Cat Hai island, Hai Phong City, is one of two towns in Cat Hai District. This
island is very vulnerable to erosion and tidal erosion, with an area of about 40
square kilometers, running along the East Sea coast. To cope with this
situation, a 2,048-meter-long breakwater has been built and a total of 10
kilometers of dike road serving to block waves and sand.
Cat Hai Island is considered a beautiful tourist destination, with scale and
potential for tourism development. From a breakwater construction, this place is
gradually becoming an attractive destination for tourists, especially young
people who love to explore.
Cat Hai not only attracts visitors by its natural beauty but also captivates
them by the beauty of tradition, with long-standing festivals. Coming to Cat Hai
you will have the opportunity to participate in the boat racing festival. This
festival takes place on 21st day of the first lunar month every year, when
people go to sea to pray to Nam Hai Dai Vuong - the god who protects the sea, to
hope for a year of favorable weather, bringing prosperity in catching seafood.
Best time to visit Cat Hai island
Cat Hai is an island with a cool and temperate climate. Spring has light winds,
little rain and lots of sunshine, with quite warm weather. From May to June is
the time when the south wind is strong. Around July and August every year, there
is often a lot of rain and storms. The last months of the year such as September
and October are the time of heavy rain and dense fog.
According to experience, the best time to travel to Cat Hai is from February to
June. At this time, the air is very pleasant, the sunlight is not too strong and
there is no rain or fog, creating favorable conditions for outdoor activities.
If you want to take pictures, you should come around dawn and dusk during the
day.
How to get there
To get to Cat Hai Island, you first need to travel to Hai Phong city. You can
choose from many means of transport: plane, train or car,... depending on your
departure point. If you use a bus from Hanoi, you can go to Giap Bat or Nuoc
Ngam bus station to buy a ticket, the travel time is about more than 1 hour.
Trains are also a suitable means of transport to Hai Phong before going to Cat
Hai, fares range from 70,000 VND - 100,000 VND/person.
After arriving in Hai Phong, you need to go one more stop to Cat Hai island
district and then continue to Cat Hai island. When arriving at this island, you
have 2 options to travel: go directly by your own motorbike or take a motorbike
taxi. The place to catch a bus to the island is Lach Huyen port, not too far
from the center of Hai Phong city.
The route to travel by motorbike directly to the island is: from Hai Phong city
center, go along Highway 5, pass Dinh Vu and Mac Thai To streets, then go to
Lach Huyen bridge. When crossing the bridge, you will see a sign showing the way
to Lach Huyen port, turn right and continue along the trail for a short distance
to reach the island, this is the fastest and easiest route for those who are not
good at finding their way, and it is not too difficult.
Interesting things to do at Cat Hai island
1. Super beautiful scenery for photography
Cat Hai Island impresses visitors with its unique and novel landscape,
especially when viewed from above. When you set foot here, you will experience a
large open space with a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere. This is a place
where the blue of the sky and the ocean blend together, the gentle sound of the
waves seems to bring visitors into a very peaceful and quiet space.
When the tide recedes, Cat Hai island appears very special and impressive
beauty. The perfect combination of sea, sky and the last rays of sunlight of the
day. That beautiful scene, perhaps taking a few check-in photos is still not
enough to describe all that you see right before your eyes.
2. Take photos at the famous breakwater
When visiting Cat Hai Island, the breakwater is a stop not to be missed. This is
a 2,500m long dike, built to prevent seawater from flooding Lach Huyen estuary
and help ships enter and exit the port more conveniently. With its unique
architecture, the breakwater on Cat Hai Island is increasingly becoming a
favorite destination for those who love to explore and check-in in this port
town.
3. Visit spiritual tourist attractions
There are many architectural works reflecting the cultural diversity here. In
particular, the communal houses, pagodas, temples, shrines here were built
hundreds of years ago. Among them, Hoa Hy Pagoda (Kim Lien Tu) from 1625 and Don
Luong Communal House built from the Later Le Dynasty (1663) are ancient relics
that you must definitely visit.
These architectural works are also the place where many cultural and religious
activities typical of the island take place. If you come here in January, you
have the opportunity to participate in special festivals such as: Horse-pulling
festival, Rowing festival,... with many interesting activities. Contributing to
creating more attractiveness for tourism of this island with visitors from
everywhere.
What to eat when traveling to Cat Hai island?
When coming here, people always look forward to enjoying local cuisine. In
addition to the beautiful scenery, the following specialties of this island will
also make you so fascinated that you "forget the way home":
- Crab spring rolls:
This is a famous specialty of Hai Phong city and is one of the dishes not to be
missed when traveling to Cat Hai. To make a delicious spring roll, the crab must
be fresh crab caught from the sea of Cat Hai, Do Son or Bach Long Vi. Fresh crab
combined with pork, wood ear, carrots, bean sprouts, ... creates a rich and
delicious flavor that is hard to resist.
- Cat Hai lobster:
Also known as dragon lobster, a seafood with high nutritional value. The lobster
meat is rich, fatty and rich in protein, and can be processed into many
delicious dishes. When you come here, you cannot miss the opportunity to enjoy
unique dishes such as: lobster rolled with raw vegetables, lobster stewed with
shiitake mushrooms, lobster stir-fried with lemongrass and chili, grilled
lobster with scallion oil, or delicious lobster with egg sauce,...
Sleeping in Cat Hai island
People often choose to stay at motels and hotels in the district center when
coming to the island. Accommodation in Cat Hai district is very suitable for
tourists to visit many nearby places such as Cat Ba island, Lan Ha bay.
Traveling to Cat Hai island, below is a list of quality hotels you can consider:
- Cat Ba Eco Lodge
Address: Xuan Dam, Cat Hai district, Hai Phong.
Price from: 1,000,000 VND/night.
- Sea Pearl Cat Ba Hotel
Address: 219 1/4 Street, Cat Ba Town, Cat Hai, Hai Phong.
Price from: 2,000,000 VND/night.
Some notes when traveling to Cat Hai island
- To ensure safety, everyone should avoid going to the island at high tide. At
this time, most of the breakwater will be submerged in water, the remaining part
will be wet and covered with moss, making it very slippery and easy to fall.
- The road to the island is also quite small, only enough space for 1-2
motorbikes, so walking will be much more convenient.
Although not as famous as Cat Ba, Cat Hai Island still deserves a place in your
travel notebook if you have the opportunity to visit Hai Phong. Hopefully, the
experience of traveling to Cat Hai Island shared above will be really useful for
you on your upcoming trip.
Asiatica Travel Vietnam - There are
plenty of hidden gems to be discovered in Vietnam including visits to local
homes, off the beaten track sites and local delights.
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