Cat Ba Island, Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

For the second day of our Ha Long Bay trip, we went to Cat Ba Island, located within the bay.

Getting off the boat into scorching heat, we hopped a bus to do a trek up to a lookout point. The trek wasn’t that difficult, but with the combined factors of heat, wearing thongs, and the odd jarring cramp, it wasn’t the easiest either!

For our monkey-like guide however, it was no problem. He was literally running up and down with us, checking on the first and last people in the group, stopping and waving fans to cool people down, handing out lychees, swinging from trees etc. He didn’t speak a word of English but he was great fun.

Unfortunately, the lookout view itself was disapointing. It really is just another tourist trap. I mean they were herding us all up this thing, group after group, and all you can see is hills and tree tops. No actual view, even from the lookout tower (which I wasn’t going up thank you very much!) Then after 5min herded us back down to the bus. Sigh. On the walk back we got a bit side tracked (guess the guide didn’t keep as close an eye on the way down! ) but it was all good.

After checking into the hotel, 9 of us haggled with the moto guys out front to rent us bikes for the afternoon. 5 Bikes in total, I was on the back of Ian’s bike. Its odd how you put your life in the hands of someone you just met less than 24hrs ago But he has some experience on motos, being European and all haha. And being an island it wasn’t so busy or nearly as crazy as Hanoi.

First stop we needed petrol, and it was quite difficult to find as even the guys we got the bikes off pointed us in the wrong direction! One guy wanted cash just to tell us where it was, and others had no idea. OK, we didn’t know the Vietnamese word for GAS or FUEL, but com’on we’re pointing at the friggin’ empty reader on the bike, with a picture of a gas tank, and where it goes in the bike, and you still don’t understand?? If English is the universal language, sign-language is usually the backup!

Of course when we did find it, they tried to rip us off for the fuel, stating different prices to each of us, even when the pump itself has the price on it! How dumb do we look?? ..Don’t answer that.

We didn’t have a particular destination in mind, maybe a beach? There are a few close to the town but we wanted to go somewhere a little more secluded and less crowded. We had a very rough map and just headed out towards water on some great scenic roads.

We took it to the end of the line, down a dirt track and onto a farm, which became only grass and we figured we should turn around. It was a nice spot, a very green farm surrounded by hills, with a big bull buffalo starring us down and we wondered if the shanty his rope was attached to would even slow him down should he decide to charge us! A guy, who we guess was the owner/farmer, walked up to us and tried in his best English to talk with us, ask where we were from etc, and point out where exactly we were on the map.

Heading back into town we stopped by a random shack for a drink, and then a beach local to the hotel. On the road towards the beach we were flooded with people walking back, and we realised at the top the beach actually has a closing time, and although not for another hour most people were leaving. We had a quick look down on the beach, and if that is the amount of people AFTER everyone is leaving, I’d hate to be there in peak hour. Its the most crowded beach I have ever seen. Like an indoor beach in China or something.

Cat Ba is a bit of a resort for Vietnamese locals so that’s why there are so many people. At night, the main road, pretty empty by day, was again flooded with people. Markets opened up, restaurants lit up, boats with bars etc. We went to a few pubs before heading back, then next morning back onto the Jolly Roger Junk to Ha Long Bay docks and the ride back to Hanoi.

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