Cat Ba National Park

Cat Ba National Park was established on March 31, 1986, under Decision No. 79/CP of the Council of Ministers of Vietnam (now the government). It includes marine ecosystems, terrestrial forest ecosystems, and mangrove forest ecosystems. The entire Cat Ba National Park comprises a rugged mountainous area with elevations.

Cat Ba National Park covers an area of 26,240 hectares, including 17,040 hectares of land and 9,200 hectares of sea surface. This is where many different ecosystems converge: mangrove ecosystems, limestone mountain forest ecosystems, and marine forest ecosystems with coral reefs. There is a diverse flora and fauna system, including 2,320 species of flora and fauna, including 282 species of forest-dwelling animals, 538 species living in the seabed, 196 marine fish species, 771 terrestrial plant species, 23 mangrove plant species, 75 seaweed species, and 177 coral species.

Especially, the Cat Ba archipelago has up to 60 rare and precious endemic species listed in the Vietnam Red Book, such as the white-headed langur, white-thighed langur, masked palm civet, black squirrel, etc.; and plant species such as agarwood, sandalwood, cinnamon, honey locust. Particularly in the Trung Trang area, there is an agarwood forest, a unique type of tree forming a community on an area of ​​tens of hectares in the center of the park. According to recent surveys, there are now only about 60 white-headed langurs left on Cat Ba Island – the only endemic species in our country and in the world.

When visiting Cat Ba, it’s advisable to rent a motorbike to go wherever you want, as there are many accommodation options. The most beautiful are the hotels leaning against the mountains, facing the sea. Cat Ba has over 60 hotels with 1,000 rooms concentrated along the coastal area of ​​the bay. Room rates vary, starting from about 150,000 VND per room per night. When visiting Cat Ba, tourists will be mesmerized by the beauty of the sea, exploring limestone mountains with many fascinating caves, interspersed with smooth, white sandy beaches. The limestone mountains have an average height of 150m, with the highest peak being Cao Vong Peak at 322m above sea level.

Sunset on Cat Ba Island is a picturesque scene with myriad colors. The horizon is bright yellow, while the sea is dark purple. Towards the fishing port, thousands of anchored boats light up, creating a mystical night starry sky! It’s truly fascinating to be invited to floating restaurants on the water, welcoming guests. You can enjoy specialties such as waterfall fish salad, sour soup with red fish, especially grilled horseshoe crabs on charcoal stoves emitting a fragrant aroma. Horseshoe crabs are a type of marine clam, with an oval-shaped shell slightly elongated, about 10cm long. When stimulated, they shoot out a strong, far-reaching jet of water, hence the name horseshoe crab (baby’s beard). In Vietnam, only Cat Ba has horseshoe crabs, which usually appear in December, their breeding season. Nowadays, horseshoe crabs are raised by fishermen all year round to supply restaurants throughout Hai Phong and Cat Ba.

The allure of Cat Ba lies in its open sea. After a day of mountain climbing or exploring caves, you’ll feel incredibly refreshed immersing yourself in the clear water, lying on the smooth white sand beach. At night, Cat Ba’s space is vast, majestic, stunning. Sleeping here is a wonderful delight, with cool, gentle air, the gentle breeze carrying the salty smell of the sea into the forest on the limestone mountains, creating a rustling sound, like lulling guests into a peaceful sleep.