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T
aking a bus to Haiphong har-
bour is very easy, but I chose to
go by train to enjoy an experi-
ence of the past, when the road
was very narrow and rough and the
railway was the best choice. After only
two and a half hours sitting comfort-
ably in the air-con train from Hanoi, I
took a short taxi from the station to the
harbour where I caught the 45minute
express boat to Cat Ba town.
It had been a decade since I last
visited and the development of the
island took me aback. A big, brightly
lit archway welcomes visitors where
once a sleepy fishing port was all that
visitors would find. There are now
also plenty of spacious houseboats
around the harbour as well as big ho-
tels on-shore.
Cat Ba town is now rather modern
and it has lost its charming and peace-
ful beauty of ten years ago. However,
it was not as bad as I was expect-
ing, because a short bus takes visitors
away from town to Cat Co 2 beach,
which is where I checked in to Cat Ba
Beach Resort.
The resort is backed by a rocky cliff
and overlooks the crescent shaped white
beach and blue sea. Its thatched roofed
houses on stilts and bungalows with rock
walls amidst a verdant garden create a
truly unique and graceful landscape.
There are three kinds of accommo-
dation here, including Seafront Bunga-
lows, Sea View Bungalows and Family
Duplex. I chose the duplex for my family
of four adults and two kids. The duplex
design and decor is comfortable, with
modern facilities and amenities of a
4-star standard, but it still keeps the
charming style of Thai tribe stilt houses.
It’s really a romantic and harmonious
blend of mountains, sea, green grass
and colourful flowers.
The beaches of Cat Ba island are all
quite small with clear and blue seas. Cat
Co 2, the prettiest beach, is perfect for
kayaking, sailing and climbing. This is a
great base from which to explore Lan
Ha Bay peacefully, away from the tour-
ist boats of Halong Bay.
timeout
16
BEYOND THE BEACHES
Beyond the dramatic limestone karst scenery, sandy beaches and amazing
jungle, Cat Ba island has much more to offer, writes
Pham Hoang Van
TOURISM