Ha Long Bay

Cát Bà’s national park covers most of the island’s interior, where travellers can embark on a number of hiking trails immersed in the natural surroundings. At the entrance to the park, you can choose which route you’d like to take depending on the amount of time you would like to spend there. Those who are physically prepared, and up for a challenge, might consider heading all the way up to the summit that crowns the island. A word of warning should be given to travellers, as the hot weather and humid conditions may make the climb feel pretty exhausting. Another option is to join a guided tour of the park on foot or to choose a pre-planned walk that combines trekking with cycling or kayaking.

Its name is fairly self-explanatory, as this large man-made underground cave was once used as a secret building to attend to the wounded during the American War. Later on, it was also used as a safe space for the Viet Cong and wasn't abandoned until 1975. The huge cave covers three storeys and includes an operating theatre, a natural cavern used as a cinema, and even a swimming pool.

Lan Ha Bay is located just off of Cát Bà island. With a whole archipelago of its own, it receives a lot fewer visitors than Ha Long Bay and is a particularly beautiful little corner of this unique limestone karst island landscape. About 300 green islands lined with sandy white beaches stand tall in the bay. Discover the area in all its natural splendour by booking a cruise to Cát Bà which includes Lan Ha Bay. You can explore the ins and outs of this itinerary with Cát Bà Island Cruises. They also offer activities that involve trekking on the island and kayaking in the bay.

Enjoy some absolutely astonishing vistas from the viewpoints of Cannon Fort, a military construction built by the Japanese during WWII amongst the thick tropical vegetation of the hills of Cát Bà island. Explore the tunnels and the historic gun emplacement used by Japanese, French, and Vietnamese soldiers throughout the past century. There is even a small museum, a café and mannequin gunmen loading and firing the weaponry.