Lan Ha Bay - A Beautiful Orchid from Heaven

Cat Ba is an island located about 150 kilometers away from Hanoi and close to the city - Hai Phong. It is situated directly south of the famous Ha Long Bay in Vietnam and has similar beautiful scenery, although it is not as well-known as its neighbor. That's why I decided to take my husband there for a short trip. Initially, he was really excited to visit Ha Long Bay because he had heard great things about it and thought it would be amazing. However, based on my previous experience in Ha Long Bay, I didn't find the place as enjoyable as expected.

I remembered from my last trip to Ha Long Bay many years ago, my friends and I decided to stay at a hotel near the waterfront to enjoy the view. However, we couldn't see much because there was a large construction site right in front of it and at the harbor blocking everything. Later, I discovered that they were building a big entertainment park, which made me very disappointed. It seemed like they were destroying the natural beauty of the area. Anyway, when I read about Lan Ha Bay in Cat Ba Island, people mentioned that it was similar to Ha Long Bay but with fewer tourists, which made it a perfect alternative.

We decided to book a two-day, one-night tour from Hanoi, and it turned out to be a great choice. We were picked up in a minibus, which is called "limousines" here, which basically are comfortable minibuses for passengers. The minibus took us from the center of Hanoi to a ferry that crossed the straits in just fifteen minutes. After that, we headed towards the southeastern tip of the city, where a small tourist area is located. This area mainly consists of hotels and restaurants, catering to visitors like us.

This was to be expected as December is the winter season, and rainy days are common during this time. Although it wasn't the best weather for a boat trip, my husband still enjoyed seeing the place. It was a pleasant experience for him, despite the rain.

^{View from our hotel to the bay, it must be so beautiful if we have good weather}

Due to it being the low season, the town was nearly empty. We mostly encountered European tourists during our visit. The hotel we stayed in was quite spacious, with a dining room equipped with around twenty or thirty tables to accommodate guests. However, we were the only ones staying there at that time. I had a brief conversation with the owner, who shared the challenges he had been facing since taking over the place. He mentioned that prior to COVID, the hotel used to be fully booked, and both the first and second levels were bustling with breakfast and lunch service for guests. Unfortunately, now it was only the two of us occupying the hotel.

After we checked into the hotel and had a quick lunch, the tour operator arranged for a taxi to take us to the island's national park, which occupies a significant portion of the island's center. Because it was the low season, they didn't have a tour guide available to accompany us. But I think it's actually good as I could have long conversations with the locals.

This time, our taxi driver shared a story about his childhood, which was filled with memories of exploring the national park, foraging for food, and witnessing the wildlife there. However, he mentioned that these days, it's quite rare to see any of those experiences. He explained that the animals have moved deeper into the forest where there are no people around so they can be safe.

In the national park, there's a trail that takes about an hour to hike to reach the Đỉnh Ngự Lâm viewpoint. It goes through the jungle and involves climbing steep terrain to reach the top, although the most challenging part of the climb is relatively short. Fortunately, despite the weather and our inadequate footwear, we managed to reach the top without any issues. Once we got there, we found ourselves surrounded by mist from all directions. I took a few minutes to admire the beauty of the place and imagine how stunning the view would be on a clear day. However, as the rain started to pour heavier, we knew we had to hurry and make our way back down before it became too late.

On the way back to the hotel, we made a quick stop to visit the Trung Trang cavern, which is inside the national park. This is a cavern that can be crossed in almost fifteen minutes without delay. Inside the cave there is a lot of humidity and the air is a bit rarefied, so I didn't want to stay too long. And to be honest, this is not the most impressive cave I've ever seen so I didn't want to waste more time. It was getting darker and not the best day to wondering around so we headed back to our hotel, took a hot shower and rest.

^{On our way back to our hotel after dinner, we walked back along the waterfront and see the illuminated light for the lunar New Year celebrations.}

On the second day, we were taken to the Cát Bà port and then transferred to a cruise ship using a small boat. During the cruise, we sailed around Lan Hạ Bay. Fortunately, the weather was much better on that day. Although it was cloudy, there was no fog or rain, which meant we finally had a good view of the bay.

Lan Ha means a beautiful orchid sent from Heaven. If you look at my pictures above, you'll see a landscape made up of tall rocky mountains that rise up from the water and are covered in plants. I think the reason it's called Lan Ha is because of its unique rock formations and stunning views. Vietnamese people believe that we got blessings from heaven through this beautiful bay.

^{These are floating villages where fish farming is practiced, but there are also functional places for the inhabitants, such as food stalls on the go.}

The cruise took us around the entire island. Before noon, we boarded kayaks for an excursion around some of these rock formations. I was hesitated to do it at first as it was winter time and it could be cold. However, the tour guide said they found a perfect spot for us, surrounded by the rock mountain so we are sheltered from cold wind. I am so glad I believed him and following everyone around. It was one of the best moments for the entire trip. I was able to touch the water, seeing everything up close without the engine noise of the boat and listening to beautiful stories about this place.

On the way back, I followed closely to our tour guide to have a chat with him. He told me one of the best months to visit is November, not a peak season but still warm to have a swim and enjoy water activities. He also told me about little monkeys that live around here. Same with the stories from our taxi driver from the day before, there used to be many of them, but now there are around seventy left because the locals hunted them. This was, according to the guide, because of the Chinese paid good money for monkey brain for traditional medicine. Nowadays, they are endangered species and get protected by local authority.

While we were on the way to return the kayak, our tour guide called me that he saw a family of monkeys near the coast. Miraculously, they didn't bother to run away when we approached with the kayaks which was very rare. I was told that the next couples of days would be bad weather for the islands because normally the monkeys stay away in the forest and they only come out to find food when they know bad weather would come.

After getting off the kayaks, we returned to the cruise ship, had lunch, and then got nearly an hour of peacefulness while anchored in a bay. We were given the choice to go kayaking again along the natural beaches on the islets, but my husband and I decided to stay on board as we didn't want to get wet. Instead, we chose to embrace the serenity and enjoy the tranquil surroundings. I still vividly remember that moment. Although the weather wasn't perfect and there was no sun, the view was clear, and there was no wind. Everything around me exuded a sense of calmness and tranquility. It was another beautiful moment I cherished during the trip.

The last part of our cruise was a visit to a fish farming station situated in the middle of the water. We navigated carefully among the pools where they showed us different kinds of fish, some of which were much heavier than me. I don't remember how much but my hubby told me that the biggest fish in that village is weighing around 80 kilograms.

After the cruise ended, a motor boat came to pick us up along with another family. They quickly took us to the shore, and from there, we began our journey back to Hanoi.

Disclaimer: some of the photos I included in this post were taken by my husband and he agreed for me to use them.

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