Today: Tue Oct 28 16:42:21 2025
7D-6N. Booked in advance air ticket, 1N Hanoi Hotel, xport to Cat Ba Island, 2D-1N Lanha bay cruise and 1N Moon Boutique Hotel Cat Ba.
CatBa Ventures provides lots of useful info
(xport to Cat Ba, cruise, Moon hotel were booked via them). The rest of itinerary would be adhoc and on-the-spot.
At Hanoi Airport, used to have lots of taxi company after exit the airport main hall.
Now no more. Luckily Grab App was working and so I avoided those private taxi touting (more expensive and worrying).
It was ~VN280K to nearby old quarter. Next day, bus pick-up at hotel and it took around 3 hours to reach Cat Ba.
We were offer a choice of taking ferry or cable car to reach the island.
At first want to go Ha Long Bay but Hou suggested go to Lan Ha. Lanha bay is less crowded according to the guide.
Lots of development going on at Cat Ba Island. Same things happen I was at Sapa and HaJiang Loop few years back.
The sea was very calm and about 6M depth according to the guide. The kayaking was fun.
This is low season and we didn't see other group nearby. The room was decent and comfortable.
We spent another half-day for the hiking in the national park and visit caves. Hotel staff can helped to book the related. Ate mostly sea food there. Wanted to take a train from Haiphong to Hanoi. But internet shows fully booked so instead take bus (also cable car, no people, low seasoned) back to Hanoi.
We spent another half-day for the hiking in the national park and visit caves. Hotel staff can helped to book the related. Ate mostly sea food there. Wanted to take a train from Haiphong to Hanoi. But internet shows fully booked so instead take bus (also cable car, no people, low seasoned) back to Hanoi.
