WT024 - MASS TOURISM

The weather was definitely not on our side the whole three days we spent in the Ha Long Bay area, but nevertheless you cannot escape its beauty. We rented a motorbike close to the ferry terminal Bến phà Tuần Châu, and then took the local ferry to the Cat Ba Island. The connection is one of the best, because it goes through many of the inhabited islands, but it's almost unknown to tourists that usually book full-day-tours with local agencies and pay probably five times more. The ferry departs between 3 to 5 times a day, depending on the season, and takes about 45 min to reach the other side.

On the island, we preferred to stay away from the main town and book a place called Central Backpackers Hostel. Since we had a bike we were able to move back and forth and when necessary go to town for some shopping. It was the perfect decision. The hostel allowed us to relax and even though we didn't enjoy any of the day-trips they had to offer, we experienced a family-like Vietnamese meal. Cat Ba is slowly being destroyed by the mass of tourism in the recent years. Also talking against myself, the high demand on accommodation and activities is simply putting to much pressure on the local life. Beaches are being closed to give space to new private resorts, example of the Cat Ba 1, 2 and 3. Tons of cruises and ferry boats fill the harbours awaiting the arrival of more and more tourists. Outside the city and ports, climbing is the sport that bring many travellers to the island. Secret hideouts still exist for them and are only reachable with motorbike, like the Butterfly Valley. In fact, if you don't have a way to move around, the island is even more boring and not worth the time.

The one place I found interesting was the Cannon Fort, which offers a chance to see the old bunkers and helicopter landing stations used against the French and American troops. Built in 1942 by the french, atop the hill at 177m height above the sea level, this historic relic had the function to protect Vietnam's sea area. The Fort was also used in the defense of Haiphong during the Vietnam War. Its jungle-clad hills offer astonishing panoramas over the dozens of fishing boats in the harbour and out to the sea beyond.