The largest island in Halong Bay, Vietnam, Cat Ba Island, Vietnam is home to the Cat Ba National Park. The Cat Ba National Park covers an area of nearly 200 square kilometers. It has both forests and water bodies within its boundaries. The national park is an attraction to the tourists who enjoy hiking. To the east of the island is the Lan Ha Bay. This bay is famous for its excellent beaches and breathtaking scenery. The Cat Ba Island is home to two white sand beaches named Cat Co 1 and Cat Co 2. These two beaches are interconnected by a seven hundred meters long wooden walkway.

Cat Ba Island  is rich in flora and fauna. There are more than 600 different kinds of plants in this island. The wide variety of trees includes Bang, Goi Nep, Sang Le and Kim Giao. The island is filled with animals of rare species like the white headed langurs, deers and macaques. It is home to a number of sea animals like sea turtles, lobsters, coral, oysters and dolphins. All these features have turned Cat Ba Island into one of the major Vietnam popular destinations.

Cat Ba Island, Vietnam: Best time to visit

The best time during the year to visit the Cat Ba Island, Vietnam is October and November. The weather is best during this time of the year. During these two months the island experiences a pleasant weather to enjoy the national park, to walk on the beaches and absorb the stunning beauty of the island. Temperatures drop from December onwards thus having a chilly weather. March and April are wet, and June, July and August are hot with a high percentage of humidity.

Cat Ba Island, Vietnam: Getting there

To get to Cat Ba Island, one can travel from Hanoi to Haiphong by train or bus and then to Cat Ba by high speed boat (150,000/person). One can travel directly to Halong Bay from Hanoi by a chartered helicopter, tourist bus or car and from there to Cat Ba by tourist boat.

An overnight on Cat Ba is de rigueur for many of the 3-day tours of Ha Long Bay, assuring a steady trickle of tourists, even in the off season. In the summer, it's a premier spot for the local tourists to take a quick summer vacation. Most people only get about three days off from work each year.

Cat Ba is also a good launching point for kayaking trips to explore some of the nearby tunnel caves, and there's Hospital Cave on the main island which played it's part in the war with America, and is worth a peak, especially for war buffs.

Probably the best way to see the island is by motorbike. There's a 100 km circuit running along the bay and into the interior, through incredibly beautiful country-side, and small villages where life in Cat Ba has gone on.