Heart-stopping because of missing the canoe on the trekking trip to Cat Ba

Doan Thi Thuy Linh, a 21-year-old student from Hanoi, has been to Cat Ba twice. The second time, Linh joined a group of six friends on a two-day, one-night trip, with the goal of trekking in Cat Ba National Park. Here are her thoughts after the trip:

Since everyone in the group lives in Hai Phong, traveling to Cat Ba was not difficult. Our group decided to use the speedboat to travel. On Saturday morning, the group drove to Ben Binh wharf and parked the car at Ben Binh Guest House right there. For those who do not live in Hai Phong, do not worry, because there are many bus routes and flights from other provinces and cities to Hai Phong. If using a bus, try to find a bus to Lac Long wharf, because from there it is only a few minutes walk to Ben Binh wharf.

The group bought tickets for the Hadeco speedboat at 7am (ticket price is 150,000 VND/trip/person on weekends and holidays, 120,000 VND/weekday). The bus takes guests to important locations in Cat Ba, including Cat Ba National Park.

There are many different tourist routes here. Since the group will stay at a hotel in the Tourist Center area in the evening, I bought tickets for the Ao Ech - Viet Hai route. The ticket price for adults is 40,000 VND. Bring your student ID card to get a discount of 20,000 VND per ticket. After arriving at Viet Hai village, you can take a boat to town.

The distance in the forest is about 8 km, and it takes an average of 6 hours to complete and reach Viet Hai village. I have a small note, especially for women, you should ensure good health. The 8 km forest path is completely different from the 8 km road, but do not be discouraged because this is a worthwhile experience. Each person should bring 2 to 3 bottles of water, cakes and snacks to have enough energy to overcome the garden.

Another thing to remember is to bring insect repellent, especially on a rainy day. Cat Ba National Park is mosquito-free, but there are mosquitoes. Wear light clothing, sneakers and avoid shorts, especially short skirts. Don’t bring large items, just one backpack per person.

The group started their tour of the national park at 8:30. At first, the road was quite nice and flat. Everyone saw many kinds of colorful trees and mushrooms, creating a unique landscape that can only be found in the forest.

At noon, the group went to Ao Ech to rest, have some snacks and drink water. After that, we continued to move to the final destination, Viet Hai village. The distance from here onwards became more difficult, when facing rough terrain, full of large rocks. It was at this time that the team spirit reached its peak. Before setting off, I only knew three people in the group, but when we held hands to help each other overcome the rest of the forest path, no one was a stranger anymore. Making new friends is also one of the things I enjoy most after each trip.

Around 2:30 p.m., the group arrived at Viet Hai village after a steep, sometimes nerve-wracking journey through the forest. Because we had spent a lot of time resting, when the group went to find a canoe to go to town, they were no longer available. Therefore, we had to rent a boat to go, although the price was higher, 200,000 VND/person. Canoes usually leave before 4 p.m., so the price will be lower. However, if you miss the canoe, taking a boat trip to Lan Ha Bay is also not a bad idea.

The national park exploration trip ended, we stayed one night in Cat Ba town, which was convenient for traveling and quite affordable.

The next morning, before returning to the city center, Linh's group stopped by Cat Co 1 beach. It was not the tourist season, so the beach was quite deserted, mainly Western tourists coming to relax.

When you come to Cat Ba, you should challenge yourself a bit by exploring the National Park. The itinerary and budget for the trekking trip are very reasonable for a weekend getaway.