Cat Ba Island, the women’s island, was named for the rediscovery of the island when only women were seen. The men were out fishing, of course. The largest island in Halong Bay is an UNESCO World Heritage site and national park, not to mention a great add-on to the standard cruises. After one night spent on a boat in Halong Bay, I was glad to get back on land for the night in the green mountains of Cat Ba.
After being dropped off at the dock, Sammi and I joined another tour group on a bus, where we were taken to the national park for “trekking.” I was nursing a stomach bug and infected blisters on my heels from my diving fins, so I wasn’t overly enthused with this prospect.
I shuffled with my flip flops towards the trail up the Ngu Lam Peak, past a field where Sika deer munched lazily. I chose to wear inappropriate footwear instead of subjecting myself to further pain and blisters.
I did my best to keep up with our quick Vietnamese guide, who scurried up the steep stairs that started the trail. The hiking trail, if you can call it that, has not been maintained since the Vietnam War, when it was used for lookout points by the Viet Cong.
The stones that jut out to create stairs are slippery and worn, so it was hard to imagine being a soldier who had to climb to the peak daily to report back. After much sweat, huffing and puffing, our group arrived at the top of the peak, well worth the effort.
The former fishing village is now well touristed, none more so than Cat Ba Town, the only city on the island. After our hike, we were brought into town to check into our hotels and explore on our own. It didn’t seem too different than other towns we’d seen in Vietnam, apart from the floating restaurants settled in the harbor. There are a few things to check out on the island if you want to rent a motorbike, but we decided to take it easy.
I’m glad we included Cat Ba on our Halong Bay itineraries because as beautiful as the bay is, there’s only so much to do there. Adding a day in Cat Ba gives you more options for activities, like visiting additional caves or Monkey Island.
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