Through the Jungle on Cát Bà Island

In my last post I described how I got to Cát Bà Island and how I sailed by boat into Ha Long Bay. Today I'd like to reveal the beauty of the island itself, because it's definitely worth staying a day longer to explore the interior as well. That's where you'll find the Cát Bà National Park rainforest. It stretches over an area of about 30 square kilometers and is broken up by limestone formations similar to those in Ha Long Bay.

I arranged a trip with a guide. Ideally, if you find yourself in this situation, the guide should go with just you. But it probably happens more often that you have to go with a small group. There were four of us tourists, and unfortunately half of that was a Russian couple who really weren't prepared for the fairly rough jungle trail. After a few kilometers I thought we'd have to leave them somewhere for the wild beasts. Because of how slow they were, we didn't make it to the lookout tower at the highest point of the route, since the guide concluded he'd have had to carry them there on his back.

Gradually we made our way through more or less dense jungle, watching lizards and spiders and steering clear of spots with leeches. Now and then a monkey would call out or flit by somewhere. Personally, I'd expected to see more wildlife in the jungle. I thought monkeys would accompany us along the way, or that we'd glimpse some larger animals. But those are hidden deeper in the forest growth and shy away from people. You also can't expect a beautiful view at every turn, because you're constantly among the tall trees.

About halfway along, we came to some marshes that were fairly dried up at this time of year, but even so the place had a striking atmosphere. Wild roots, withered trees, shallow pools… In all we walked about 7 kilometers through the jungle and came out toward a tiny village where we had lunch arranged. We passed between little fields where the locals battle the exuberant nature for a bit of space, growing rice and a little vegetable produce the traditional way, using water buffalo.

In the utterly modest surroundings of a tiny wooden dwelling, the local housewife cooked us a modest but tasty lunch, and we rested a little before the final leg of the journey. That part led down a footpath out of the jungle and headed downhill toward the sea. There a local came to meet us with a small boat, which first took us to a tiny beach beside one of the rock formations, and after a while of admiring the view and taking photos, we set off past the photogenic crags and floating villages back to Cát Bà.

Tip 1: Bring sturdy shoes and higher socks for the trip, because in places along the way you'll be pestered by leeches that latch onto your ankles.

Tip 2: Arrange a guide just for yourself, so slower tourists don't hold you up.