishes at Celery Vegan Restaurant.






Another day we walked to the old fishing village. These days it's a busy ferry dock for tourist day tripping. And there is fish farming in the very scenic bay.