Buzz
While not as famous or bustling with entertainment options as Halong Bay, Cát Bà Island still exerts a unique charm on travelers with its blend of mountains, seas, valleys, and enchanting caves.
With the aim of uncovering the hidden gems beyond Halong Bay, we decided to dedicate a day to visit Vietnam's renowned island – Cát Bà. In many ways, this place can be seen as a tranquil resort town, offering numerous beautiful beaches, affordable hotels, and some intriguing sights. One thing you should know is that Cát Bà Island is an ideal place to seek some peaceful scenery amid the countless other crowded tourist spots in Vietnam.
Exploring Cát Bà Island by Motorcycle
As the dawn broke on a new day, we rented a few automatic scooters and began riding towards the coastline of Cát Bà. If you haven't settled on a destination yet, simply riding around the island is all you need to do.
The Perfect Spot to Spot Rare Gibbons
Heading back to the mainland, we drove towards Cát Bà National Park – where you'll overlook a valley with gigantic stone fences. This is the habitat of the gibbons, a creature I've always desired to see with my own eyes. We trekked through the trails in the dense forest of the National Park, realizing how silly it was to expect to spot such a tiny creature in such a vast and expansive forest.
Scaling the highest peaks of Cát Bà National Park
We climbed one of the highest peaks of Cát Bà National Park, from where we could gaze upon the panoramic view of Cát Bà Island, the hills rolling like the vertebrae of a dinosaur, and all we could see was endless greenery. An exhilarating experience indeed.
Traveling to Cát Bà Island, I came to the realization that while I could opt for more bustling tourist destinations, if given the choice again, I'd still choose Cát Bà as my destination. It's raw, but there's so much to discover, and a day's time just never seems enough.
San San (Source: Brendansadventures)
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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour
MytourMarch 10, 2016
