Taking a ride on a car or train for two hours from Hanoi to Haiphong,then on a high-speed vessel for another hour, visitors will arrive atCat Ba Island, the biggest island (100km?) out of the 366 islands on theLan Ha Bay.

Right from the moment visitors set foot on Cat Ba gangway, looking afarto contemplate the enchanting scenery of immense sky and magnificentmountains and breathing the fresh air from the sea, visitors will feelcomfortable and their tiredness after a long trip will disappear.Surely, visitors want to go on with their journey at once.Visitors should hire a Minsk motorbike, out of 400 motorbikes and carshere, to ride to any place visitors want to visit. First of all,visitors should rent a room in a hotel, because the hotels on thisisland are often overcrowded due to the ever-increasing number ofvisitors to Cat Ba Island, although more hotels and hostels are beingbuilt. It is very pleasant to stay in a hotel, whose back leans againstthe mountain and its face looks towards the sea, and enjoy the fresh airand beautiful scenery around.Visiting the large beaches of Cat Co and Cat Dua, which are separated bya small range of mountain, visitors can swim in the blue and warmwater, so clear that visitors can see the golden sand beneath.If visitors do not want to swim at this crowded place, visitors can hirea motor boat to sail to the small islets, where there are calm andclean beaches, such as the Cat Trai Gai, Duong Gianh and Hien Hao. Themountain adjacent to Cat Co Beach has a tunnel and fascinating caves andgrottoes, such as Hang Luon, Khe Sau, Trung Trang, Gia Luan and KimCuong. Visiting these caves and grottoes you will get the feeling of theexplorers, discovering the wonders and mysteries endowed by nature.Coming out of the caves and grottoes visitors should spend a little timeto contemplate the sunset over Lan Ha Bay. On the golden background ofthe horizon and the dark blue of the sea, the heaving islets becomemultiform, the white sea-gulls hover and sea-eagles make circles in thesky, all beautifying the immense and fascinating space, and enchantingthe visitors.

(halong cruise)