Cát Ba Island | A Better Ha Long Bay Experience

We came to Vietnam to see the legendary Ha Long Bay—but we wanted a different experience. No cruise ship crowds. No rigid itineraries. Just raw nature, open roads, and hidden gems.

So we based ourselves on Cat Ba Island, Vietnam’s largest island in the Ha Long Bay archipelago, and found a wilder, more adventurous way to experience this iconic region.

Whether you’re planning your own Vietnam adventure or just dreaming of travel, this is the other side of Ha Long Bay—the one you don’t see on cruise brochures.