The only inhabited island in the beautiful, mystical Ha Long Bay (a UNESCO Heritage Site) in Vietnam is Cat Ba Island. To get to this island, we had joined a “tour” boat (hello, party boat) that included a several day sail through Ha Long Bay. The tour included what the captain called a “little walk” up to the tallest point of Cat Ba, and then, we could choose to go to back to Hanoi or stay on Cat Ba. We planned to stay, and seeing it cemented our choice, despite the introductory hike being somewhat strenuous and in some places downright terrifying. There’s a rickety-looking rusty tower at the top of the hike, which I was apprehensive about, but the views were worth it.
After this we bid adieu to our tour group and went hostel-hunting. It was my cousin’s birthday, and she wanted nothing more to spend it on an island! Good choice, Court.
We arrived at the main village, found a hostel with a gorgeous view (I won’t recommend it, because otherwise it was not so great) and searched for beautiful spots. We found cliff side trails and ended up walking the day away on the picturesque island. People were even swimming on some of those beaches, but I was content with the view!
Although Cat Ba isn’t often a stop for those visiting Ha Long Bay (and the Bay itself is a rightful destination in its own right), I would highly suggest that you stay there. While our little cruise around the Bay was awe-inspiring–I will never forget the strange islands rising out of the mist, or the entire families living on constantly floating boats–I loved getting to stay on land in the Bay, too. It was certainly one of my favorite stops in Vietnam. I’ll stop trying to convince you with words and let you see the beauty for yourself!
All images are courtesy of me or my lovely cousin, Courtney. { 1 & 2: views from the hike / intrepid swimmers / a stormy day on the sea / a resort on the coast (that we could not afford!) / one of the many coves & some locals / the birthday girl / the view from our hotel / and, three photos of the killer sunset because, well, wouldn’t you??}
Once again, I am thrilled to be joining Bonnie, Tina and Melanie for Travel Tuesday! Join the link-up below and share your travel stories, too!
I am also overjoyed to be featured on Tina’s blog for my post in the link-up last week. Thank you so much, Tina, and to the other hosts for a great link-up.
