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Not far from the centre of Cat Ba
town is Cannon Fort - a French era
fort that was also used in the defense
of Haiphong during the American War.
The underground tunnels and gun en-
campments were first installed here
by the Japanese in WWII. From Cat Ba
Beach Resort, you can hike to this near-
by peak in around 20 minutes, reaching
a height of 177m. If you travel with a
big family however, it’s more comfort-
able to take the resort bus.
Wild pineapples grow on top of
the CannonFort, long leaves inter-
twining to form thick layers which
hid the soldiers during war time. The
thick pineapple leaf layers, named the
‘ghost pineapple forest’, played an im-
portant role in Vietnam’s victory over
the Americans.
The fort includes a system of ob-
servatories and trenches as well as
two canons. There is a memorial room
showcasing historical events, with dis-
plays of weapons and more.
After discovering the historical rel-
ics, it’s great to take a seat in the Can-
non Fort cafe to enjoy cool drinks or a
cup of coffee. From here, I enjoyed the
scenic beauty of Cat Ba Island. Below,
Cat Co 1 and Cat Co 2 beaches create
a stunning view, while in the distance
Clogs Island, Long Island and Hon Hai
loom. One can also see Cat Ba Bay,
lively and crowded with hundreds of
fishing boats moored.
Besides Cannon Fort, there are
some beautiful caves including Trung
Trang Cave, Hospital Cave and Thien
Long Cave. It is possible to take an
electric car to visit these caves for
VND10,000 per person or VND300,000
per returned bus from resort.
Visitors can also join a boat trip to
visit Lan Ha bay which is famous for
having over 300 limestone karst islands
and islets, stunning sandy beaches and
floating villages. Viet Hai village is a
star attraction as guests can reach it by
trekking through the forest or via a boat
ride around the bay.
When I returned to the resort from
Cannon Fort, the glorious moon was ris-
ing, sprinkling moonlight over the sea.
TRAVEL