Sunrise on Cat Ba

During my first time on Cat Ba I stayed for four days and mostly in the south of the island. This year when I visited again I stayed for an entire week. During this week I wanted to see the island behind the tourist destination, the areas that are still untouched by big companies, where nature is still intact and the island still feels like it did years ago. The family I know on the island told me the sunrise on Cat Ba is most beautiful in the north.

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Once again I stayed at An Homestay Cat Ba, the best accommodation on the island. Right next to it is Tam Vegetarian Hidden Restaurant, which is run by the same family. Tam is, in my humble opinion, one of the best cooks in Vietnam. If vegetarian or not, you’ll love the Vietnamese food here.

But to get to the topic: One morning Quyen, Tams husband and former tourist guide, took me to the northern part of the island before sunrise. We drove along the Cat Ba Island Cross-Island Road (Đường xuyên đảo Cát Bà) and it was beautiful. The forests left and right of the road were exuding mist and the birds were singing.

We got to the Northern Pier of Cat Ba just before the sun rose above the limestone mountains of Ha Long Bay. Some boats were moored close to the bay. They had no guests on board and all engines were shut off, leaving the bay in silence.

Right after sunrise some people arrived at the pier and got into boats, driving out into the bay, either to one of the small cruise ships or further out, past the first row of limestone mountains, probably to go fishing.

Once the sun had risen the light changed and revealed a breathtaking view of Ha Long Bay from Cat Ba Island.

On the way back we drove through Cát Hải, a small village in the north of the island.

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