Cat Ba Island - Cruise, Spa And Hike

After the amazing adventure of the Ha Giang Loop, we took a loooong 11.5h overnight sleeper bus journey to Cat Ba Islands, which is nestled in Lan Ha Bay (right next to the famous Ha Long Bay). As we arrived at 6.30am and still somewhat exhausted from the loop and the bus journey, we took it slow and planned our next 2 days on the island.

The next day, we went to the Flamingo Hotel. For $12, we got an ice cream, 30 minutes of Kayak, access to an exclusive beach, a free beer and snacks at the rooftop terrace, tokens to play some arcade games, pool access and, most importantly, access to their Japanese Onsen Spa (few pools/jacuzzis heated up to 43 degrees, plus steam room and sauna).

As it was a sunny day, we spend some time on the beach before going to their rooftop overlooking beautiful Lan Ha Bay. After playing some fun arcade games, we relaxed in the Onsen (men and women separated), which both of us had completely to ourselves.

The next day, we made a few friends over breakfast, hired a scooter and hiked up to a viewpoint overlooking Cat Ba Island. It was a short but medium-though hike that got our blood pumping. In the afternoon, we went back to the Flamingo Hotel and did pretty much the same as the day before, although this time without the Onsen.

For our last two days in the area (and time together), we booked an overnight cruise in Lan Ha Bay. Once we arrived in our private cabin, we quickly went to the upper deck, did a little photoshoot and enjoyed the views over this fantastic piece of earth. It was a perfect time, as the sun peaked out, inducing us to lounge on the deck.

After an hour or so, it was time to take a small boat to a nearby beach to play some beach volleyball and just soak in the scenery. It was not the nicest beach, unfortunately, and the sun stopped shining. Thus, once back on the boat, we hopped into the jacuzzi to warm up. The rest of the evening involved a delicious dinner, lots of dancing, and long conversations about our 5 weeks in Vietnam, as this was our last stop in the country (more on that in the next post).

On our last day, Amy took it easy in the morning, while I took the opportunity and kayaked a little bit in Lan Ha Bay. The peace and quiet in the morning, when the only thing you hear is nature was a perfect end to our cruise and Vietnam adventures.Read more