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open along the harbour front. The town is divided into two sections: most tourist facilities are grouped around the new hydrofoil pier, while 800m to the west lies the original, workaday fishing village with a bustling market and its accompanying food and bia hoi stalls. Directly behind the pier is a small hill topped by the town’s war memorial, erected during Ho Chi Minh’s visit to the island in 1953; follow a path up the back to find a quiet, breezy spot from which to contemplate the harbour. If you prefer a close-up view of life afloat, hire one of the coracles, essentially water-taxis, that hover around the harbour steps; with hard bargaining an hour shouldn’t cost more than 20,000đ.

To the east of town, on the far side of the peninsula, are three small, sandy beaches, romantically named Cat Co 1, Cat Co 2 and Cat Co 3. The two most southerly – Cat Co 1 and 3 – are more popular and home to resort developments: they are linked by a cliffside path that’s a joy to walk at any time, day or night. Cat Co 2 is quieter and cleaner, with snacks and drinks available, but little shade; you may be able to walk there from Cat Co 1 on a cliff-hugging boardwalk, though this has been under repair for some time.

Ha Long Bay and the northern seaboard | Cat Ba Island | Cat Ba Town |

Arrival and information

There are several arrival points around the island, some almost an hour by bus from Cat Ba Town. Minibuses meet almost all arrivals, and in most cases a ride to Cat Ba Town is included in the price of your ferry or hydrofoil ticket or tour.

Cat Ba’s information office is on the main drag, though its owner is also the boss of a hotel and travel agency, so the advice given is far from impartial; instead, the People’s Committee website (www.catba.com.vn) provides the basics and most local hotels will help you out. Hotels also offer tours of Cat Ba island and the bay (See "Organized tours of Ha Long Bay"), but for exploring the island independently, your best bet is to rent a motorbike with or without a driver: xe om cruise around town and most hotels offer motorbike rental from $6 per day. You can also rent mountain bikes for $3 a day, but unless you’re pretty fit, you may find the steep hills hard going in the heat.

At the time of writing, the bank in Cat Ba Town does not handle foreign exchange, and there are no ATMs on the island. Your best option for changing money and traveller’s cheques, therefore, is the Vu Binh gold shop (7am–10pm) on the main road by the market – look for the giant credit card logos painted outside. It can exchange major currencies or traveller’s cheques, and give credit card advances. Hotels and restaurants will also change cash and traveller’s cheques, but at poor rates. The post office (7am–noon & 12.30–10pm) is beside The Noble House on the harbour front, near the hydrofoil pier.

Ha Long Bay and the northern seaboard | Cat Ba Island | Cat Ba Town |

Accommodation

Thanks to a building boom, accommodation on Cat Ba represents good value on the whole. The exception is during the peak summer holiday period of June through August, when the place is absolutely packed and prices can more than double. Most are budget hotels, generally clean and comfortable and equipped with satellite TV and air-conditioning, but there’s also an increasing number of more upmarket places. While hotels away from the harbour tend to be slightly cheaper, it’s well worth opting for somewhere on the front with rooms overlooking the bay.

Bay View 031/368 8241. English-owned hotel that prides itself on providing good, clean rooms at rock-bottom prices. The food is excellent, and non-residents can make use of their cheap and reliable laundry facilities. US$10 and under

Bungalow 031/350 8408. Cat Ba Town lacks the remote feel of most of the island, but there’s a real sense of mountain-sheltered isolation at this cluster of rustic bungalows on Cat Co 2 beach. Rooms contain nothing but mattresses and mosquito nets (communal showers only), but the setting is superb. US$11–20

Hoang Ngoc 031/368 8788. This new family-run guesthouse