CAT BÀ NATIONAL PARK

The park is located 15 km northwest of the town of Cat Bà. To get there, shuttles are in service from the hotels in Cat Bà in the direction of Trung Trang. The Cat Ba National Park was founded in 1986. It covers an area of 85 km² (more than half of the 140 km² island) and also includes smaller neighbouring islands (13 km²) and adjacent waters (54 km²). The park is therefore unique in that it is both land and sea-based. It is rich in 745 species of plants including 350 medicinal plants, some of which are very rare, 20 species of mammals, 69 species of birds and 20 varieties of reptiles. One can also visit two caves that were used as shelters and hospitals during the American war. From the main trail, the walks usually lead to the village of Viet Hai, in the east of the island. The ascent of Navy Peak(Dinh Hai Quan) (268 m) is rewarded with a panoramic view of the sea horizons.

Smart advice : hire a guide either before you go or once you get there, when you pay the entrance fee. Think about a water bottle, picnic, mosquito repellent, soap and a lighter for leeches... Excursions from 10 US$ to 20 US$. Some treks (one day) are organized, it is necessary to be in good physical condition, to be equipped with adequate footwear (slippery ground in wet weather) and to be ready to face the constraints of a long walk in the rainforest. In addition, it goes up... More accessible walks are also marked out.