Cat Ba & Lan Ha Bay: 3-Day Kayak, Trek & Boat Tour Quiet Areas

4.91

(128 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I’ll never forget that first jump off the boat — the water in Lan Ha Bay was colder than I’d guessed and I think I yelped loud enough for our guide Minh to laugh from the deck. We’d started from Cat Ba island (which is way less crowded than Ha Long City, by the way), and right away it felt different. The junk boat creaked softly as we cruised past floating fishing villages, with kids waving at us from their boats. Lunch was already steaming when we climbed back aboard; fish so fresh you could still smell the salt on it.

Kayaking through those rock arches was wilder than I expected. You have to duck sometimes — my hat nearly floated away once — and inside Bat Cave it was so quiet you could hear your own paddle echoing off the limestone. Minh pointed out a spot where local fishermen tie up during storms. Later, after sunset painted everything gold (I know that sounds cheesy but really), we anchored in this lagoon with no other boats around. Squid fishing at night was optional but honestly, just lying on deck listening to water slap against the hull felt perfect.

The next morning we cycled from Viet Hai pier through rice fields and a tunnel-cave that dripped cold water onto my arms. The climb up Navy Peak was tough (I’m not gonna lie — bring good shoes), but Minh kept us laughing with stories about his school days here. At the top, there’s this wild view over Cat Ba and Ha Long bays — misty islands everywhere. Lunch at a local house tasted like someone’s grandma had cooked it; sticky rice, fried fish, something green I still can’t name.

On our last day we kayaked again to Ho Ba Ham — three hidden lagoons linked by little tunnels only wide enough for one kayak at a time. It smelled like wet stone and seaweed in there. By the time we got back to Cat Ba town I felt sunburned and salty but weirdly peaceful. If you want a day trip to Lan Ha Bay or something quick from Cat Ba, this isn’t it — but if you want three days of real quiet (and don’t mind sore arms), I’d do it again tomorrow.